ABSTRACT
Most traditional Han Chinese instrumental repertoires and some opera repertoires are built upon a system of old melodies that have served as structural models. Generally speaking, these models are collectively known as qupai 曲牌, a concept variously translated as ‘named song,’ ‘labeled melody’ or ‘titled tune.’ In everyday terminology among instrumentalists, qupai are simply called paizi 牌子 (‘labels’). Although some Chinese scholars suggest that the term derives from the old practice of writing the titles of music to be performed on announcement boards (Gao 1981: 295ff.; 1989: 4), 1 others believe the term merely refers to melodies with names.
