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The origins of qawwali probably predate the birth of Muhammad. The earliest Islamic scholars discussed the spiritual effects of music, but it was only in the time of al-Gazali (1085-1111) that these principles were refined and codified. These principles were then expanded by the Chisti school of Sufism. It is this order that has been responsible for the propagation of Qawwali in India and Pakistan for the last few centuries.

Detailed descriptions/transcriptions by Adrian Coburg, a percussionist and scholar of Afrocuban Lucumi/Santeria.

American qin player/scholar John Thompson advocates for both silk + nylon-wrapped metal strings for different styles of qin music (much like classical (nylon-string) and steel-string guitar music).

Essay on silk strings in guqin (qin) playing by player/scholar, John Thompson, at www.silkqin.com.

The guqin is associated with China's scholarly class; was one of the classical "four arts of the scholar," (along with Go or weiqi (a board game), calligraphy, and painting). Qin was also strongly associated with Daoist philosophy; the qin was more than

The timbral aspects of guqin technique are unparalleled in stringed instruments of the world. With over 20 different types of right hand plucking techniques and almost as many left hand fingering techniques, the potential for timbral contrasts between notes is immense. When listening to guqin music, the appreciation of timbral contrast is traditionally one of the most important aspects of the music. Such appreciation of contrast can happen locally from one note to the next or structurally - appreciating different sections of the music set in different timbral styles. Such appreciation for timbre on this level in Western music has only been present since the beginning of the 20th century in classical music.