A category of deep vibratos that are pressed so strongly the string reaches the next highest note. They are played by pressing and releasing the strings to the left of the movable bridges, typically by the index, middle, and ring fingers held together. Two other possible terms for this are da zhanyin 大颤音 and rou xian yin. Ferguson’s Sources E and F say it is a slow rhythm, only pressing the string 2 or 3 times in the space of a quarter note.

Also note: some sources say rouyin is a light vibrato whereas Ferguson cites a strong vibrato played with more strength or power and that goes to a higher pitch than any of the other yín/yīn vibratos.

A type of Róuyīn 揉音.

Same as jirou but twice as long. Pluck a string then press it quickly several times with the left hand raising its pitch to the next note on each press. Kwok writes that huanrou is generally used on a note of two beat's duration, usually at a relatively slow tempo, and contains about three presses. Rhythm and number of presses vary according to personal taste.

A type of Róuyīn 揉音.

Add a vibrato to a string that is already pressed. Press a string to a higher pitch, pluck it, then perform a vibrato, allowing the string to go both higher and lower than its initial pressed pitch.

A type of Róuyīn 揉音.

Combining a downward slide with vibrato. Press a string to the desired pitch. Pluck it. Relax the left hand to create a downward slide. As the left hand, relaxes, play a vibrato. There are two additional techniques: 1) The right hand may also play yaozhi (tremolo) at the same time, combining vibrato, portamento, and tremolo in one technique. 2) the left hand may move to the left while playing, modifying the sound of the vibrato and downward slide (portamento).

A type of Róuyīn 揉音.

Pluck a string then press it quickly several times with the left hand raising its pitch to the next note on each press. Kwok writes that Jirou is generally used on a note of one beat's duration, usually at a relatively slow tempo, and contains about three presses. Rhythm and number of presses vary according to personal taste.

Generally, Yín 吟 are a broad category of techniques we can think of as light vibratos played by pressing and releasing the strings to the left of the movable bridges, typically by the index, middle, and ring fingers held together. It is considered “light” because it does not cause the pitch to change very much, typically less than a half step. Yín 吟 is more than vibrato; it connotes “to sing” or “to sigh” in classical Chinese. Just as there are many ways to sing and sigh, there are many ways to customize yín based on the context of the music.

Yín can be short or long; it can be played at even speed, sped up or slowed down. Yín’s nuances are widely used in all styles and a strong command of yín is the mark of a skilled player. Unfortunately these descriptions cannot communicate those nuances; teachers and experience are the best source for expanding your understanding of these techniques and learning when to employ their subtleties.

Note: Ferguson indicates the character for light vibrato is 吟 which is pronounced yín, but writes the pronunciation as yīn. Because of his frequent use of 吟 I am using that character's pronunciation in this list, rather than his written pronunciation. Dr. Han 2013 confirms this character as "yin 吟 (zheng fingering technique of light vibrato)". Ferguson also mentions the term 虛, "xū", could be equivalent as well.

Sources disagree on whether this is light or strong; it appears to be a regional difference.In the south this is pinyin-ized “Chanyin” and is considered a light vibrato of moderate speed, sometimes also used as the generic term in place of yín.

A slow, light vibrato.

A fast, light vibrato that is faster than chànyīn.

A vibrato that is stronger and faster than Chànyīn but not as strong as Róu 揉.

A light vibrato that is slower than chànyīn. Unclear how different this is from màn yín.

To quote Kwok: “A delicate touch of the string described as ‘like that of a dragonfly upon the water's surface.’ The fingers press the string once or twice lightly. It is sometimes used to stress the end of a note of relatively long duration or the last of two or more notes within a beat.

Ferguson’s Source A differs, saying fēiyín requires a large, not a delicate motion, and does not mention dragonflies, but sources E and F do.

Shuāng fēi yín 双飞吟

Two of the dragonfly-like fēi yín played in sequence. Source F is the only one with this term, so it is likely two quick, light presses of the string.

A light vibrato performed on several strings at once. Place the palm of the left hand on the strings to the left of the movable bridges. Run the right hand across several strings to perform a glissando. Press and release the left hand into the strings quickly several times.

A Shandong and Henan technique of heavy vibrato that is pressed strongly enough to produce audible pitch changes. This traces back to the vocal styles of operas and narrative singing from northern China.This character is the same as the one for “chàn” in the “chànyīn” technique of light vibrattos found in the south. It appears to be a regional difference. We’ll use Chàn for light vibrattos and Zhàn for heavy vibrattos.

Note: some linguistic sources say zhàn is a taiwanese pronunciation, which would make more sense applied to southern styles. Unfortunately I don’t have clear guidance on this.

A gentle and rapid vibrato, closer to Chanyin.