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| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner |
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| Types of erhu bows? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Sat Feb 14th, 2009 05:00 am |
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1st Post |
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jawxin Approved
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I'm looking to try out a new erhu bow. Does a single joint bow vary drastically to a jointless one? how about a stiff one compared to a thin bow? As you get more advanced, does one seek a jointless bow that's heavy? Thank you for reading.
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| Posted: Sat Feb 14th, 2009 12:04 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Shanghai Angels Approved
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I think Sung Wah will have the experience to answer you.
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| Posted: Sat Feb 14th, 2009 01:33 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Clyde Approved 
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length and stiffness are always a preference. Of course if one is more advanced then it is to your advantage to use a longer bow as well as how much bow hair the bow has, keep in mind this is not always a rule! one uses what he or she has or can get, lets take the rod, now you stated a clean even rod with no knot in it compared to a single knot or perhaps a double, think now what would make the rod easier to feel the strings evenly? Wouldn't it seem that the even rod without any knot be easier? and think of how it would bend or flex? A bow to a string musician is the most important tool because these instruments are all about feeling through the strings. So thinking this is one of the rules in stiffness it should be much easier to feel a string with a stiff bow but more bounce and harder to control when applying power and speed or less action as we like to call it and here is were the both collide, one cannot sacrifice power for feeling there must be an equal balance between the two and only you the musician can know were this balance lies. So now your question is how does one know? practice, practice your bow movement, don't just go threw the movements but really really think about what you are doing when you practice put some thought and concentration into it. I can not over state this enough your bow is your engine master it you may have the fastest fingers in the world but if you can't feel your strings when your play from your heart then take up the flute. If you are a beginner just starting out might I suggest a short stiff bow with one or no knots and the less amount of bow hair just for starting out. God Bless Last edited on Sat Feb 14th, 2009 04:20 pm by Clyde |
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| Posted: Sat Feb 14th, 2009 07:23 pm |
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4th Post |
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jawxin Approved
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Thank you Angel, I have spoken to Sung Wah about it already. and Clyde, you provide a lot of insight to the significance of a bow fitting the player. I'm just not used to paying a small difference between a "student" bow to a professional one. Being a cellist, my bow is about $1000. And that's considered standard for a serious cellist. a student cello bow runs starting $45. Erhu bows seem to be floating in the $20-$60 range. I'm enjoy playing with a medium weighted bow (heavier than lighter) so I think I'll give that a shot. Thanks for everyone's insights
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| Posted: Sat Feb 14th, 2009 08:16 pm |
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5th Post |
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Clyde Approved
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Your very welcome and good luck with the Erhu I haven't played the cello in years and yes I have a few Cello and Violin bows here that would pay for a whole group of Erhu's them selves I know how it is and you can't let them go as well even if you don't use them you never know how hard it is to find one again. Unless you have played the Violin or Cello and other string instruments people have a hard time understanding why we get so attched to our bows and the money we are willing to spend on them to get them just right, I really don't know why this is however the Erhu bows are not like violin or other string instruments bows, however still delicately pronounced unlike Cello and Bass bows were as more force rather than sensitivity is a requirement the Erhu bows are very much more pronounced yet the characteristics are very pliable to the touch. It is amazing what one can do with an Erhu bow and not to forget that the Erhu bows are some of the longest string bows made yet what the Chinese have acheived to do with a simple piece of bamboo is truely incredible. God Bless Last edited on Sat Feb 14th, 2009 08:44 pm by Clyde |
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13th, 2009 10:24 am |
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6th Post |
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Theorbo Approved 
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erhu bows may be cheap but its hard to get a great one. one that matches the requirements of a player. for me, even after i paid for an expensive erhu bow, i will still modify it somehow. dont get tricked by jointless bows. you can have multiple jointed bows. a good bow maker will know how to deal with multi jointed bamboo. i ever owned an old bow in the past with a joint in the middle but it have been carved such a way its smooth. my requirement for a bow, thin and stiff. not forgetting s sturdy and strong frog. my bowing can be nasty applying great stress on the frog. broke a few frogs in the past. a bone or rosewood frog would be great.
____________________ world peace |
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13th, 2009 01:59 pm |
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7th Post |
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Shanghai Angels Approved
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Throebo...does wood affect tone quality? Does a type of wood make the tone better than other woods?
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13th, 2009 03:47 pm |
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8th Post |
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Theorbo Approved
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for bows? hmm well frankly, i've never came across times whereby any erhu player talks about the type of bamboo used to make bows. as far as i understand, tone is regulated by the horsehair type, quality and ofcourse rosin. its the process of making that counts. some bows can really flex and some are real stiff. tone is greatly dependent on the material used for the erhu and not the bow material.
____________________ world peace |
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13th, 2009 06:04 pm |
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9th Post |
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ychent Approved 
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jawxin wrote:Thank you Angel, I have spoken to Sung Wah about it already. Just out of curiosity; I've read that there is a style of cello strokes where the bow is held with the palm facing skyward, much like how erhu bow is held. Is that true?
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13th, 2009 06:24 pm |
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10th Post |
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ychent Approved
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I am glad that erhu is a much less-pricey instrument compared to violin or cello. $1000 for just the bow? Wow, that is the cost of my erhu (and some) for only the bow! How much is everyone paying for their erhus?
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14th, 2009 04:00 am |
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11th Post |
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Shanghai Angels Approved
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erhu is cheaper than It really is an amazing instrument. there's NO instrument that sounds anything like it...not even close. I'm surprised an erhu bow does not make a 'night and day' difference to the tone unlike a violin or cello bow. I have heard a USD30,000 violin bow being played in front of me....and it totally transformed the violin into a mighty 'beast' when you compare it to a USD1, 000 violin bow. Erhu bow is important....yes...but it does not contribute such a drastic change in tone compared to those high end violin bows. Maybe someone has yet to create the ultimate erhu bow? Possible, yes?
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14th, 2009 04:24 pm |
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12th Post |
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dsouthwood Approved 
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I suspect that a critical factor in a violin bow is the amount of spring in the wood. Since erhu bows are made to use slack hair, that might not be as critical. When the bow hair is tight, as when playing the inner string, the tension is controlled by the player, so while the flexibility of the bamboo might still be a factor, it would not be all-important. Dennis
____________________ Music contains all of life. |
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| Posted: Wed Apr 22nd, 2009 08:04 am |
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13th Post |
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huqiner Approved
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I don't think the type of wood or bamboo a bow is made from can itself affect the tone, since the bow does not vibrate to produce sound. It's more how a bow responds to a player's movements and the feedback they get back from the bow. I agree it's the erhu bow's slack hair that's the big difference compared to the violin bow. Anyway, I'm not really in favour of comparing the erhu to the violin; they are completely different instruments. There seems to be a certain attitude that the erhu has to "catch-up" with the violin, that the violin e.g. has 4 strings so it's more "advanced". It seems some Chinese people have a deep seated inferiority complex regarding some aspects of their culture. For example, playing violin pieces (almost always encore trifles) on the erhu, in an attempt to "prove" that the erhu is just as good an instrument as the violin. I understand there were oppositions by Chinese intellectuals against even introducing Chinese instruments departments in music conservatoires in China. Last edited on Wed Apr 22nd, 2009 08:09 am by huqiner |
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