The Sonorous Strings of the Erhu

I've heard this instrument before and think it sounds just beatutiful if played properly.

Quote :

All Things Considered, November 26, 2007 - It sounds almost like a violin — but not quite.

The erhu is a traditional Chinese instrument. Ma Xiaohui says that in China, people associate it with beggars.

But Ma is a virtuoso performer on the erhu, fluent in both regional Chinese and Western repertoire. She recently spoke with Robert Siegel about her craft.

The erhu is an instrument with two long strings, played using a bamboo bow strung with horsehair. Sound projects out of the small windows on the back of the instrument's body, which is made of old redwood and snakeskin.

The right hand controls the bow. Press down, and you play one string; pull up, and you play the other.

The left hand always touches both strings. Without frets, proper intonation is difficult, but the possibilities for tonal flexibility are great.

Here's a link where you can listen to some erhu music and see it being played.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16619276

This is a good selection which features the Erhu. Good for medition and to exercise to as well.

It's about a 7MB download...
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