The performance form of Ningbo Zoushu can be divided into three stages: at first, it is a "sitting singing" by one person; Followed by a simple accompaniment. The actor sits behind the table, the band sits at the table, and the actor performs behind the table, which is called "walking in the book". After that, the actor and the band sit opposite each other, and the actor has more space to make a performance circle on the stage, which is called "publishing a book". At that time, Xie Baochu's performance in Silverstream, Duan Desheng's singing in the city, and Mao Quanfu's martial arts in Bates all had their own merits and were famous for a while, and they were very influential among the masses. Because the lotus musical instrument has developed from sitting singing to standing performing and decorating roles, the actors' movements on the stage are relatively large, and the name of walking books also comes from this. After the founding of New China, Ningbo Zoushu has carried out many reforms and innovations, and the performance has developed to double files for men and women, and the intensity of accompaniment has also been strengthened.

There are three kinds of tunes commonly used in Ningbo, namely Siping tune, Horsehead tune and Fudiao, commonly known as "Old Sanmen". Sometimes, it is also used to bring back the dead, tune, Er Quan, three meals, three, five, seven and so on. "Four tones" is usually the beginning of a book, and the last sentence is often sung by bands and singers. Polyphony is divided into tight, medium and slow according to the content and character. For example, the slow pitch and rhythm are slow, and the melody is the main line, which is mostly used for narrative or memory such as mourning. According to the artist, "Horsehead Tune" is transformed from Mongolian folk tunes. "Three Meals" has a fast pace and a high melody, and is mostly used for people who are emotional or have an emergency. The four-stringed huqin is an indispensable accompaniment instrument in Ningbo Quyi, and it is also a unique style of Ningbo Quyi. Other musical instruments include erhu, Qin Yue, dulcimer, pipa and Sanxian.