An erhu player usually sits with the instrument on his or her left upper thigh in front of the left hip. The erhu is played by moving the bow horizontally over the two vertical strings. The erhu's range spans over three octaves and the tune shares some features with violin, although it produces a more nasal tone, which is gentle but firm.
What is erhu used for?
It is the most popular of the huqin family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. As a very versatile instrument, the erhu is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as in pop, rock and jazz. Performer with erhu, photographed Singapore February 1969 × July 1971.
What is the tuning of the erhu?
The inside string (nearest to player) is generally tuned to D4 and the outside string to A4. This is the same as the two middle strings of the violin. The Erhu is played sitting down, with the sound box placed on the top of the left thigh and the neck held vertically.
What instrument is played on an erhu?
“Erquan yingyue,” by A Bing, played on an erhu. erhu, Wade-Giles romanization erh-hu, bowed, two-stringed Chinese vertical fiddle, the most popular of this class of instruments. The strings of the erhu, commonly tuned a fifth apart, are stretched over a wooden drumlike resonator covered by a snakeskin membrane.
What is the sound of erhu?
Erhu sound. The erhu ( Chinese: 二胡; pinyin: èrhú; [aɻ˥˩xu˧˥] ), is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a Southern Fiddle, and is sometimes known in the Western world as the Chinese violin or a Chinese two-stringed fiddle .
How does the erhu produce sound?
Its characteristic sound is produced through the vibration of the python skin by bowing. 2. There is no fingerboard; the player stops the strings by pressing their fingertips onto the strings without the strings touching the neck.
How is the Chinese erhu played?
In performance the erhu is held upright on the performer's thigh, and the tautness of the bow strings is determined by the pressure of the performer's hand. Bowing is done horizontally, with right-hand fingering techniques for altering the bow tension and for crossing strings.
What makes the erhu so special?
The traditional use of python skin to cover the sound box, silk to make the strings, and horsehair for the bow gave the instrument its unique sound. There is no fingerboard, which makes the erhu difficult to learn but creates unique expressiveness.
Is erhu harder than violin?
"The development of modern erhu has benefited from the techniques of violin playing but erhu is a more difficult to control than the violin," says Xing, who taught violin maestro Itzak Perlman to try to play the "Chinese violin" in 2002 at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
What is the quietest instrument?
GuqinString instrumentVolumequietRelated instrumentsIchigenkin, geomungoMusicians6 more rows
What does erhu mean in English?
(ˈɜːhuː ) a two-stringed Chinese musical instrument.
How much is an erhu?
The cheapest Erhu out there in the market can be as low as US$50 and an Indian small leaf sandalwood made by a reputable maker can cost more than US$10,000.
What instrument has only 3 strings?
The balalaika (Russian: балала́йка, pronounced [bəɫɐˈɫajkə]) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings.
How yueqin is being played?
The player presses the strings between the high frets making chord playing difficult but giving increased control over the timbre and intonation. Strings are plucked with fingernails or a pick using up- and down-strokes and tremolo techniques that sustain and give color to a tone.
What instrument has only 3 strings?
The balalaika (Russian: балала́йка, pronounced [bəɫɐˈɫajkə]) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings.
What instrument has only 2 strings?
Erhu is a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument. It is the most popular of the huqin family of traditional bowed string instruments played in China.
What does erhu mean in English?
(ˈɜːhuː ) a two-stringed Chinese musical instrument.
Where was the Erhu used?
For most of history, the erhu was mostly a folk instrument used in southern China, whereas the sihu was preferred among northern musicians. However, in the 1920s, Liu Tianhua introduced the erhu to Beijing, and since, it has become the most popular of the huqin.
What is the sound of an erhu?
Erhu sound. The erhu ( Chinese: 二胡; pinyin: èrhú; [aɻ˥˩xu˧˥] ), is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a Southern Fiddle, and is sometimes known in the Western world as the Chinese violin or a Chinese two-stringed fiddle .
What is the erhu bow?
Construction. The erhu bow between the strings. The Erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two big tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body ( sound box) which is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end.
Why does an Erhu have a bridge?
The reason is because the erhu uses python skin as its 'top', whereas a violin, the top is a wooden plate. The python skin is stretched out like a flat surface, unlike the curved plate of a violin.
What is the difference between a violin and an Erhu?
The bridge of an erhu has a flat base, and does not require 'fitting' onto an instrument. The reason is because the erhu uses python skin as its 'top', whereas a violin, the top is a wooden plate. The python skin is stretched out like a flat surface, unlike the curved plate of a violin. Also, erhu have the hairs of the bow strung between the two strings, in which both sides of bow hair is used. The violin has the bow hair played on top of the strings. The erhu has only two strings while violin has four.
Where did the Erhu originate?
The Erhu can be traced back to proto-Mongolic instruments which first appeared in China during the Tang Dynasty. It is believed to have evolved from the Xiqin ( 奚 琴 ). The xiqin is believed to have originated from the Xi people located in current northeast China . The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument ( 二, èr, ...
Where is the sound box on Erhu?
The Erhu is played sitting down, with the sound box placed on the top of the left thigh and the neck held vertically. However, performers of more recent years have played while standing up using a specially developed belt-clip.
How to play Erhu?
The erhu is played by moving the bow horizontally over the two vertical strings. The erhu's range spans over three octaves and the tune shares some features with violin, although it produces a more nasal tone, which is gentle but firm. Chinese musical instrument Erhu. Tone. The tone of Erhu resembles a human voice.
What is the difference between Erhu and Erhu violin?
Although hailed as a Chinese violin, Erhu is quite different from its western counterpart. There is a vertical post with a fingerboard crosses the sides of a resonator at its base. This resonator is covered with a piece of stretched python skin that produces a unique ‘whining' tone.
How many Erhus are there in an orchestra?
Erhu is usually employed in national orchestras. In smaller orchestras, there are usually two to six Erhus; in larger ones there are ten to twelve. Famous Erhu Works.
Where is the bow on an Erhu?
An erhu player usually sits with the instrument on his or her left upper thigh in front of the left hip.
Is Erhu a violin?
Although hailed as a Chinese violin, Erhu is quite different from its western counterpart.
What is the performance of Erhu?
Its performance is characterized by subtle contrasts in bowing strength, powerful vibrato, and glissandos. The erhu is played both as a solo instrument and in an orchestral setting.
How is the Erhu held?
In performance the erhu is held upright on the performer’s thigh, and the tautness of the bow strings is determined by the pressure of the performer’s hand. Bowing is done horizontally, with right-hand fingering techniques for altering the bow tension and for crossing strings. Without a fingerboard, the erhu can produce a great range ...
What is the erhu in music?
The erhu is played both as a solo instrument and in an orchestral setting. A higher-pitched version with a smaller resonator surface and shorter post is the gaohu, or nanhu. A larger, lower-pitched version of the erhu is called zhonghu. All three sizes are valuable members of the orchestra. See also jinghu, huqin.
Does the Erhu have a fingerboard?
Like the banhu, the erhu has no fingerboard. The strings are supported by a vertical post that pierces the resonator. “Pinghu qiuyue,” a Cantonese folk song, played on the gaohu. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. In performance the erhu is held upright on the performer’s thigh, and the tautness of the bow strings is determined by the pressure ...
Where are Erhu made?
There are more than a thousand different Erhu makers in China.
What wood is used to make Erhu?
The most common would be Rosewood and the most rare and valuable would be Indian small leaf sandalwood. In addition to those woods are Ebony, Violet Sandalwood, Black sandalwood etc.
What is Shanghai Dunhuang Erhu made of?
The last in this category is another Shanghai Dunhuang Erhu. It is made from red sandalwood, one of the cheapest sandalwood used to make starter Erhus. In the looks department, it looks very much like the rosewood version. The tone however is richer and more articulate than the rosewood version.
What is Hu Han Rou?
Hu Han Rou (HHR) is one great Shanghai Erhu maker and this is her entry level Erhu made from black sandalwood.
What is the erhus in Tier S?
The Erhus in the Tier S are a cut above the rest.
Who made the Suzhou Erhu?
This is a Suzhou Erhu by maker Xu Chun Feng. The tone is very clean and one of the few Erhus with really clean and strong high registers. Has that typical warm and sweet Suzhou tone. Also check out its equivalent with a headstock depicting lily ponds here.
Is an Erhu better than a chef?
They learned from different masters and have varying skill levels in making an Erhu. Just like chefs, some chefs are better at cooking than others. In the hands of a skilful and experienced erhu maker, the Erhu would have a better resulting tone using the same type of wood and snakeskin.
Overview
The erhu is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a Southern Fiddle, and is sometimes known in the Western world as the Chinese violin or a Chinese two-stringed.
It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular of the huqin family of traditional bowed strin…
History
The Erhu can be traced back to proto-Mongolic instruments which first appeared in China during the Tang Dynasty. It is believed to have evolved from the Xiqin (奚 琴). The xiqin is believed to have originated from the Xi people located in current northeast China.
The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument (二, èr, two) is believe…
Construction
The Erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two big tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body (sound box) which is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end. Two strings are attached from the pegs to the base, and a small loop of string (Qian Jin) placed around the neck and strings acting as a nut pulls the strings towards the skin, holding …
Erhu music
A notable composer for the Erhu was Liu Tianhua (刘天华/劉天華; Liú Tiānhuá; 1895–1932), a Chinese musician who also studied Western music. He composed 47 exercises and 10 solo pieces (1918–32) which were central to the development of the Erhu as a solo instrument. His works for the instrument include Yue Ye (月夜; Yuè yè, Moon Night) and Zhu ying Yao hong (烛影摇红; Z…
Comparisons to Western instruments
The erhu is often described as a Chinese fiddle, in which, when compared to a fiddle, it has a relatively different style. While most of the instrument is built from wood, like the violin, the wood is not where the 'bridge' is put on. The bridge of an erhu has a flat base, and does not require 'fitting' onto an instrument. The reason is that the erhu uses python skin as its 'top', whereas a violin's top is a wooden plate. The python skin is stretched out like a flat surface, unlike the curv…
Playing technique
The erhu is almost always tuned to the interval of a fifth. The inside string (nearest to player) is generally tuned to D4 and the outside string to A4. This is the same as the two middle strings of the violin.
The erhu is played sitting down, with the sound box placed on the top of the left thigh and the neck held vertically, in the similar fashion as that of a cello or do…
Notable performers
Prior to the 20th century, most Huqin instruments were used primarily to accompany various forms of Chinese opera and narrative. The use of the Erhu as a solo instrument began in the early 20th century along with the development of guoyue (literally "national music"), a modernized form of Chinese traditional music written or adapted for the professional concert stage. Active in the early 20th century were Zhou Shaomei (周少梅; 1885–1938) and Liu Tianhua (刘天华; 1895–193…
Presence in popular music
The Erhu is featured along with other traditional Chinese instruments such as the Pipa in the contemporary Chinese instrumental music group Twelve Girls Band. They perform traditional Chinese music as well as Western classical and popular music.
A few groups have used the Erhu in a rock context. As of 2012, the Taiwanese black metal band Chthonic remain the only black metal band to use the erhu. The New Jersey-based progressive r…