''Huqin'' () is a family of bowed

string instrument In musical instrument classification, string instruments, or chordophones, are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer strums, plucks, strikes or sounds the strings in varying manners. Musicians play some ...

s, more specifically, a

spike fiddle Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * The Spike (novel), ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * The Spike (Broderick book), ''The Spike'' (Broderick book), a nonfiction book by Damien B ...

popularly used in

Chinese music The music of China consists of many distinct traditions, often specifically originating with one of the country's various ethnic groups. It is produced within and without the country, involving either people of Chinese origin, the use of tradit ...

. The instruments consist of a round, hexagonal, or octagonal

sound box A sound box or sounding box (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a musical instrument which modifies the sound of the instrument, and helps transfer that sound to the surrounding air. Objects respond more strongly to vibr ...

at the bottom with a neck attached that protrudes upwards. They also usually have two strings, and their soundboxes are typically covered with either

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

skin (most often

python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (prog ...

) 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 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 ...

'', which is tuned to a middle range; ''

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 (si ...

'', which is tuned to a lower register, and ''

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 u ...

'', which is tuned to a higher pitch. The lowest pitched huqins include the dahu and gehu. The highest pitched huqin is the jinghu, used in the Beijing opera. Over eighty types of ''huqin'' instruments have been documented. ''Huqin'' instruments are believed to have come from the nomadic Hu people, who lived on the extremities of ancient Chinese kingdoms, possibly descending from an instrument called the '' Xiqin'' (

奚琴 Xiqin may refer to: *Xiqin (instrument), a bowed string Chinese musical instrument *Western Qin (385-400, 409-431), a Xianbei state and one of the Sixteen Kingdoms *Xiqin Guildhall, a museum in Zigong, Sichuan, China Towns or townships in China

), originally played by the Xi tribe.Mongolian people have cultural and ethnic heritage of the ancient Hu nomads, and the Mongol version of the ''xiqin'', known as the ''

khuuchir The khuuchir is a bowed musical instrument of Mongolia.Хуучир mongol. ...

'', is testament to this shared heritage. In the 20th century, large bass huqin such as the ''

dihu The ''dihu'' ( 低胡, pinyin: dīhú) is a large bowed string instrument from China. It has a large soundbox covered on one end with snakeskin. Like most other members of the huqin family of instruments, it has two strings and is held vertically. ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', and ''

diyingehu The bass ''gehu'' (低音革胡; pinyin: ''dīyīngéhú'', ; also called ''digehu'' or ''beigehu'' 倍革胡, literally "bass '' gehu''") is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the '' huqin'' family. It was developed by Yang Yusen along with ...

'' were developed for use in modern

Chinese orchestra The term Chinese orchestra is most commonly used to refer to the modern Chinese orchestra that is found in China and various overseas Chinese communities. This modern Chinese orchestra first developed out of Jiangnan sizhu ensemble in the 1920s ...

s. Of these, the ''gehu'' and ''diyingehu'' would be analogous to Occidental cellos and double basses respectively, and were designed to have a timbre that would blend in with the sound of traditional ''huqin''. These instruments generally have four strings and fingerboards, and are played in a similar manner to cellos and double basses, and are very different from the traditional ''huqin''. Similar instruments also feature in the music traditions of neighboring countries, such as

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

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, and

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List of Chinese huqin instruments

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 ...

(二胡); also called ''nanhu'' (

南南 may refer to: *Nan (surname), Chinese surname *Nam (Korean surname) *Minami (name), Japanese feminine given name See also * * Nam-gu (disambiguation), various districts in South Korea *南山 (disambiguation) ("south mountain") *南海 (disam ...

胡胡, may refer to: Names * Hu (surname), Chinese surname. * Hồ (surname), Vietnamese surname. * Ho (Korean name), Korean surname. Other * Hu (people), historical term for populations to the north and west of China proper. * Xiongnu The ...

) * Erquanqin (二泉琴); slightly larger erhu used specifically to play the melody Erquan Yingyue (二泉映月) *

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 u ...

(高胡); also called ''yuehu'' ( 粤

) *

Banhu The ''banhu'' () is a Chinese traditional bowed string instrument in the huqin family of instruments. It is used primarily in northern China. ''Ban'' means a piece of wood and ''hu'' is short for ''huqin''. Like the more familiar ''erhu'' ...

(板胡) * Jinghu (京胡) * Jing erhu (京二胡) *

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 (si ...

(中胡) *

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 ...

(椰胡) *

Erxian The ''erxian'' ( 二弦; pinyin: èrxián; jyutping: ji6 jin4; literally "two string") is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family of instruments. It has two strings and is used primarily in Cantonese music, most often in "har ...

(二弦) *

Tiqin The ''tiqin'' () is a name applied to several two-stringed Chinese bowed string musical instruments in the ''huqin'' family of instruments. Types There are several types of ''tiqin'': *The ''tiqin'' used for ''kunqu'' opera *The ''tiqin'' used f ...

(提琴) * Tihu (提胡) *

Daguangxian The ''daguangxian'' (; literally "great, broad string nstrument) is a Chinese bowed two-stringed musical instrument in the ''huqin'' family of instruments, held on the lap and played upright. It is used primarily in Taiwan and Fujian, among the ...

(大广弦) *

Datong Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province, China. It is located in the Datong Basin at an elevation of and borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Hebei to the east. As of the 2020 census, it had a population o ...

(大筒)photo
/sup> * Datongxian (大筒弦)photo
/sup> * Kezaixian (壳仔弦) - two-stringed fiddle with coconut body, used in Taiwan opera * Hexian (和弦) * Huluhu (traditional: 葫蘆胡; simplified: 葫芦胡) *

Maguhu The ''maguhu'' ( 馬骨胡; simplified: 马骨胡; pinyin: mǎgǔhú) is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family of musical instruments. It has two strings and its sound box is made from the femur bone of a horse (or alter ...

(traditional: 馬骨胡; simplified: 马骨胡) *

Tuhu The ''tuhu'' (土胡, pinyin: tǔhú) is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family of instruments. It is used primarily by non- Han ethnic groups of southern China, particularly the Zhuang, who live in the Guangxi province and us ...

(土胡) * Jiaohu (角胡) *

Zhuihu The ''zhuihu'' ( 坠胡, pinyin: zhùihú; also called ''zhuiqin'' or ''zhuizixian'') is a two-stringed bowed string instrument from China. In construction, it resembles the '' sanxian'', and likely evolved as a bowed version of that musical inst ...

(traditional: 墜胡; simplified: 坠胡) *

Zhuiqin The ''zhuihu'' ( 坠胡, pinyin: zhùihú; also called ''zhuiqin'' or ''zhuizixian'') is a two-stringed bowed string instrument from China. In construction, it resembles the ''sanxian'', and likely evolved as a bowed version of that musical instru ...

(traditional: 墜琴; simplified: 坠琴) *

Leiqin The ''leiqin'' ( 雷琴 or 擂琴, literally "thunderous instrument"; also called ''leihu'') is a Chinese bowed string musical instrument. Construction It has a metal soundbox covered with snakeskin and a long fretless fingerboard. The two str ...

(雷琴) * Sihu (四胡) * Sanhu (三胡) *Liuhu (六胡) *

Dahu The dahu () is a legendary creature that resembles a mountain goat and is well known in France and francophone regions of Switzerland and Italy, including the Aosta Valley. The dahu, a Quadrupedalism, quadrupedal mammal, may have been inspired ...

(大胡) *

Dihu The ''dihu'' ( 低胡, pinyin: dīhú) is a large bowed string instrument from China. It has a large soundbox covered on one end with snakeskin. Like most other members of the huqin family of instruments, it has two strings and is held vertically. ...

(低胡) ** Xiaodihu (小低胡) ** Zhongdihu (中低胡) ** Dadihu (大低胡) * Cizhonghu *

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 ...

(革胡) **

Diyingehu The bass ''gehu'' (低音革胡; pinyin: ''dīyīngéhú'', ; also called ''digehu'' or ''beigehu'' 倍革胡, literally "bass '' gehu''") is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the '' huqin'' family. It was developed by Yang Yusen along with ...

(低音革胡) *

Laruan The ''lāruǎn'' ( 拉阮; also spelled ''la ruan'') is a relatively new Chinese string instrument blending the acoustics of the '' ruan'' with that of the Western cello. Its larger counterpart is the ''dalaruan'' (大拉阮), which corresponds t ...

(拉阮) ** Dalaruan (大拉阮) *

Paqin The ''paqin'' ( 琶琴) is a modern bowed lute originating in China. The instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body like pipa, with neck no frets but bowed by horsehair bow. It is the tenor variant of the paquin family. It has a bass variant, the ' ...

(琶琴) **

Dapaqin The ''dapaqin'' ( 大琶琴) is a modern bowed string instrument originating in China. It is the bass variant of the ''paqin''. Its name literally means "big ''paqin''". Its tone is similar to that double bass. See also * ''Paqin'' * Chinese mus ...

(大琶琴) * Xiqin (奚琴) * Niutuiqin or ''niubatui'' (牛腿琴 or 牛巴腿) (Guizhou) *

Matouqin The ''morin khuur'' (), also known as the horsehead fiddle, is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument. It is one of the most important musical instruments of the Mongol people, and is considered a symbol of the nation of Mongolia. Th ...

(馬頭琴) (Inner Mongolia) *

Aijieke The ''ghijak'' (also spelled ''ghidjak'', ''ghichak'', ''gidzhak'', ''gijak'', ''g'ijjak'', ', or ''ghijek'' (, or occasionally ; Chinese: 艾捷克 ''aijieke'' or 吉孜哈克 ''jizihake''; ), is a group of related spike fiddles, used by Afgh ...

(艾捷克) (Xinjian

*

Sataer The ''Sataer'' (; zh, 萨它尔) is a traditional Uyghur long-necked bowed lute. It is used by Uyghur people in Xinjiang, western China, and is an important instrument to play maqams. Characteristics The instrument is a long-necked lute, abo ...

(萨它尔) (Xinjiang) * Shaoqin (韶琴) an electric erhu

Related instruments in other Asian nations

Cambodia

* Tro (Cambodia) **

Tro che The ''tro'' () is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddle, a bowed string instrument that is held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it emerges. The ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro Khmer The ''tro Khmer'' () is a traditional bowed string instrument from Cambodia. Its body is made from a special type of coconut covered on one end with snake skin, and it has three strings. Instruments are not standardized, and coconuts vary in si ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro sau thom The ''tro'' () is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddle, a bowed string instrument that is held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it emerges. The ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro sau toch The ''tro'' () is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddle, a bowed string instrument that is held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it emerges. The ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro u The ''tro'' () is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddle, a bowed string instrument that is held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it emerges. The ...

(Cambodia) ** Tro Ou Chamhieng (

Cham people The Chams (Cham language, Cham: , چام, ''cam''), or Champa people (Cham language, Cham: , اوراڠ چمڤا, ''Urang Campa''; or ; , ), are an Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic group in Southeast Asia and are the original inhabi ...

, Cambodia)

Indonesia

* Kongahyan (Indonesia) * Tehyan (Indonesia) * Sukong (Indonesia) Sukong, Tehyan and Kongahyan are 3 similar instrument. The only difference being the size and tuning. The Sukong has a lower tuning (A and E), the Tehyan has the tuning of D and A and the Kongahyan, the smallest of the 3, has the highest tuning (G and D). These three are used throughout the island of Java and Bali for things like "Gambang Keromong", "Lenong", "Ondel-ondel", and "Topeng Betawi".

Japan

Kokyū The is the only traditional Japanese string instrument played with a bow (music), bow. A variant of the instrument also exists in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, called () in Okinawan language, Okinawan. The , like the , has its origins in Oki ...

(Japan) (though this is actually descended from the rebab and related instruments, through South East Asia and the Ryukyu islands)Minoru, Miki 2008, Composing for Japanese Instruments, pp 116-117

Korea

Haegeum The ''haegeum'' () is a traditional Korean string instrument, resembling a vertical fiddle with two strings; derived from the ancient Chinese '' xiqin''. It has a rodlike neck, a hollow wooden soundbox, and two silk strings, and is held verti ...

(Korea; derived from the '' Xiqin'') **

Sohaegeum The ''sohaegeum'' () is a North Korean musical instrument, developed in the 1960s. It is essentially a modernized form of the ''haegeum'' (a traditional Korean bowed vertical fiddle). Its tuning pegs are like those of the violin, inserted from ...

(North Korea) ** Junghaegeum (North Korea) ** Daehaegeum (North Korea) ** Jeohaegeum (North Korea)

Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan

kyl kiak The kobyz or qobyz, also known as the kylkobyz, is an ancient Turkic bowed string instrument, spread among Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Bashkirs, and Tatars. The Kyrgyz variant is called the ). The kobyz has two strings made of horsehair. The resonat ...

(

Kobyz The kobyz or qobyz, also known as the kylkobyz, is an ancient Turkic bowed string instrument, spread among Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Bashkirs, and Tatars. The Kyrgyz variant is called the ). The kobyz has two strings made of horsehair. The resonat ...

)

Mongolia

Morin khuur The ''morin khuur'' (), also known as the horsehead fiddle, is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument. It is one of the most important musical instruments of the Mongol people, and is considered a symbol of the nation of Mongolia. ...

(Mongolia) * Sihu (Mongolia)

Thailand

*Saw (Thailand) **

Saw duang The ''saw duang'' (, , ) is a two-stringed instrument used in traditional Thai music. The sound is produced by the bow made from horsetail hair which goes between the strings made from silk. The bow has to be tilted to switch from one string to a ...

(Thailand) **

Saw u The ''saw u'' (, , ; also spelled ''saw ou'') is a Thai bowed string instrument. It has a lower pitch than the saw duang and is the lowest sounding of the saw family. Reliable evidence shows that pattern of the Saw U was probably taken from the ...

(Thailand) **

Saw sam sai The (, ; ; also spelled , , and occasionally simply ; ) is a traditional bowed string instrument of Thailand. It is in the family of Thai fiddles, which also includes the ''saw u'' and ''saw duang'', but unlike the other two, it has three string ...

(Thailand) ** Saw peep or saw krapawng (northeast Thailand) ** Saw bong (northeast Thailand)

Tuva

* Byzaanchy *

Igil The ''igil'' ( Tuvan: игил) is a two- stringed Tuvan musical instrument, played by bowing the strings. (It is called "ikili" in Western Mongolia.) The neck and lute-shaped sound box are usually made of a solid piece of pine or larch. The ...

Vietnam

Đàn gáo The đàn gáo (chữ Nôm: 彈𣂋) ("coconut shell fiddle") is a bowed string instrument, a part of the traditional Vietnamese orchestra. It is similar to the đàn hồ. The instrument originated from South Viet Nam, and is used in enterta ...

(Vietnam) *

Đàn hồ The đàn hồ (Chữ Nôm Chữ Nôm (, ) is a logographic writing system formerly used to write the Vietnamese language. It uses Chinese characters to represent Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary and some native Vietnamese words, with other words r ...

(Vietnam; ''hồ'' derives from Chinese ''hu'') *

Đàn nhị The (, Chữ Nôm: 彈二), also called , is a Vietnamese Bow (music), bowed string instrument with two strings. The word ''nhị'' means "two" in Sino-Vietnamese, and means "instrument". Its sound box is generally covered on one end with snak ...

or Đàn Cò (Vietnam)

Notes

External links

Huqin photographs
(page 1)

(page 2)

(page 3) {{Authority control Bowed string instruments Chinese musical instruments Continuous pitch instruments Spike lutes