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Erhu

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Side view of an erhu.
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Side view of an erhu.

The erhu (}; }), 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. It belongs to the huqin family of bowed string Chinese instruments, together with the zhonghu (中胡), gaohu (高胡), banhu (板胡), jinghu (京胡), sihu (四胡), and numerous others. It is said that there are over 40 different variations of the generic huqin instrument.

Contents

History

The erhu can be traced back to instruments introduced into China more than a thousand years ago. It is believed to have evolved from the xiqin (奚琴), which was described as a foreign, two-stringed lute in an encyclopedic work on music by music theorist Chen Yang called Yue Shu (book of music), written during the Northern Song Dynasty. The xiqin is believed to have originated from the Xi people of Central Asia, and have come to China in the 10th century.
Erhu with liu jiao qin tong (6 sided body)
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Erhu with liu jiao qin tong (6 sided body)

The first character of the name of the instrument, "二" (èr, meaning "two"), is said to come from the fact that it has two strings; however, it is also said to have come from the fact that it is the second highest "huqin" in pitch to the gaohu "高胡" in a traditional chinese orchestra. The second character, "胡" (hú), indicates that it is part 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.

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 snake 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 a small wooden bridge in place.

Various dense and heavy hardwoods are used in making the erhu. According to Chinese references the woods include zi tan (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). 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 is also 81cm.

Erhu with ba jiao qin tong (8 sided body)
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Erhu with ba jiao qin tong (8 sided body)

The parts of the erhu:

Picture showing bow hair in between the two strings.
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Picture showing bow hair in between the two strings.

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. 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, as with western bowed stringed instruments. Lastly, although there are two strings, they are very close to each other and the player's left hand in effect plays on one string. The inside string (nearest to player) is generally tuned to D4 and the outside string to A4, a fifth higher. The range of the instrument is three and a half octaves, from D4 to A7.

Use of python skin

According to [a Taipei Times article], China passed its Law on the Protection of Endangered Species in 1988 after ratifying the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), making it illegal to use and trade unlicensed pythons.

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 Jan 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 travelling, commercial buyers need additional export certificates.

Erhu music

A notable composer for the erhu was Liu Tianhua (刘天华 Pinyin Liú Tiānhuá) (1895-1932), a Chinese musician who studied Western music as well. He composed 47 exercises and 10 solo pieces (1918-1932) which were central to the development of the erhu as a solo instrument. His works for the instrument include Yue Ye (Moon Night, 月夜 Pinyin Yuèyè) and Zhuying Yaohong (Shadows of Candles Flickering Red , 烛影摇红 Pinyin Zhǔyǐng Yáohóng).

Other solo pieces include Er quan ying yue (Moon Reflected on Second Spring) by Abing, Sai ma (Horse race) by Huang Haihuai, Henan xiaoqu (Henan folk tune) by Liu Mingyuan, and Sanmenxia changxiangqu (Sanmen gorge melody) by Liu Wenjin. Most solo works are commonly performed with yangqin accompaniment, although pieces such as the 10 solos by Liu Tianhua, and Er quan ying yue originally did not have acompaniment.

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.

The erhu is also used in the music of the Cirque du Soleil show O.

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 placed on the top of the left thigh.

The bow is held with an underhand grip. 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). Aside from the usual bowing technique used for most pieces, the erhu can also be plucked, usually using the index 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.

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

Notable performers

References

Audio Sample

External links

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See also

 

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