Erhu

From China comes one of the more unique instruments found in traditional folk music: the erhu. Essentially a two-stringed wooden pole, it features a soundbox covered in python skin. Although it's a string instrument, it has no fingerboard. It is played with a bow, but each of the two strings is played on opposite sides - the bow is threaded between them. It is descended from other instruments of central Asia, but it is, for all intents and purposes, distinctly Chinese.

1105 A.D.

The first mention of an instrument like the erhu comes from an encyclopedia of music written in 1105 by Chen Yang. He described and drew a picture of an instrument with a long bamboo neck, a deep wooden soundbox, and two strings. Around the time that Chen wrote this, people began using a horsehair bow (rather than bamboo) to play the instrument.

Construction

Today, the erhu has been refined and standardized. The long round neck is made of hard wood. The 6-sided, 8-sided or round soundbox is still covered with snake skin, usually python, although a legal erhu must be accompanied by a government certificate stating that the python was farm-raised. The bow, which at 80 cm is as long as the instrument itself, is strung between the strings, so that one string is played underneath and the other is played on top. The two strings are generally not played simultaneously.

The python

There being no fingerboard, players use their left hand to touch spots along the strings, changing the pitch. The bow is pushed and pulled in a graceful giding motion with the right hand. In modern performances, the erhu is sometimes plucked wth the right hand. The python skin, which faces the strings, vibrates during play, which is the source of much of the erhu's unique sound.

Modern tradition

Capable of different tones, the erhu is used in a wide variety of ensembles (such as the Chinese opera known as kunqu), both inside China and on international stages. Low notes can be mournful and solemn, while higher notes can be bright and clear, making the erhu a versatile instrument that is becoming moreso all the time as modern musicians experiment and refine. Artists such as Jiebing Chen have been adapting the erhu for modern world music audiences, pushing the boundaries of this beautiful traditional Chinese instrument.