Abstract: Being different from Shi, Ci is a rhyming style that is written and sung according to tunes. The initial sound that Ci relies on was the local songs of Tang Dynasty. Consequently, the style formation and development of Ci was greatly committed by tune structure. Literates of Tang and the Five Dynasties paid attention to Tuning during Ci inditing. On the other hand, their inditing habits also drove them to adopt sentences based on previous poetic metre, thus initiated the Toning of Ci. The Ci inditing of literates turned on an alternation between "Tuning" and "Toning" ever since the early Song Dynasty. Those stood for "Tuning" inherited the tradition of Ci inditing since Tang and the Five Dynasties. Moreover, they also developed "Man" tunes, which became equally popular with "Ling" tunes originated by predecessors. While those for "Toning" started the poetic writing of Ci, thereby extracted Ci from those local songs, calling for the regression of ceremonial classic music, so as to tune with their elegant Ci inditing.

Key words: Toning, local songs, ceremonial classic music, Key words： Tuning