朱熹與古琴有深厚的淵源，他不但彈琴、識琴，以琴會友，
喜聽友人琴音；他藏琴，也製琴，同時不斷研究琴學，可能也做了一些琴曲。在〈琴律說〉一文首先提出「琴律」概念，以「三分損益法」探討五音十二律與琴徽之間的相應關係。古琴與儒家經書伴其一生。朱熹不但是一位儒學創新的大師，集理學之大成者，更是一位熟知音律的音樂家，這點學界則較為忽略。朱熹延續儒家傳統「聲音之道與政通」的音樂觀點，但並未淪於泛道德主義。他認為「藝」有其自主性，不悖於其所應之理，雖是小物，但不應離棄，人之主體玩物適情，朝夕游焉，方能使日用平常間無少間隙，在從容不迫、無乖戾之心下自在地涵泳，自能收斂身心，達到至理，並產生道德作用，忽不自知地入於聖賢之域，完善人格；此即是「游於藝」到「成於樂」，正是朱熹古琴音樂美學的特色之所在。本文通過朱熹的琴緣以及琴學專業論述其古琴音樂美學，當對宋明理學之研究有所補苴與裨益。

There is a deep relation between Zhu Xi and the qin: Zhu Xi not only played the qin, but he also did research on the qin, collected the qin, held qin gatherings and built his own instruments. In his work Explanations to the Intonation of the qin he used the notion of "qin intonation" to explain the relationship between the twelve tonalities and the pentatonic scales on the qin. Zhu Xi’s work on music is less well know than his philosophic contributions to Confucian thought. In his work on music he continues the Confucian tradition which relate music to the Confucian orthodoxy. While perceiving music from a Confucian perspective, Zhu Xi acknowledged the independent status of the arts. During leisure time the arts could be used to temper the heart xin, shape the personality and thus prepare the ground for attainment of sainthood. This paper aims to contribute to the studies of Song-Ming Confucianism by exploring the nature of qin aesthetics in the works of Zhu Xi.