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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. 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. Image File history File links Erhu. ...
Image File history File links Erhu. ...
Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ...
A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ...
A cello bow In music, a bow is a device pulled across the strings of a string instrument in order to make them vibrate and emit sound. ...
A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ...
Huqin are a family of instruments used in Chinese music. ...
Zhonghu The zhonghu (ä¸èƒ¡, pinyin: zhÅnghú) is a low-pitched Chinese bowed string instrument. ...
The gaohu (高胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument used in playing traditional Guangdong Cantonese music and operas. ...
Banhu is a huqin family instrument in China. ...
A jinghu (Pinyin: Jīng Hú) is a bowed Chinese instrument used in Beijing Opera. ...
The sihu 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. 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. The xiqin is believed to have originated from the Xi people of Central Asia, and have come to China in the 10th century. Music theory is a field of study that investigates the nature or mechanics of music. ...
Chen Ning Franklin YANG (楊振寧 pinyin: Yáng Zhènníng) (born September 22, 1922) is a Chinese American physicist, who worked on statistical mechanics and symmetry principles. ...
Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Bianjing (汴京) (960–1127) Linan (臨安) (1127–1276) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy Emperor - 960–976 Emperor Taizu - 1126–1127 Emperor Qinzong - 1127–1162 Emperor Gaozong - 1278–1279 Emperor Bing History - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou...
Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ...
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ...
 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. 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 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. Image File history File links Erhu_snake_skin. ...
Image File history File links Erhu_snake_skin. ...
Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quốc ngữ: Hán tự: A Chinese character or Han character (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a logogram used in writing Chinese, Japanese, sometimes Korean, and formerly Vietnamese. ...
The gaohu (高胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument used in playing traditional Guangdong Cantonese music and operas. ...
The term Chinese orchestra can refer to either: The ancient Chinese orchestra, or The modern Chinese orchestra // According to recent archaeological findings, ancient Chinese music was much more developed and sophisticated than is generally believed. ...
For other uses, see Barbarian (disambiguation). ...
Languages Chinese languages Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ...
The jing erhu (京二胡) is a variety of erhu that is used in Beijing opera. A female Beijing opera performer with traditional costume and makeup A male Beijing opera performer Beijing opera or Peking opera (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a form of Chinese opera which arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. ...
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. 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). Concert zither The zither is a musical string instrument, mainly used in folk music, most commonly in German-speaking Alpine Europe. ...
Image:Yaqin. ...
The ajaeng is a Korean string instrument. ...
A cello bow In music, a bow is a device pulled across the strings of a string instrument in order to make them vibrate and emit sound. ...
A 20 g cake of amber violin bow rosin. ...
The Silk Road extending from Southern Europe through Arabia, Egypt, Persia, India till China. ...
This article is about the Java island. ...
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. 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 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 at different pitches. ...
Tuning Peg is a small peg that is used to hold a string for a stringed instrument. ...
In a stringed instrument, a sound box amplifies the vibrations made by the strings. ...
The nut of a string instrument is a small strip or block of hard material forming a transition between the strings playing length and the tuning machines on the headstock, or the tuning pegs in the pegbox at the upper end of the fingerboard. ...
Various dense and heavy hardwoods are used in making the erhu. According to Chinese references the woods include zi tan (紫檀).
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. 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). A composer is a person who writes music. ...
Liu Tien-hua or Liu Tianhua (Pinyin: 劉天è¯; 1895–1932) was a Chinese musician and a composer best known for his reformative work for the erhu (Chinese violin). ...
For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ...
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. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
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. ...
Emperor Xuan-Zong of Tang (left) and his Consort Yang Yuhuan (right) portrayed in a Chinese Opera 19th century Chinese opera Chinese opera costumes Some athletic jump Chinese opera is a popular form of drama in China. ...
The term Chinese orchestra can refer to either: The ancient Chinese orchestra, or The modern Chinese orchestra // According to recent archaeological findings, ancient Chinese music was much more developed and sophisticated than is generally believed. ...
The erhu is also used in the music of the Cirque du Soleil show O. Another notable use of erhu is in the music of Argentine neo tango band Tanghetto, being it played by Chinese/Argentine player Chao Xu. Even fusion progressive rock groups like The Hsu-nami have incorporated the erhu into their music and it is one of their lead instruments. Cirque du Soleil (French for Circus of the Sun) is an entertainment empire based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier. ...
Album art for official O soundtrack O is a Cirque du Soleil show. ...
Tanghetto in a live performance (2005) Tanghetto is a musical group based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and one of the most important on the neo tango scene. ...
The Hsu-nami is a Erhu proggressive rock fusion band from New Jersey which consist of Chinese traditional instrument in a rock band. ...
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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1944 × 2592 pixels, file size: 1. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1944 × 2592 pixels, file size: 1. ...
Fifth may refer to: One fifth, a quintile, or 20% of a certain amount The fifth in a series, or four after the first In the United States, the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution especially as in the expression Taking the Fifth. Fifth (Stargate), a robotic character in...
The erhu is played sitting down placed on the top of the left thigh. 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.
Techniques include hua yin (slides), rou xian (vibrato), huan ba (changing positions), etc.
Notable performers - See also: List of erhu 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, 1895-1932). 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 erhu This is a list of erhu performers and contains a non-exhaustive list of some of the more notable players. ...
Emperor Xuan-Zong of Tang (left) and his Consort Yang Yuhuan (right) portrayed in a Chinese Opera 19th century Chinese opera Chinese opera costumes Some athletic jump Chinese opera is a popular form of drama in China. ...
Shuochang (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally spoken song) is a form of traditional Chinese storytelling (or, more properly, story-singing), with many regional subgenres. ...
Guoyue (国ä¹; literally national music) is a modernized form of Chinese traditional music written or adapted for some form of grand presentation, usually through an orchestra. ...
Liu Tien-hua or Liu Tianhua (Pinyin: 劉天è¯; 1895–1932) was a Chinese musician and a composer best known for his reformative work for the erhu (Chinese violin). ...
A woman plays the pipa in the New York City Subways Times Square Station, 2004. ...
With the founding of the PRC and the expansion of the conservatory system, the solo erhu tradition continued to develop. 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. For the Chinese civilization, see China. ...
Liu Mingyuan (刘明源) (1931-1996) was born in Tianjin. He was known for his virtuosity on many instruments of the huqin family, in particular the banhu. His compositions and arrangements include Henan Xiaoqu (Henan folk tune), and Cao Yuan Shang (On Grassland) for zhonghu. For many years he taught at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is one of the four municipalities of China. ...
Huqin are a family of instruments used in Chinese music. ...
Banhu is a huqin family instrument in China. ...
Zhonghu The zhonghu (ä¸èƒ¡, pinyin: zhÅnghú) is a low-pitched Chinese bowed string instrument. ...
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. 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. Dalian (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Japanese: Dairen; Russian: ДалÑнь, Dalian or Дальний, Dalny) is the governing sub-provincial city in the eastern Liaoning Province of Northeast China. ...
Min Huifen (閔惠芬, 1945- ) was born in Yixing, Jiangsu. 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). Yixing (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: YÃxÄ«ng) is a city in Jiangsu province, in eastern China, which is well-known for its Yixing clay and artistry in teaware. ...
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 woman plays the pipa in the New York City Subways Times Square Station, 2004. ...
The album cover of Eastern Energy. ...
The Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC uses the erhu, they are the only metal band to do so. For other uses, see Chthon (disambiguation). ...
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.
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