琴調是琴樂構成的基礎。明代多數的琴譜當中，都收有各琴調的「調意曲」，暗示其具有幫助琴人演奏並理解琴調的作用。但古代文獻對琴調的音樂性質或是調意曲的着墨甚少，有待琴界的探索。為了進一步瞭解明代以前所使用的早期琴調，本研究選擇以《事林廣記》、《太音大全集》、《神奇秘譜》及《西麓堂琴統》中所收錄的調意曲為主要研究材料，理由是這四種文獻的時間較早，有助於揭露琴調的早期性質。另一方面這四種文獻所收錄的調意曲，彼此之間具有差異性，可以看出琴樂在長時間實踐下的可能變化。透過調意曲的分析，本研究發現早期琴調除了音階構成、畢曲音以外，還具有諸多音樂性質，例如慣用的旋律型、特殊的取音位置、音樂色彩的布局、終止式等。顯示早期琴調的內涵其實豐富而多元。藉由認識琴調的音樂性質，有助於更貼切地解讀古譜，進而重塑古調的音樂面貌。

Diao, a concept similar to “mode,” lies at the base of qin music. Most qin handbooks from the Ming dynasty contain short pieces known as diaoyi, literally “meaning of diao,” implying their roles in helping players perform such music and understand how diao functions. However, ancient literature has little to say about the musical features of diao and diaoyi. To further understand early diao used during the Ming dynasty, this article focuses on diaoyi collected in the Shilin guangji, Taiyin daquanji, Shenqi mipu and Xilutang qintong as its main source materials due to the fact that they predate other handbooks and might reveal the nature of early qin diao. Furthermore, differences between these diaoyi could indicate possible changes in qin music during long-term practice. By studying diaoyi, this article shows that the idea of early qin diao encompasses a variety of music properties, including not only a scale with a certain ending degree, but also melodic patterns and particular finger positions, as well as layouts of musical colors and cadences. These findings can help present-day qin performers to reconstruct music from ancient tablatures.