Erhu

Classification Bowed string instrument Related instruments Huqin

The erhu (Chinese: 二胡; pinyin: èrhú), also called nanhu (南胡, literally "southern fiddle"), and sometimes known in the West as the "Chinese violin" or "Chinese two-string fiddle," is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Huqin ( 胡琴; Pinyin: húqín are a family of bowed String instruments used in Chinese music. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National In Music, a bow is moved across some part of a Musical instrument, causing Vibration which the instrument emits as Sound. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. It is the most popular instrument in the huqin (胡琴) family of Chinese bowed string instruments, together with the zhonghu (中胡), gaohu (高胡), banhu (板胡), jinghu (京胡), sihu (四胡), and numerous others. Huqin ( 胡琴; Pinyin: húqín are a family of bowed String instruments used in Chinese music. The zhonghu (中胡 Pinyin: zhōnghú) is a low-pitched Chinese bowed String instrument. The gaohu ( 高胡; Pinyin: gāohú Cantonese gou1 wu4 also called yuehu 粤[[wikt 胡|胡]] is a Chinese The banhu ( 板胡, Pinyin: bǎnhú is a Chinese traditional bowed String instrument in the Huqin family of instruments The jinghu ( 京胡; Pinyin: jīnghú is a Chinese bowed String instrument in the Huqin family used primarily The sihu ( 四[[wiktionary 胡|胡]] Pinyin: sìhú is a Chinese bowed String instrument with four strings

History

The erhu can be traced back to instruments introduced into China more than a thousand years ago. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National It is believed to have evolved from the xiqin (奚琴), which was described as a foreign, two-stringed lute in Yue Shu (樂書, yuèshū, lit. book of music), an encyclopedic work on music written by music theorist Chen Yang in the Northern Song Dynasty. Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works Chen-Ning Franklin Yang ( (born October 1, 1922) is a Chinese -born American Physicist who worked on Statistical mechanics The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The xiqin is believed to have originated from the Xi people of Central Asia, and have come to China in the 10th century. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Erhu with liu jiao qin tong (6 sided body)

The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument (二, èr, two) is believed to come from the fact that it has two strings. A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese ( An alternate explanation states that it comes from the fact that it is the second highest huqin in pitch to the gaohu in the modern Chinese orchestra. The gaohu ( 高胡; Pinyin: gāohú Cantonese gou1 wu4 also called yuehu 粤[[wikt 胡|胡]] is a Chinese The term Chinese orchestra can refer to either The ancient Chinese orchestra or The modern Chinese orchestra The ancient Chinese orchestra The second character (胡, hú) indicates that it is a member of the huqin family. The name "huqin" literally means "barbarian instrument," showing that the instrument may have originated from regions to the north or west of China inhabited by non-Han peoples. "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world.

The jing erhu (京二胡) is a variety of erhu that is used in Beijing opera. The jing erhu (Chinese 京[[wikt 二胡|二胡]] pinyin jīng èrhú is a Chinese two-stringed bowed instrument in the Huqin family of instruments Beijing opera or Peking opera ( is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music vocal performance mime dance and acrobatics

Historical erhu and bowed string bows

The historic bowed zithers, including the xiqin, yazheng, and yaqin, and the Korean ajaeng, were generally played by bowing with a rosined stick, which created friction against the strings. The zither is a musical String instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, the southern regions of Germany, alpine The yazheng (simplified 轧[[wiktionary 筝|筝]] traditional 軋[[wiktionary 箏|箏]] Pinyin: yàzhēng also spelled ya zheng or The ajaeng is a Korean String instrument. It is a long Zither with seven Silk strings played by means of a long thin stick made of Forsythia In Music, a bow is moved across some part of a Musical instrument, causing Vibration which the instrument emits as Sound. Rosin, formerly called colophony or Greek pitch ( Pix græca) is a solid form of Resin obtained from Pines and some other Plants As soon as the horsehair bow was invented, it spread very widely. The Central Asian horse peoples occupied a territory that included the Silk Road, along which goods and innovations were transported rapidly for thousands of miles (including, via India, by sea to Java). The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta.

Construction

The erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two large tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body (sound box) which is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end. The neck is the part of certain String instruments that projects from the main body and is the base of the Fingerboard, where the fingers are placed to stop the strings A tuning peg is used to hold a string in the Pegbox of a stringed instrument. A sound box or sounding box, (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a Musical instrument which alters the instrument's tone quality 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 a small wooden bridge in place. The nut of a String instrument is a small piece of hard material which supports the strings at the end closest to the Headstock or scroll.

Various dense and heavy hardwoods are used in making the erhu. According to Chinese references the woods include zi tan (紫檀 red sandalwood and other woods of the genus Pterocarpus such as padauk), lao hong mu (老红木 aged red wood), wu mu (乌木 black wood), and hong mu (红木 red wood). See also Pterocarpus santalinus The Red sandalwood or red sanders, Pterocarpus santalinus, is a species of tree in the family Pterocarpus is a Pantropical Genus of Trees in the family Fabaceae, most of which yield valuable timber traded as padauk Particularly fine erhus are often made from pieces of old furniture. A typical erhu measures 81cm from top to bottom, the length of the bow also being 81cm.

Erhu with ba jiao qin tong (8 sided body)

The 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. A sound box or sounding box, (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a Musical instrument which alters the instrument's tone quality
• Qín pí/She pí (琴皮/蛇皮) - skin, made from python. Common names pythons The Pythonidae are a family of non- Venomous Snakes found in Africa, Asia The python skin gives the erhu its characteristic sound.
• Qín gan (琴杆) - neck. The neck is the part of certain String instruments that projects from the main body and is the base of the Fingerboard, where the fingers are placed to stop the strings
• 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. The Chinese Dragon or Oriental dragon is a mythical creature in East Asian culture with a Chinese origin
• Qín zhou (琴轴) - tuning pegs, traditional wooden, or metal machine gear pegs. A tuning peg is used to hold a string in the Pegbox of a stringed instrument.
• Qiān jin (千斤) - nut, made from string, or, less commonly, a metal hook. The nut of a String instrument is a small piece of hard material which supports the strings at the end closest to the Headstock or scroll.
• 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.

Picture showing bow hair in between the two strings.

Most erhu are mass produced in factories. The three most esteemed centres of erhu making are Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. Suzhou ( ancient name 吳) is a City on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu In the collectivist period after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, these factories were formed by merging what had been previously private workshops. Although most erhu were machine-made in production lines, the highest quality instruments were hand made by specialist craftsmen^[1].

The erhu has some unusual features. First is that in that its characteristic sound is produced through the vibration of the python skin by bowing. Common names pythons The Pythonidae are a family of non- Venomous Snakes found in Africa, Asia Second, there is no fingerboard; the player stops the strings by pressing their fingertips onto the strings without the strings touching the neck. Third, the bow hair is never separated from the strings (which were formerly of twisted silk but are today usually made of metal); it passes between them as opposed to over them (the latter being the case with western bowed stringed instruments). A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs Lastly, although there are two strings, they are very close to each other and the player's left hand in effect plays as if on one string. The inside string (nearest to player) is generally tuned to D4 and the outside string to A4, a fifth higher. The maximum range of the instrument is three and a half octaves, from D4 up to A7, before a stopping finger reaches the part of the string in contact with the bow hair. The usual playing range is about two and a half octaves.

In the 20th century, there have been attempts to standardize and improve the erhu, with the aim to produce a louder and better sounding instrument. One major change was the use of steel strings instead of silk. The move to steel strings was made gradually. By 1950, the thinner A string had been replaced by a violin E string with the thicker D string remaining silk. By 1958, professional players were using purpose made D and A steel erhu strings as standard^[2].

Picture showing qianjin (a loop of string which acts as a nut)

Use of python skin

In 1988, China passed its Law on the Protection of Endangered Species after ratifying the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), making it illegal to use and trade unlicensed pythons. CITES (the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments drafted ^[3] To regulate the use of python skins, China's State Forestry Administration introduced a certification scheme between python skin sellers in Southeast Asia and musical instrument makers in China. From January 1, 2005, new regulations also require erhus to have a certificate from the State Forestry Administration, which certify that the erhu python skin is not made with wild pythons, but from farm-raised pythons. Individuals are allowed to take up to two erhus out of China when traveling; commercial buyers need additional export certificates.

Outside China, manufacturers of erhu are able to issue their own CITES licenses with approval by governments of their respective countries. Such exports are legal as they have been made from legal skin sources.

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 studied Western music as well. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Liu Tianhua or Liu T'ien-hua Pinyin: Liú Tiānhuá (刘天华 or 劉[[wiktionary 天|天]] 華; b Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. 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; Zhú yǐng yáo hóng, Shadows of Candles Flickering Red).

Other solo pieces include Er Quan Ying Yue (1950, Moon Reflected on Second Spring) by A Bing, Sai Ma (Horse Race) by Huang Haihuai, Henan Xiaoqu (Henan folk tune) by Liu Mingyuan, and Sanmenxia Changxiangqu (1961, Sanmen Gorge Rhapsody) by Liu Wenjin. Most solo works are commonly performed with yangqin accompaniment, although pieces such as the ten solos by Liu Tianhua and Er Quan Ying Yue originally did not have accompaniment. The trapezoidal yangqin ( is a Chinese Hammered dulcimer originally from the Middle East ( Persia (modern-day Iran)

In addition to the solo repertoire, the erhu is also one of the main instruments in regional music ensembles such as Jiangnan sizhu, Chinese opera ensembles, and the modern large Chinese orchestra. Jiangnan sizhu is a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from the Jiangnan region of China Chinese Opera ( Chinese: 戏曲/戲曲 Pinyin: xìqǔ is a popular form of Drama and Musical theatre in China with roots going back The term Chinese orchestra can refer to either The ancient Chinese orchestra or The modern Chinese orchestra The ancient Chinese orchestra

The erhu is also used in the music of the Cirque du Soleil show O. Cirque du Soleil (French for "Circus of the Sun" in English sɜrk duː soʊˈleɪ is an entertainment company O (pronounced the same way as eau (French for Water) is a Cirque du Soleil show Another notable use of erhu is in the music of Argentine neo tango band Tanghetto, being it played by Chinese/Argentine player Chao Xu. Tanghetto is a musical group based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and one of the most important on the neo tango scene Even fusion progressive rock groups like The Hsu-nami have incorporated the erhu into their music and it is their lead instruments. The Hsu-nami' is an Progressive rock instrumental band from the United States. It is also incorporated in the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC

The erhu (played by George Gao) is also featured prominently in the soundtrack for the TV series Earth: Final Conflict. Chthonic (閃靈樂團 sometimes typeset ChthoniC) is a Taiwanese Symphonic black metal band formed in 1995 in Taipei. George Gao ( born 1967 is a Chinese -born Erhu player and composer Earth Final Conflict is a Canadian Science fiction Television series based on story ideas created by Gene Roddenberry, and produced

Playing technique

Fred Ji, playing the erhu

• Tuning

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.

• Position

The erhu is played sitting down placed on the top of the left thigh.

• Right hand

The bow is held with an underhand grip. The bow hair is adjusted so it is slightly loose, tension is provided by the fingers of the right hand. Bowing techniques include la gong (pull bow, equivalent to the "down bow" technique used on western bowed string instruments), tui gong (push bow, equivalent to the "up bow" technique). The bow hair is placed in between the two strings and both sides of the bow hair is used to produce sound, the player pushes the bow away from the body when bowing the A string (the outside string), and pulls it inwards when bowing the "inside" D string.

Aside from the usual bowing technique used for most pieces, the erhu can also be plucked, usually using the index (second) finger of the right hand. This produces a dry, muted tone (if either of the open strings are plucked, the sound is somewhat more resonant) which is sometimes desired in contemporary pieces.

• Left hand

Techniques include hua yin (slides), rou xian (vibrato), huan ba (changing positions), etc.

Notable performers

See also: List of erhu players

Prior to the 20th century, most huqin instruments were used primarily to accompany various forms of Chinese opera and narrative. This is a list of erhu performers and contains a non-exhaustive list of some of the more notable players Chinese Opera ( Chinese: 戏曲/戲曲 Pinyin: xìqǔ is a popular form of Drama and Musical theatre in China with roots going back Shuochang ( literally "speak and sing" is a form of traditional Chinese Storytelling (or more properly "story-singing" with many 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. Guoyue ( 国[[wikt 乐|乐]] literally "national music" is a modernized form of Chinese traditional music written or adapted for some form of grand presentation Active in the early 20th century were Zhou Shaomei (周少梅, 1885-1938) and Liu Tianhua (刘天华, 1895-1932). Liu Tianhua or Liu T'ien-hua Pinyin: Liú Tiānhuá (刘天华 or 劉[[wiktionary 天|天]] 華; b Liu laid the foundations of modern erhu playing with his ten unaccompanied solos and 47 studies composed in the 1920s and 1930s. Liu Beimao (刘北茂, 1903-1981) was born in Jiangyin, Jiangsu. His compositions include Xiao hua gu (1943) (Little flower drum). Jiang Fengzhi (蔣风之) (1908-1986) and Chen Zhenduo (陈振铎) were students of Liu Tianhua, the piece Hangong Qiuyue (Autumn Moon Han Palace) was adapted and arranged by Jiang. Hua Yanjun (A Bing) (华彥君-阿炳, c. 1893-1950) was a blind street musician, shortly before his death in 1950 two Chinese musicologists recorded him playing a few erhu and pipa solo pieces, the best known being Erquan Yingyue. The pipa ( is a plucked Chinese String instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese Lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body

With the founding of the PRC and the expansion of the conservatory system, the solo erhu tradition continued to develop. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Important performers during this time include Lu Xiutang (陆修堂, 1911-1966), Zhang Rui (张锐, 1920- ) Sun Wenming (孙文明, 1928-1962), Huang Haihuai (黄海怀), Liu Mingyuan (刘明源, 1931-1996), Tang Liangde (汤良德, b. 1938), Zhang Shao (张韶), and Song Guosheng.

Liu Mingyuan (刘明源) (1931-1996) was born in Tianjin. ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. He was known for his virtuosity on many instruments of the huqin family, in particular the banhu. Huqin ( 胡琴; Pinyin: húqín are a family of bowed String instruments used in Chinese music. The banhu ( 板胡, Pinyin: bǎnhú is a Chinese traditional bowed String instrument in the Huqin family of instruments His compositions and arrangements include Henan Xiaoqu (Henan folk tune), and Cao Yuan Shang (On Grassland) for zhonghu. The zhonghu (中胡 Pinyin: zhōnghú) is a low-pitched Chinese bowed String instrument. For many years he taught at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

Tang Liangde (Tong Leung Tak, 汤良德, b. 1938) was born in Shanghai into a famous Shanghainese musical family. He won the "Shanghai's Spring" erhu competition and continued to be the soloist for the Chinese Film Orchestra in Beijing, his composition and solos can be heard throughout the Nixon to China documentary movie. Tang was the soloist and performed at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, then went onto music broadcasting and education for the Hong Kong Government's Music Office making worldwide tours, and was named Art Educator of the Year in 1991 by the Hong Kong Artist Guild.

Wang Guotong (王国潼, b. 1939) was born in Dalian, Liaoning. Dalian (;; Japanese: Dairen Russian: Далянь Dalian or Дальний Dalny is the governing Sub-provincial city in the eastern Liaoning He studied with Jiang Fengzhi, Lan Yusong and Chen Zhenduo, and in 1960 graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He performed the premiere of Sanmenxia Changxiangqu (Sanmen Gorge Rhapsody) composed by Liu Wenjin. In 1972 Wang became the erhu soloist, and later art director, with the China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra. He returned to the Central Conservatory of Music in 1983 as head of the Chinese music department. He has written many books and articles on erhu playing and has performed in many countries. Wang also worked with the Beijing National Instruments Factory to further develop erhu design.

Min Huifen (閔惠芬, 1945- ) was born in Yixing, Jiangsu. For the 8th century monk inventor and astronomer see Yi Xing. Min first became known as the winner of the 1964 fourth Shanghai Spring national erhu competition. She studied with Lu Xiutang and Wang Yi, and graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1968, and became the erhu soloist with the Shanghai minzu yuetuan (Shanghai Folk Orchestra).

Yang Ying (杨英, b. 1959) was the featured soloist for the Chinese National Song and Dance Ensemble (中央歌舞团) of Beijing from 1978-1996. She was a national erhu champion, frequently recorded for the Chinese film and record industry, and is listed in famous persons of China.

The erhu is featured along with other traditional Chinese instruments such as the pipa in the contemporary Chinese instrumental music group, Twelve Girls Band. The pipa ( is a plucked Chinese String instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese Lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body Twelve Girls Band ( sometimes abbreviated to 女樂 or 女乐 is a Music women artists group who started with twelve members but later become thirteen that use traditional They perform traditional Chinese music as well as Western classical and popular music.

A few groups have utilized the erhu in a rock context. The Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC uses the erhu; they are the only black metal band to do so. Chthonic (閃靈樂團 sometimes typeset ChthoniC) is a Taiwanese Symphonic black metal band formed in 1995 in Taipei. The New Jersey-based progressive rock band The Hsu-nami plays a variety of rock sub-styles including metal, psychedelic, prog rock, and funk. The Hsu-nami' is an Progressive rock instrumental band from the United States. An amplified erhu takes the place of lead vocals.

References

• Jones, Stephen (1995). Folk Music of China. Oxford: Clarendon Press OUP.
• Liu, Terence M. (1988). "Development of the Chinese Two-stringed Bowed Lute Erhu Following the New Culture Movement (c. 1915-1985). " Ph. D. dissertation. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University.
• Stock, Jonathan. "A Historical Account of the Chinese Two-Stringed Fiddle Erhu. " Galpin Society Journal, v. 46 (March 1993), pp. 83-113.
• Stock, Jonathan P. J. (1996). Musical Creativity in Twentieth-Century China: Abing, His Music, and Its Changing Meanings. Eastman Studies in Music. Rochester, New York: Rochester University Press.
• Wang, Yongde (1995). Qing shao nian xue er hu (Young person's erhu study). Shanghai Music Publishing House.

Notes

Audio sample

Yu bei xu shi qu - Duan Aiai - erhu.ogg

Sample (23 sec) from "Yu bei xu shi qu" (Narrative Music of Northern Henan) composed by Liu Wenjin, played on the erhu by Duan Aiai.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

External links

• Website about A Bing and Chinese music
• Erhu photo gallery (also includes another link to an audio clip)

Video

• Signature erhu piece "Sanmen Gorge Capriccio" by Yang Ying
• Yang Ying performing "Horse Race" on Chicago PBS television
• Erhu video by Wang Guowei
• Erhu videos by Wang Guowei
• Karen Han performing "Csardas" by Monti
• Jiebing Chen beginning erhu instruction video
• Performance of "Erquan Yingyue" (with yangqin accompaniment)
• Erhu Videos by George Gao
• Rongchun Zhao video "10,000 Galloping Horses" (link at bottom of page)

See also

• Huqin
• Music of China
• Traditional Chinese musical instruments
• String instruments