Tap a string halfway between the movable a straight fixed bridge with the middle or ring finger of the left hand. At the same time pluck that string with a finger from the right hand. The result is a delicate harmonic. The string plays a note one octave higher than its open note with a gentle and soft timbre.

Each string needs to be touched a different distance from the fixed bridge to produce its harmonic. Much like fretting an instrument, this shortens the length the string vibrates over, increasing the pitch of its sound.

If many fanyin will be played, the symbol is called Fàn qǐ 泛起, roughly meaning the starting point for the series of harmonics.

The symbol for stopping playing harmonics or fanyin.

Alternate notation:

Press a finger of the left hand on the tip of a movable bridge, pinching the string agains the bridge. Pluck the string with a finger of the right hand. It produces a vastly different sound from an open string, somewhat akin to a pitched drum. “柱” is the same character as the term for the movable bridge.

Pinch a string between the index and thumb, pull it upwards, and release it to snap it downwards. Ferguson’s sources C and E says this is performed with the left hand while Source F says either.

Alternate Notation:

Press the tip of the index finger into the first joint of the thumb. Flick the index finger against a string to hit it nail-first.

Dùn yín was taught to JB as a fast press and release by the left hand designed to accentuate the half beat of a note. If a quarter note bears the marking for dùn yín, the Dùn yín is played at the 1/8th note mark. The only source that lists it is Ferguson’s Source E but Ferguson does not provide an explanation. It could be related to diăn. Ferguson’s Source E mentions Shi dun and Xu dun but offers no explanations.

Alternate Notation:

Press and release a string with the left hand several times, bouncing off the string each time. Pluck it with the right hand at the same time. Kwok says it is commonly played in sets of three bounces that move towards the tail end of the guzheng and is popular in the Chaozhou style. Dr. Han says it is intended to convey a bright and spirited mood.

Stroke the strings to the left of the movable bridges with the left hand. These strings are not tuned and thus create a dissonant cacophony said to symbolize powerful, untamable forces like natural disasters, wind, waves, and death. The negative aspects can be muted by adding plucking from the right hand, turning the Luàn yīn into more of an embellishment.