Temperamentology in ancient Chinese written records

Abstract Ancient Chinese temperamentology has had a history of more than 2,000 years, as written in Chinese records. Although during this process the guqin (seven-stringed zither) arose, leading to research into natural lu and the discovery of the harmonic series, and although lu pipes were used, leading to research into “mouth correction”, nevertheless, looking at ancient Chinese temperamentology overall, we can see that the central part of the research was inspired by the cyclical movement of heavenly bodies. Therefore there was the need to solve the problem raised in ancient times that the “one third reduction and addition” (OTRA) lu (first records of which date from the seventh century BC: translators' note) could not return in a cycle to the original lu. nor modulate. By the end of the sixteenth century, Zhu Zaiyu of the Ming dynasty had invented the Xinfa Milu. finally solving satisfactorily this problem. The Xinfa Milu discovered by Zhu Zaiyu was by no means widely popularised in the China of his d...