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| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner | Page: 1 2 3 4   |
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| Any Erhu players? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Sun Jun 4th, 2006 05:13 am |
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1st Post |
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AmyDK Approved
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Hello all - I'm back after three weeks in China. A really fascinating job working as an escort interpreter for a client who traveled around China with a research/study group. Fantastic trip, traveled to at least 8 different cities and the surrounding countryside AND I picked up an Erhu (a chinese fiddle) while I was there. Now, I have to learn to play the thing. I bought a 'how to play the Erhu' VCD while I was there and I received a short lesson from the man who sold it to me, but all I can get is a somewhat in tune scale and a bad version of 'twinkle twinkle' at this point. So, if anyone knows how to play one, or has ideas for me on how to learn to play one (besides the websites I've looked at - there are actually quite a few on the web), I'd love to hear from you. Looking forward to catching up on all the new music! Amy
____________________ Amy's ezFolk page Amy on MySpace My Website |
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| Posted: Sun Jun 4th, 2006 02:04 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Will Approved 
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Hi, Amy: My late Uncle Paul on Mom's side played the erhu, something I didn't find out about until he was too old to play it anymore, so I never got to see him play the instrument. When I was in China for a long vacation during 1996, I saw many live performances on this instrument (mostly in small string ensembles at restaurants), and I had a chance to buy some Chinese instruments such as the erhu or guqin(Chinese zither - ancestor of the Japanese koto) at incredibly low prices, but I had no idea of how to play them (the only stringed instrument I could play at that time was the autoharp), so I declined. The erhu is a 2-string violin played with the neck upright, and the bow held between the 2 strings.   I found this link to a site that sells instructional CDs: http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/instruments/erhucds.htm
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Sun Jun 4th, 2006 03:36 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Richard Hefner Administrator 
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Hi Amy, I just wanted to welcome you back. We've missed you on here. I don't know anything about the erhu except that it looks like an electric dulcijo! Now if we can find Tony Provencher. He disappeared about the same time you went to China. I thought he might have been a stowaway on your flight. 
____________________ Richard Hefner MP3 Page: http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/richardhefner Running Blog: http://old-runner.com |
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| Posted: Tue Jun 6th, 2006 09:26 am |
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4th Post |
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AmyDK Approved
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Will - thanks for the information. I'll be looking in to picking up one of those CDs. The VCD I picked up in China doesn't work on my computer, so I have to look around for something here in the states. I've listened to a lot of Erhu music over the years, so it's an instrument I'm really familiar with. I love the beautifully soulful sound it can evoke (when played correctly that is  ).Richard - thanks for the welcome back! Trying to catch up with all the great new music here. Jet Lag and insomnia is helping me get through a lot of it...  Amy Last edited on Tue Jun 6th, 2006 09:27 am by AmyDK ____________________ Amy's ezFolk page Amy on MySpace My Website |
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| Posted: Tue Jun 13th, 2006 10:49 am |
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5th Post |
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Clyde Approved 
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God Bless Last edited on Thu Jul 10th, 2008 04:57 am by Clyde |
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16th, 2006 07:44 am |
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6th Post |
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Clyde Approved
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God Bless Last edited on Thu Jul 10th, 2008 04:58 am by Clyde |
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28th, 2006 11:25 am |
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7th Post |
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AmyDK Approved
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Clyde - Thanks so much for all the wonderful information you've posted here. I very much appreciate it! Getting started for me has been somewhat difficult because I can't seem to keep the instrument in tune. Could be that I didn't buy a very expensive one (not cheap though), could be I need to tighten something after the long flight home. I love the sound of the Erhu, and look forward to being able to get an actual tune out of it. I've seen a bit of the instruction video CD that I bought in China, but it's all in Chinese with English subtitles that aren't easy to read, so I have to allow myself the time to watch it, pause it, make out what is said, then move on. Time consuming, but I'm looking for a chance to do just that! Thanks again, Clyde! Amy
____________________ Amy's ezFolk page Amy on MySpace My Website |
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28th, 2006 03:07 pm |
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8th Post |
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Clyde Approved
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God Bless Last edited on Thu Jul 10th, 2008 04:58 am by Clyde |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 20th, 2006 07:15 pm |
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9th Post |
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davidmdahl Approved
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I am new here. I play several Asian instruments, including the erhu, which I have been studying with a teacher for about 1.5 years. It is a challenging but very rewarding instrument with a rich body of music. I have not run across any instructional materials in English for self-learning that I can recommend. It really is best to find a teacher, even if for only one or two lessons. There are some videos on the web that are somewhat useful. The best is on Jiebing Chen's website: http://www.jiebingchen.com/ I can recommend other websites and forums as well if there is any interest. Best wishes, David Dahl Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Thu Jul 20th, 2006 07:54 pm |
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10th Post |
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Will Approved
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I took this photo in June 1996 while on a 10 city whirlwind tour. This was a Chinese string ensemble playing at a Beijing restaurant which had been pre-selected as part of the tour package for American tourists. You see a trio of young ladies; on the left is the erhu, a hammered dulcimer in the middle, and the instrument on the right is the moon lute.  So what music is this traditional Chinese string ensemble playing? Oh Susanna (Remember, this is a tour of China for American tourists)
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 20th, 2006 10:02 pm |
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11th Post |
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davidmdahl Approved
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Hello Will, The dulcimer is a yangqin (pron. yang-chin) and the moon lute is a ruan. I heard "Oh Suzanna" in a restaurant in Hanoi in 2001, and I was the only westerner in the place. It is possible that they saw me and pulled out a Western tune. Many Western folk tunes are pentatonic which fit very well on Asian instruments. It is amazing what tunes you will find in very out-of-the-way places. Apparently, Edelweiss from "The Sound of Music" is VERY popular in China. Best wishes, David
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| Posted: Thu Jul 20th, 2006 10:46 pm |
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12th Post |
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AmyDK Approved
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Thanks folks for all the advice - I will certainly keep looking for a teacher as well. When we were in Beijing we went to the Temple of Heaven. Along the long corridor there were many different musician, an Erhu player, Pipa player, and a guy playing the sax - playing Red River Valley. Never know what you're going to hear, and where!Amy
____________________ Amy's ezFolk page Amy on MySpace My Website |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 27th, 2006 08:47 am |
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13th Post |
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Tricone John Approved 
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So you have the Ehru, now all you need is the outfit........TJ Attachment: China pics Feb06 049a.jpg (Downloaded 292 times)
____________________ Old bluesmen never die, they just keep going from bar to bar. |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 27th, 2006 02:22 pm |
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14th Post |
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AmyDK Approved
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So John, how do you think that outfit would go over at an open mic?  Great picture! Amy
____________________ Amy's ezFolk page Amy on MySpace My Website |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 27th, 2006 02:39 pm |
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15th Post |
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Tricone John Approved
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Amy, make sure you know where the exit is! Wear a kevlar vest underneath? Took the pic in Beijing this February. TJ
____________________ Old bluesmen never die, they just keep going from bar to bar. |
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| Posted: Fri Jul 28th, 2006 01:30 am |
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16th Post |
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davidmdahl Approved
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I wear a traditional Vietnamese costume when I perform on erhu or dan bau (Vietnamese monochord). It usually goes over quite well. Best wishes, David
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| Posted: Fri Jul 28th, 2006 08:13 am |
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17th Post |
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Tricone John Approved
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That is a very tasteful costume David. Authentic background too. That dan bau looks basic but that means it must be really tricky to play. Do you adjust string tension by levering on the pole to change the note? Only pluck the string or can you use a bow? Regards TJ
____________________ Old bluesmen never die, they just keep going from bar to bar. |
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| Posted: Fri Jul 28th, 2006 12:52 pm |
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18th Post |
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AmyDK Approved
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David - that costume looks right on you. A beautiful one, too. I had not even heard of a dan bau before. I'll have to look that one up. While in China, all the folks I saw playing the erhu (with one exception) were just playing for people on the street. Nothing formal. In parks, along the long corridor, near a wicked Mah Jong game going on in front of a store... Only one 'professional' musician, and that was for an outdoor performance on a hot day, he was dressed for comfort...
____________________ Amy's ezFolk page Amy on MySpace My Website |
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| Posted: Fri Jul 28th, 2006 04:45 pm |
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19th Post |
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davidmdahl Approved
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Tricone John wrote: That is a very tasteful costume David. Authentic background too. Thank you! The dan bau is played by plucking the string while lightly touching the string at the nodes with the edge of the right hand. For example, if I pluck and stop the string in the middle of the string, a tone an octave up from the fundamental is sounded. Notes in between the nodes can be produced by bending the whammy bar/stick with the left hand. My dan bau has an electromagnetic pickup as on an electric guitar, so I can easily plug into an amp and be heard. It is a lot of fun. Not very many people play this instrument outside of Vietnam, so I get plenty of opportunities to perform. There are more photos from a recent performance in Seattle at: http://www.creativeflashes.com/gallery/1655114 In this series, I am playing the dan nguyet (moon lute): http://www.creativeflashes.com/gallery/1655098 Best wishes, David
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| Posted: Fri Jul 28th, 2006 06:26 pm |
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20th Post |
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jrjr Approved
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Hello, Newbie here. I am interested in starting to learn the Erhu & other traditional Chinese instruments. The problem is that I can't find a teacher in my area. My next best venture is to get some books or videos. I know that there are videos & books out there (in Chinese), but are there any that are in English or at least with English subtitles? Any that you would recommend? Thanks, Jeff
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