The quick answer
Visit a musician such as Gu Le at Battlecrest Slope or Shu Zhou at Crimson Cliff and choose the music interaction. Match the displayed inputs as notes meet their targets. A learned score, a challenge clear and an owned instrument are separate unlocks; check the reward and Emotes menu before expecting free play.
On this page
Start with these Qinghe musicians
| Musician | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Gu Le | Battlecrest Slope, by the western wall of Northern Vow Ruins; look for the small hut and instrument marker. |
| Shu Zhou | Crimson Cliff, near the Boundary Stone; look for the musician playing on the rocks. |
Speak to the musician or use Play Music when it appears. Choose the available Solo or Duet interaction and read the challenge’s displayed target. Gu Le is associated with the score Three Steps of Yangguan.
If you are following a map marker, check the musician’s name when you arrive. A nearby performance can offer a different score even when the activities use the same basic rhythm controls.
Time the note at its target
During the challenge, notes approach target circles. Press the indicated input when a note reaches its target. Use the bindings shown on your own keyboard, controller or touch layout rather than copying a button from someone else’s video.
- Read the required result before beginning.
- Spend the opening phrase identifying the note lanes and their buttons.
- Watch the target area so you see when to act, not just where a new note appears.
- Keep following the phrase after a miss instead of trying to recover the missed input.
- Check the final score and reward separately.
Our suggested practice is to repeat one short section until you can recognise its rhythm without looking away to find a button. Then work on the phrase that caused the next miss. This is more useful than changing every control after one imperfect attempt.
Record the score you earned
Check your Bag for a newly obtained Ancient Score. Using Add to Favorites records the relevant Performance Compendium entry. Look at the collection afterward to confirm that the intended song was added.
A score tells you which music you have collected; it does not by itself prove that you own a portable instrument. If a challenge reward has been claimed but free play is missing, inspect instrument ownership next.
Check the instrument reward and Emotes menu
Successful performances can offer an instrument gift, including the Guqin route described for these musicians. Treat the reward screen as the confirmation: a completed song does not guarantee an instrument on every attempt.
Once the instrument is unlocked, open Emotes and select its music interaction. Use a learned piece where available, or enter the instrument’s free-play controls to perform notes manually. An NPC’s rhythm challenge remains a separate activity from playing your owned instrument in the world.
Before replaying solely for a reward, read what the musician still offers and check whether the instrument is already unlocked. Repeating a song because you missed its Emotes entry will not solve a menu-selection problem.
Music performances and Melodies of Peace are different
If your objective asks for a Melodies of Peace chime or regional collection progress, follow that activity’s interaction. Playing a rhythm challenge is not a replacement for collecting the specified chime.
What to read next
Common questions
Does learning a song unlock its instrument?
Not necessarily. Check the instrument reward and its Emotes entry as well as your collected score.
Is this the Melodies of Peace activity?
No. NPC music performances, collected scores and instrument free play are separate from Melodies of Peace chimes.