Guzheng Notation Past and Present: A Systematic Comparison of Traditional Character-Based and Modern Notation Systems in the Digital Age

Abstract

The guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither with more than two millennia of history, developed its notation from early character-based texts through the mature gongche and er-si systems to the modern numbered and staff notations now universally taught. As the core carrier of musical information, notation connects composition, performance, pedagogy and research, and every transformation of notational form has left a deep imprint on the trajectory of guzheng music. Yet scholarship has largely confined itself to historical description of single notation systems or to standardization of technical symbols, lacking a systematic comparison of ancient and modern systems and sustained attention to digital technology and its integration with practice. As an early-stage research output of a monograph study of guzheng notation, this paper builds an integrated framework moving from historical evolution to structural comparison, from semiotic and cross-cultural interpretation to digital-era exploration, and finally to integration in performance and teaching. Along four core dimensions - pitch, rhythm, technique and tonal nuance (yinqiang) - it shows that ancient and modern systems rest on different representational logics, and argues that guzheng notation theory should combine historical depth with contemporary vitality and academic rigor with practical applicability. Implications extend to curriculum design, archival methodology, digital encoding standards and the place of Chinese instrumental music in global music theory.