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Huqin
''Huqin'' () is a family of bowed string instruments, more specifically, a spike fiddle popularly used in Chinese music. The instruments consist of a round, hexagonal, or octagonal sound box at the bottom with a neck attached that protrudes upwards. They also usually have two strings, and their soundboxes are typically covered with either snakeskin (most often python) or thin wood. Huqin instruments usually have two tuning pegs, one peg for each string. The pegs are attached horizontally through holes drilled in the instrument's neck. Most huqin have the bow hair pass in between the strings. Exceptions to having two strings and pegs include variations of huqin with three, four, and sometimes even more than five. These include the zhuihu, a three stringed huqin, the sihu, a huqin of Mongolian origin, and the sanhu, a lesser-known three-stringed variation. The most common huqin are the ''erhu'', which is tuned to a middle range; '' zhonghu'', which is tuned to a lower register ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erhu
The (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, that is 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. It is the most popular of the family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. As a very versatile instrument, the is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as pop, rock and jazz. History The can be traced back to proto-Mongolic instruments which first appeared in China during the Tang dynasty. It is believed to have evolved from the (). The is believed to have originated from the Xi people located in current northeast China. The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument (, , 'two') is believed to come from the fact that it has two strings. An alternate explanation states that it comes from the fact that i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sihu (instrument)
The ''sihu'' () (known as a / / ''khuuchir'' in Mongolia, where this term defines the whole ''huqin'' family) is a Chinese bowed string instrument with four strings. It is a member of the ''huqin'' family of instruments. Construction The instrument's name comes from the words ''sì'' (四, meaning "four" in Chinese, referring to the instrument's number of strings) and ''hú'' (胡, short for ''huqin'', the family of instruments of which the ''sihu'' is a member). Its soundbox and neck are made from hardwood and the playing end of the soundbox is covered with python, cow, or sheep skin. There are several sizes of ''sihu''; the lowest of these is generally tuned C, C, G, G; the medium size is tuned G, G, D, D; and the smallest size is tuned D, D, A, A. Technique The instrument is held vertically, with its soundbox on the player's lap, and its strings are tuned in pairs. The bow, usually made of horsetail hair, is grouped into two strands to enable both pairs of strings to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhonghu
The ''zhonghu'' (), short for ''zhongyin erhu'' () is a low-pitched Chinese bowed string instrument. Together with the erhu and gaohu, it is a member of the huqin family. It was developed in the 1940s as the alto member of the huqin family (similar in range to the European viola) to increase the pitch range of the instruments used in a Chinese orchestra. The ''zhonghu'' is analogous with the erhu, but is slightly larger and lower pitched. Its body is covered on the playing end with snakeskin. The instrument has two strings which are generally tuned to the interval of a fifth, to A and E or to G and D (this latter tuning equivalent to the violin's lowest two strings). It has a deep, mellow sound similar to that of the cello. Presence in popular music Composer Jeremy Zuckerman has used the ''Zhonghu'' in critically acclaimed shows' music such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Specifically, he has said in the podcast Song Exploder that along with the ''e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Khuuchir
The khuuchir is a bowed musical instrument of Mongolia. The mongolian Khuuchir (also Huuchir) is considered the predecessor of chinese instruments like the more popular of the ''hu'kin'' or Huqin instruments, the "", —''er'' meaning ''two'' in chinese, referring to the two strings of the instrument, and Hu meaning ''foreign'', or barbarian. The Khuuchir —the Mongolian name used today actually derives from the Chinese name Huqin— like its relative the Erhu, could be traced back to more than a thousand years, being introduced to china in the |
Gehu
The ''gehu'' ( 革胡; pinyin: géhú) is a Chinese instrument developed in the 20th century by the Chinese musician Yang Yusen (杨雨森, 1926–1980). It is a fusion of the Chinese huqin family and the cello, essentially an ''erhu cello'' or ''Chinese cello''. Like standard cellos, its four strings are also tuned (from low to high) C-G-D-A; it also uses standard cello strings. Unlike most other musical instruments in the ''huqin'' family, the bridge does not contact the snakeskin drum head, which faces to the side. Instead the bridge is connected to a mechanism inside the body that touches the drum head. The bridge transmits the string vibrations to that mechanism, causing it to vibrate. There also exists a contrabass ''gehu'' that functions as a Chinese double bass, known as the '' diyingehu'', ''digehu'', or ''beigehu'' (倍革胡). By the late 20th century the ''gehu'' had become a rare instrument, even within China, as the tendency for the snakeskin to lose its tightness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yehu
The ''yehu'' () is a bowed string instrument in the '' huqin'' family of Chinese musical instruments. ''Ye'' means coconut and ''hu'' is short for ''huqin''. It is used particularly in the southern coastal provinces of China and in Taiwan. The instrument's soundbox is made from a coconut shell, which is cut on the playing end and covered with a piece of coconut wood instead of the snakeskin commonly used on other ''huqin'' instruments such as the '' erhu'' or '' gaohu''. As with most ''huqin'' the bow hair passes in between the two strings. Many players prefer to use silk strings rather than the more modern steel strings generally used for the ''erhu'', giving the instrument a distinctly hollow, throaty timbre. The instrument comes in various sizes. In Chaozhou music (where it is called ''pahi'', 冇弦) it is a leading instrument, and is tuned quite high. In Cantonese music it can be quite large and is often tuned to a relatively low pitch, lower than the ''erhu'' (usually ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhonghu
The ''zhonghu'' (), short for ''zhongyin erhu'' () is a low-pitched Chinese bowed string instrument. Together with the erhu and gaohu, it is a member of the huqin family. It was developed in the 1940s as the alto member of the huqin family (similar in range to the European viola) to increase the pitch range of the instruments used in a Chinese orchestra. The ''zhonghu'' is analogous with the erhu, but is slightly larger and lower pitched. Its body is covered on the playing end with snakeskin. The instrument has two strings which are generally tuned to the interval of a fifth, to A and E or to G and D (this latter tuning equivalent to the violin's lowest two strings). It has a deep, mellow sound similar to that of the cello. Presence in popular music Composer Jeremy Zuckerman has used the ''Zhonghu'' in critically acclaimed shows' music such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Specifically, he has said in the podcast Song Exploder that along with the ''e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gehu
The ''gehu'' ( 革胡; pinyin: géhú) is a Chinese instrument developed in the 20th century by the Chinese musician Yang Yusen (杨雨森, 1926–1980). It is a fusion of the Chinese huqin family and the cello, essentially an ''erhu cello'' or ''Chinese cello''. Like standard cellos, its four strings are also tuned (from low to high) C-G-D-A; it also uses standard cello strings. Unlike most other musical instruments in the ''huqin'' family, the bridge does not contact the snakeskin drum head, which faces to the side. Instead the bridge is connected to a mechanism inside the body that touches the drum head. The bridge transmits the string vibrations to that mechanism, causing it to vibrate. There also exists a contrabass ''gehu'' that functions as a Chinese double bass, known as the '' diyingehu'', ''digehu'', or ''beigehu'' (倍革胡). By the late 20th century the ''gehu'' had become a rare instrument, even within China, as the tendency for the snakeskin to lose its tightness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dahu (instrument)
The dahu () is a large bowed string instrument from China. It has a large soundbox covered on one end with python skin. Like most other members of the huqin family of instruments, it has two strings and is held vertically. The instrument is generally pitched one octave below the ''erhu'', and is considerably larger than the ''erhu''. Its name derives from the Chinese word for "large" (''dà''), and the word ''hú'' (short for ''huqin''). Its bridge is often placed somewhat above the center of the snakeskin to avoid stretching the skin. The ''dahu'' is sometimes also called ''cizhonghu''. It is also referred to as ''xiaodihu'', being the same instrument as the smallest of the three sizes of '' dihu'' (large ''huqin'' instruments), the others being the ''zhongdihu'' and ''dadihu''. History The ''dahu'' was developed in the 1930s as the tenor member of the ''erhu'' family (the ''erhu'' being the soprano member and the '' zhonghu'' being the alto member) to increase the pitch rang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaohu
The ''gaohu'' ( 高胡; pinyin: ''gāohú'', ; Cantonese: gou1 wu4; also called ''yuehu'' 粤 胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument developed from the ''erhu'' in the 1920s by the musician and composer Lü Wencheng (1898–1981) and used in Cantonese music and Cantonese opera. It belongs to the ''huqin'' family of instruments, together with the '' zhonghu'', ''erhu'', ''banhu'', '' jinghu'', and '' sihu''; its name means "high-pitched ''huqin''". It is the leading instrument of Cantonese music and opera ensembles. Well known pieces for the ''gaohu'' include ''Bu Bu Gao'' (步步高, Higher Step By Step) and ''Ping Hu Qiu Yue'' (平湖秋月, Autumn Moon on Calm Lake). Construction and design The ''gaohu'' is similar in construction to the ''erhu'' but has a slightly smaller soundbox, commonly circular, and is tuned a fourth higher, to G4 and D5. Whereas most ''huqin'' are placed on top of the left thigh, the traditional ''gaohu'' is played with the soundbox held in b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
