Is erhu easier than violin?

Is erhu easier than violin?

In comparison to violin, erhu is (imo) easier with shifting, harder with intonation, easier in playing position, harder to break in, easier to bow, harder to spicatto, easier to ricochet. … If you can find a good teacher in your area, this will make learning erhu much easier.

How old is the erhu?

The erhu is one of the most important Chinese instruments, with a history of over 4,000 years. Though it has only two strings, it can convey a wide range of emotions.

What family is the erhu in?

Erhu is a kind of violin (fiddle) with two strings which, together with zhonghu, gaohu, sihu, etc, belongs to the "huqin" family. It is said that its origin would be dated up to the Tang dynasty (618-907) and related to the instrument, called xiqin originated from a Mongolian tribe Xi.

How do you play the erhu?

How to play? Usually musicians play the erhu seated, and the instrument is placed upon the left upper thigh. The left hand moves vertically and touches the strings for the right pitch while the right hand holds the bow and moves it horizontally. Strings are generally tuned to an interval of fifth (D4 and A4).

How many strings does an erhu have?

The erhu is one of the most important Chinese instruments, with a history of over 4,000 years. Though it has only two strings, it can convey a wide range of emotions. While the erhu has been called the “Chinese violin,” it differs from the western instrument in many ways.

How do you hold the erhu bow?

When playing this instrument, keep the shoulders and both arms relaxed. The elbow moves the arm, the arm moves the wrist, the wrist moves the fingers and the fingers move the bow. There is a slight twitch of the wrist on attack of each stroke. The only pressure point is where you hold the bow.

Who invented the erhu?

Originated in Central Asia and introduced to China more than one thousand years ago, the erhu 二胡 belongs to the large family of stick fiddles that are found in many countries. Xiqin 奚琴 was the first bowed instrument mentioned in Chinese literature in Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.).

What was the erhu used for?

The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras.

What is a erhu made out of?

Erhu is a simple instrument that has a drum-like body made of ebony or sandalwood. The front opening is covered with the skin of a snake and the back is left open. The functions of the body is to resonate and amplify the vibrations of the strings.

How do I tune my 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.

What are the Chinese musical instruments?

The Chinese instruments include the erhu, dizi, pipa, and suona. All Chinese instruments are classified by their material construction into eight categories: jin (metal), shi (stone), tu (clay), ge (hide), si (silk), mu (wood), bao (gourd), and zhu (bamboo).

In comparison to violin, erhu is (imo) easier with shifting, harder with intonation, easier in playing position, harder to break in, easier to bow, harder to spicatto, easier to ricochet. These are some examples. … If you can find a good teacher in your area, this will make learning erhu much easier.

The erhu is one of the most important Chinese instruments, with a history of over 4,000 years.

What is the 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.

What are a pipa and an erhu Where are they found?

Two musicians who immigrated to the United States from Shanghai, China, seven years ago have found a new American audience for their traditional Chinese instruments — the pipa and the erhu.

Who invented erhu?

Erhu | Lan Tung. Originated in Central Asia and introduced to China more than one thousand years ago, the erhu 二胡 belongs to the large family of stick fiddles that are found in many countries. Xiqin 奚琴 was the first bowed instrument mentioned in Chinese literature in Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.).

Where is the erhu from?

The Erhu is a two-stringed instrument played with a bow that is popular not only in China, but in those areas of East Asia where Chinese culture has had particularly great influence. Due to its resemblance in function to a violin, it is occasionally called a Chinese Violin.

How do you pronounce erhu?

If you are referring to the Chinese instrument, Erhu (二胡): 二 is pronounced like the English word “are” or the “pirate sound” like “arr”. 胡 is pronounced like the English word “who” or the “owl sound” like “hoo”. So if you say “erhu” in English, you can say “are who” or “arr hoo”.

What is the erhu made out of?

Is it hard to learn GuZheng?

For beginners, it is very hard to recognize each string and play one short song. … When you learning more advanced techniques, you may need learn how to press the string (so that it change sound) and to use your wrist, both hands and many fingers at once. Every instrument is hard to master so the same for GuZheng.

When was the violin invented?

The violin, viola, and cello were first made in the early 16th century, in Italy. The earliest evidence for their existence is in paintings by Gaudenzio Ferrari from the 1530s, though Ferrari's instruments had only three strings.

How many strings does a PIPA have?

It had a pear-shaped wooden body with two crescent-shaped sound holes, a curved neck, four strings, and four frets.

What is the most popular Chinese instrument?

Among the many traditional musical instruments of China, the most popular nowadays include the stringed instruments called the erhu, pipa, and guzheng, and the dizi flutes.

What is the easiest Chinese instrument to learn?

Hulusi. The Hulusi is a 2000-year-old Chinese instrument meaning “living fossil”. It is also called curcubit flute and is made of a gourd and of three bamboo pipes. Its sound is close to the one of the clarinet or its Chinese cousins the bawu and is pretty easy to learn.

What is a Japanese violin called?

It originally came to Japan from China, but has since evolved and today, the material, shape and sound are distinct from any Chinese instrument. A kokyu is about 28 inches tall (70 cm).

Who made the erhu?

"Modern erhu has a history of less than 100 years when maestro Liu Tianhua (1895-1932) created the first solo composition for erhu, 'The Sound of Agony,' in 1915."

What is the Chinese instrument that sounds like a violin?

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 sometimes known in the Western world as the Chinese violin or a Chinese two-stringed fiddle.

What is the quietest instrument?

The guqin is a very quiet instrument, with a range of about four octaves, and its open strings are tuned in the bass register. Its lowest pitch is about two octaves below middle C, or the lowest note on the cello. Sounds are produced by plucking open strings, stopped strings, and harmonics.

How do you read erhu sheet music?

The kokyu (written 胡弓) is the only Japanese string instrument that is played with a bow. It originally came to Japan from China, but has since evolved and today, the material, shape and sound are distinct from any Chinese instrument.

What is the Chinese string instrument called?

The zheng (Chinese: 箏; pinyin: zhēng; Wade–Giles: cheng) or guzheng (Chinese: 古箏; pinyin: gǔzhēng; literally: 'ancient zheng'), also known as a Chinese zither, is a Chinese plucked string instrument with a more than 2,500-year history.