Jianzipu + Numbered Notation
Freely combine jianzipu with numbered notation, lyrics, and time signatures in a single line. Works for Tang-era manuscripts and modern editions alike.
QIXIANPU · Guqin Jianzipu
Engrave guqin scores
right in your browser.
Qixianpu is a web-based editor purpose-built for guqin jianzipu. Mix jianzipu and numbered notation, get real-time previews, and export print-ready PDFs — give this thousand-year-old notation a modern companion.
Core Features
Tools built for score engraving
Designed around real jianzipu + numbered notation workflows: what you type is what you get, and saving produces a print-ready score.
Real-Time Rendering
Every save triggers print-quality typesetting. See the full score in seconds — no more "compile then debug" cycles.
PDF / PNG / .ly Export
One-click download: vector PDF (print-ready), high-res PNG (150 / 300 / 600 dpi), or plain-text .ly source for further desktop work.
Browser Local Storage
All your source stays in your browser. No registration, no uploads, no cloud accounts — close the tab and nothing is lost.
Who It's For
Made for every kind of qin player
From desktop engraving to classroom teaching, Qixianpu is for anyone who needs jianzipu to come alive.
Personal Engraving
Transcribe manuscripts, organize your performance scores, share edits with fellow players. What you see is what you print.
Historical Score Study
Transcribe jianzipu from sources like Shenqi Mipu and Songxianguan Qinpu into searchable, comparable modern editions with your research notes attached.
Lesson Preparation
Create handouts, sectional practice scores, and high-res illustrations for lectures or social media — no need to juggle LaTeX and layout software.
Featured Scores
Ten Classic Guqin Pieces
Our library includes jianzipu transcriptions of ten traditional masterworks — Liushui, Guangling San, and more — with historical context and performance notes. All scores can be opened directly in the editor.
About Jianzipu
Writing music like writing words
A living notation system spanning over a thousand years, still played and transcribed today.
Jianzipu is one of the oldest continuously used notation systems in the world, created by Tang Dynasty qin master Cao Rou by "reducing characters" from earlier written-score forms. Each jianzi is a composite block character made of radicals — it records not pitch, but which finger, which hui (position), which string — a score that is also a set of physical instructions.
For over a millennium, from Jieshi Diao: Youlan (Tang Dynasty) to Shenqi Mipu (1425), Songxianguan Qinpu, and late-Qing Tianwenge Qinpu, qin players have transmitted their art through jianzipu. In 1977, Guan Pinghu's recording of Liushui was carried aboard the Voyager Golden Record into space — one of the few pieces of human musical heritage sent to the stars.
Yet entering and typesetting jianzipu has long been a barrier — traditional notation software is expensive and steep to learn. Qixianpu aims to let every interested player transcribe, revise, and share their jianzipu as easily as keeping a diary, right in the browser.
What is jianzipu?
Jianzipu is a tablature notation unique to the Chinese guqin, created during the Tang Dynasty by Cao Rou. Instead of recording pitches directly, each composite character encodes which finger, which string, and which hui — it is both a score and a set of physical instructions, and one of the oldest continuously used notation systems in the world.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Qixianpu is a pure web application — just open qixianpu.com/app/ and you're ready. All rendering happens in the cloud; no local fonts or software needed.
What export formats are supported?
Export to PDF (vector, print-ready), PNG (150 / 300 / 600 dpi), .ly source (for further editing in desktop notation software), and .gqc project files (preserving all your edits).
Where is my data stored? Is it private?
Your score source is stored in your browser's localStorage — nothing is uploaded to any server. Only when you click "Render" is the source temporarily sent to our typesetting service to generate PDF / PNG; nothing is retained server-side afterwards.
Is the editor free? Do I need to register?
Completely free, no registration ever needed. Qixianpu is a personal project. All features (including PDF / PNG export) are open to everyone — no paywalls, no watermarks.
Which browsers are supported?
We recommend the latest two major versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. Works on Windows, macOS, Linux desktops and iPad / Android tablets, though a 13-inch or larger screen is recommended for score editing.
Can I contribute scores?
Absolutely. Send your jianzipu transcriptions to [email protected] and we'll be happy to work with you.
Start engraving now
Free, browser-based. No registration, no installation — just focus on the score.
Open Editor (Free)