Wang Cheng-Ping (王正平, 1948-2013) was a celebrated Pipa performer and composer, who also conducted the Orchestra of Broadcasting Corporation of China and Taipei Chinese Orchestra, in which he served as the director as well. And he was professor in Taipei National University of the Arts and Department of Chinese Music in Chinese Culture University.

In addition to his research on Pipa performing techniques, he endeavored to create new numbers of Pipa. His famous technique shia chu lun (下出輪) can often be observed in his works. As an innovative composer, Wang drew inspirations from various subjects and extended the expressive power of Pipa by creating many unique finger-playing techniques.

Shui Diao Ge Tou(水調歌頭) was penned in 1979 by Wang, inspired by the same title poem written by Su Shi(蘇軾) to commemorate his brother Su Zhe(蘇轍). Wang invented the technique of pa in lun zhi (琶音輪指) based on shia chu lun. On his handwritten scripts in 1984, he structured five parts according to five sentences in the poem as listed: (1) When will the moon be clear and bright? (2) With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the clear sky. (3) The moon may be dim or bright, round or crescent shaped. (4) Dancing with my moonlit shadow. (5) Though thousands of miles apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.

I take the 1984 draft of Wang’s Shui Diao Ge Tou as my main subject to analyze. Through organizing references from composer, literature, music structure, techniques and emotional expression of music, I argue that this number utilizes multiple expressions of music to transmit the emotions of yearning in the poem.