二 二胡胡

By Yu Mien

ErhuErhu

Erhu, the chinese fiddle Part of the Huqing 胡琴 family of

instruments Also known as Nanhu 南胡 or Southern

Fiddle Other instruments in the huqin

family(though not limited to): zhonghu ( 中胡 ), gaohu ( 高胡 ), banhu ( 板胡 ), jinghu ( 京胡 ), sihu ( 四胡 )

There are over 30 types of Huqin documented

Zhonghu 中胡 Gaohu 高胡

Banhu 板胡

Jinghu 京胡

Sihu 四胡

Huqin 胡琴

More pictures of cool Huqin

http://www.yuemi.net/pages1/buolan(mz.gongxian2).htm

http://www.yuemi.net/pages1/buolan(mz.gongxian1).htm

Parts of the Erhu Qín tong ( 琴筒 ) - sound box or resonator body; it is hexagonal (liu jiao, southern),

octagonal (ba jiao, northern), or, less commonly, round. Qín pí/She pí ( 琴皮 / 蛇皮 ) - skin, made from python. The python skin gives the erhu

its characteristic sound. Qín gan ( 琴杆 ) - neck. Qín tou ( 琴头 ) - top or tip of neck, usually a simple curve with a piece of bone or

plastic on top, but is sometimes elaborately carved with a dragon's head. Qín zhou ( 琴轴 ) - tuning pegs, traditional wooden, or metal machine gear pegs. Qiān jin ( 千斤 ) - nut, made from string, or, less commonly, a metal hook. Nèi xián ( 内弦 ) - inside or inner string, usually tuned to D4, nearest to player. Wai xián ( 外弦 ) - outside or outer string, usually tuned to A4. Qín ma ( 琴码 ) - bridge, made from wood. Gong ( 弓 ) - bow, has screw device to vary bow hair tension. Gong gan ( 弓杆 ) - bow stick, made from bamboo. Gong máo ( 弓毛 ) - bow hair, usually white horsehair. Qín diàn ( 琴垫 ) - pad, a piece of sponge, felt, or cloth placed between the strings and

skin below the bridge to improve its sound. Qín tuō ( 琴托 ) - base, a piece of wood attached to the bottom of the qín tong to

provide a smooth surface on which to rest on the leg.

How to make an Erhu Typically made with heavy hardwood Woods include red sandlewood, aged red wood, blackwood, and

regular redwood The sound box produces sound using python skin Some particularly fine erhus are made from old pieces of furniture The strings were originally made with silk, but are now made with

steel to improve sound and volume Erhu is 81cm tall The bow is also 81cm long Most erhu are massed produced in factories High quality ones, of course, are made by craftsmen A just for fun fact: erhu can be made using a Styrofoam or paper

cup, string, a stick and a bow.(or something to that effect) Here’s a link to how to make one with a cookie tin(although harder

than the Styrofoam cup version): http://www.oriscus.com/dn/opera/erhu.htm

Unique features of the Erhu Erhu produces it’s unique sound by vibrating the python

skin Unlike most stringed instruments, there is no fingerboard The bow never leaves the string(it’s between them!) The left hand plays both strings as if it were one string Erhu sound is similar to a human voice, and can imitate

many different types of noises such as a horse or a bird Very meloncholy, but is also able to produce merry songs A person may only leave China with two erhu’s at a time,

because of restrictions placed on the python skin. Pythons are bred to make erhus, because it became illegal to capture and use pythons for their skin

History of the Erhu Erhu’s origins date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), more than a

thousand years ago Its origins stem from the xiqin 奚琴 , which originated from the

Mongolian tribe Xi During the Qing and Ming dynasties, erhu became extremely popular

in operas Thanks to Hua Yanjun and Liu Tianhua, the erhu underwent

significant improvent Liu Tianhua is responsible for the erhu becoming a solo instrument The name Erhu is split into two words, Er 二 and hu胡 Er means two, and possibly refers to the fact that it has two strings,

or is the second highest huqin in the family(until new instruments like the dahu was introduced)

Hu indicates that it is a member of the Huqin family

Additional Material Running River song by Song Fei, master erhu player(uses erhu

to imitate and play a piece for wind instruments): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPJB1nSEhcw

The Last Emperor, composed Sakamoto Ryuchi. An ensemble of eastern instruments+piano, with erhu as soloist(watch it! It’s pretty): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcGY0dStHuA

Young girl performs a song by Taiwanese Pop Star Jay Chou with an erhu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59iKy1LlNpo&feature=related

And as a bonus, the same song performed on a Guzheng(because I like it, and guys who play guzheng look super classy): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zckXttKr4k8&feature=related