The erhu (Chinese: 二胡; pinyin: èrhú) is a Chinese musical instrument with two strings that is played with a bow. It is also called a spike fiddle and is sometimes referred to in the West as the Chinese violin or Chinese two-stringed fiddle. The erhu is used as a solo instrument and in small groups and large orchestras. It is the most common instrument in the huqin family, which includes traditional bowed string instruments used by different ethnic groups in China. The erhu is useful in many types of music, both traditional and modern, such as pop, rock, and jazz.

History

The erhu is believed to have developed from ancient Mongolian-like instruments that appeared in China during the Tang dynasty. It is thought to have evolved from the xiqin, an instrument linked to the Xi people who lived in what is now northeast China.

The name "erhu" comes from the Chinese characters "èr" (two) and "hú" (Hu). The word "èr" likely refers to the instrument's two strings. Another idea suggests it comes from its position as the second-highest huqin in pitch compared to the gaohu in modern Chinese orchestras. The term "hú" means the instrument belongs to the huqin family, which is named after the "Hu peoples." The word "huqin" translates to "instrument of the Hu peoples," indicating the instrument may have originated from areas north or west of China, where nomadic groups lived.

For much of history, the erhu was mainly used as a folk instrument in southern China, while the sihu was more common in the north. However, in the 1920s, Liu Tianhua brought the erhu to Beijing, and since then, it has become the most popular huqin.

Historically, Chinese bowed zithers like the xiqin, yazheng, and wenzhenqin, as well as the Korean ajaeng, were played using a stick covered in rosin to create friction against the strings. After the invention of the horsehair bow, this new tool quickly became widely used.

Construction

The erhu has a long, vertical neck with two large tuning pegs at the top and a small resonator body (sound box) at the bottom. The front of the resonator is covered with python skin. Two strings connect the tuning pegs to the base. A small loop of string called qiān jīn (thousand pounds) wraps around the neck and strings, pulling them toward the skin and holding a tiny wooden bridge in place.

The erhu has several unique features:
– Its sound is created when the python skin vibrates from bowing.
– There is no fingerboard. Players press their fingertips directly on the strings, which do not touch the neck.
– The bow made of horsehair never moves over the strings. Instead, it passes between them, unlike western bowed instruments.
– Although there are two strings, they are very close together. The left hand plays as if on one string. The inner string (closest to the player) is usually tuned to D4, and the outer string is tuned to A4, a fifth higher. The erhu can play up to three and a half octaves, from D4 to A7. Most playing happens within two and a half octaves.

The erhu is made from dense, heavy hardwoods like zi tan (red sandalwood), lao hong mu (aged red wood), wu mu (black wood), and hong mu (red wood). Fine erhu are sometimes made from old furniture. A typical erhu is 81 cm (32 inches) tall, and the bow is also 81 cm long.

The parts of the erhu include:
– Qín tǒng (sound box or resonator body), which is hexagonal, octagonal, or rarely round.
– Qín pí/shé pí (python skin), which gives the erhu its sound.
– Qín gān (neck).
– Qín tóu (top of the neck), often with a carved bone or plastic piece.
– Qín zhóu (tuning pegs), made of wood or metal.
– Qiān jīn (nut), made of string or metal.
– Nèi xián (inner string), usually tuned to D4.
– Wài xián (outer string), usually tuned to A4.
– Qín mǎ (bridge), made of wood.
– Gōng (bow), with a screw to adjust the bow hair’s tightness.
– Gōng gān (bow stick), made of bamboo.
– Gōng máo (bow hair), usually white horsehair.
– Qín diàn (pad), a sponge, felt, or cloth piece between the strings and skin to improve sound.
– Qín tuō (base), a wooden piece attached to the bottom of the sound box.

Most erhu are made in factories. The top three places for making erhu are Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. After the People’s Republic of China was formed, these factories were created by combining former private workshops. While many erhu are made by machines, the best ones are made by skilled craftspeople.

In the 20th century, efforts were made to improve the erhu’s sound and volume. A major change was replacing silk strings with steel. By 1950, the thinner A-string was replaced with a violin E-string, while the thicker D-string remained silk. By 1958, professional players used steel strings for both D and A.

In 1988, China passed a law to protect endangered species after joining the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This made it illegal to use or trade unlicensed python skins. To control the use of python skin, China’s State Forestry Administration created a certification system for sellers in Southeast Asia and instrument makers in China. Since 2005, new erhu must have a certificate proving the python skin came from farmed, not wild, pythons. Travelers can take up to two erhu out of China, but commercial buyers need extra export permits.

Outside China, erhu makers can get CITES licenses approved by their governments. These exports are legal if the skin comes from legal sources.

Some erhu are made from recycled materials.

In 2005, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra began researching alternatives to python skin. They later created the Eco-Huqin series, which uses PET Polyester Membrane instead of python skin. For this innovation, the orchestra received the Ministry of Culture Innovation Award in 2012.

Erhumusic

A well-known composer for the erhu was Liú Tiānhuá (刘天华/劉天華), a Chinese musician who also studied Western music. He created 47 exercises and 10 solo pieces (1918–1932), which were important in helping the erhu become a solo instrument. His works for the erhu include Yue Ye (月夜; Moon Night) and Zhu ying Yao hong (烛影摇红; Shadows of Candles Flickering Red).

Other solo pieces include Er Quan Ying Yue (1950, Two Springs Reflecting the Moon) by Abing, Sai Ma (Horse Race) by Huang Haihuai, Henan Xiaoqu (Henan Folk Tune) by Liu Mingyuan, and Sanmenxia Changxiangqu (1961, Sanmen Gorge Capriccio) by Liu Wenjin. Most solo works are usually performed with yangqin accompaniment, although pieces like the ten solos by Liú Tiānhuá and Er Quan Ying Yue originally did not have accompaniment.

In addition to solo music, the erhu is one of the main instruments in regional music groups such as Jiangnan sizhu, Chinese opera ensembles, and the modern large Chinese orchestra.

The erhu is used in the music of the Cirque du Soleil show O and in solo performances during Shen Yun tours. Some fusion progressive rock groups, like The Hsu-nami, have included the erhu in their music, and it is their lead instrument. The erhu is also used by the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC and by the Tibetan singer Alan. It appears in the song "Field Below" by Regina Spektor.

An instrumental album by erhu artist Song Fei (宋飞) shows the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival (清明上河图; Qīngmíng Shànghé Tú) created in the Song dynasty by Zhang Zeduan (张择端). The album was performed with the erhu, jinghu, banhu, gaohu, and other instruments to display the daily life, trade, and festivals of the Song dynasty. The album has 18 parts.

Recently, the erhu has appeared in several soundtracks, including the TV series Earth: Final Conflict (played by George Gao) and the game World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (played by Jiebing Chen). An erhu solo is included in some parts of the Star Trek (2009) soundtrack by Michael Giacchino that feature Vulcans.

Musical groups in Cambodia that play at weddings often use the Tro, an instrument similar to the erhu.

The erhu is listed in the credits for the Doug Anthony All Stars album Icon, where it was played by Paul McDermott. The erhu can be heard in the character songs of China, a character in Axis Powers Hetalia.

In 2020, the game Genshin Impact included traditional Chinese music mixed with Western orchestra music, with some pieces featuring the erhu.

Comparisons to Western instruments

The erhu is often called a Chinese fiddle. However, it has important differences when compared to a Western fiddle, which is also called a violin:

• Both instruments are mostly made of wood, but their bridges and sound-making parts are different. The erhu’s bridge has a flat bottom and does not need to be attached to the instrument. This is because the erhu uses a stretched and flattened skin from a python as its top surface, while a violin uses a curved wooden plate.
• The erhu’s main sound-making part is the python skin, which has no back or only a decorative one. A violin has a small wooden piece inside that connects the top and back parts to help make sound.
• The way the bow is used is also different. On the erhu, the bow hair is stretched between the two strings, and both sides of the bow are used. On a violin, the bow hair is placed on top of the strings.
• The erhu has only two strings, while a violin has four.

Playing technique

The erhu is usually tuned to a musical distance called a fifth. The string closest to the player is typically set to D4, and the farthest string is set to A4. These notes match the two middle strings of a violin.

The erhu is played while sitting, with the sound box placed on the left thigh and the neck held upright, similar to how a cello or double bass is played. However, some modern performers play while standing, using a special belt-clip to hold the instrument.

The bow is held with a grip similar to holding a pencil. The bow hair is kept slightly loose. The right hand’s fingers press the hair away from the bow stick to create tension. The bow hair is placed between the two strings, and both sides of the hair are used to make sound. When playing the A string (the outer string), the bow is pushed away from the body. When playing the D string (the inner string), the bow is pulled toward the body.

Since the bow rests on the barrel, either string can be played with little effort. The outer string is played by pressing the bow stick downward with the thumb. The inner string is played by pressing the bow hair toward the player with the middle finger. The other fingers are not needed for playing but help support the bow.

In addition to bowing, the erhu can be plucked, usually with the second finger of the right hand. This creates a dry, quiet sound. If an open string is plucked, the sound is slightly louder. This technique is sometimes used in modern pieces like Horse Race.

The left hand changes the pitch of the strings by pressing them at specific points. Since the erhu has no frets, the player can adjust the pitch precisely. Techniques used include hua yin (slides), rou xian (vibrato), and huan ba (changing positions).

Notable performers

Before the 20th century, most huqin instruments were used mainly to support Chinese opera and storytelling. The erhu began being used as a solo instrument in the early 20th century with the development of guoyue, a modern form of traditional Chinese music for concerts. Zhou Shaomei (1885–1938) and Liu Tianhua were active during this time. Liu Tianhua created the foundation for modern erhu playing by composing ten unaccompanied solos and 47 studies in the 1920s and 1930s. Liu Beimao (1903–1981), born in Jiangyin, Jiangsu, composed a piece called Xiao Hua Gu (Little Flower-drum) in 1943. Jiang Fengzhi (1908–1986) and Chen Zhenduo were students of Liu Tianhua. Jiang Fengzhi adapted a piece called Hangong Qiuyue (Autumn Moon over the Han Palace). Hua Yanjun (A Bing) (c. 1893–1950) was a blind street musician. Before his death in 1950, two musicologists recorded him playing erhu and pipa solos, including the famous Erquan Yingyue.

With the founding of the People's Republic of China and the growth of music schools, the tradition of playing the erhu as a solo instrument continued. Important performers during this time included Lu Xiutang (1911–1966), Zhang Rui (born 1920), Sun Wenming (1928–1962), Huang Haihuai, Liu Mingyuan (1931–1996), Tang Liangde (1938–2010), Zhang Shao, and Song Guosheng.

Liu Mingyuan was born in Tianjin. He was known for his skill on many huqin instruments, especially the banhu. His compositions included Henan Xiaoqu (Henan Folk Tune) and Cao Yuan Shang (On Grassland) for the zhonghu. He taught at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing for many years.

Tang Liangde was born in Shanghai into a famous musical family. He won the "Shanghai's Spring" erhu competition and later performed with the Chinese Film Orchestra in Beijing. His music was featured in the documentary Nixon to China. Tang also performed with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, worked in music broadcasting for the Hong Kong Government's Music Office, and was named Art Educator of the Year in 1991 by the Hong Kong Artist Guild.

Wang Guotong (born 1939) was born in Dalian, Liaoning. He studied with Jiang Fengzhi, Lan Yusong, and Chen Zhenduo and graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 1960. He performed the premiere of Sanmenxia Changxiangqu (Sanmen Gorge Rhapsody) by Liu Wenjin. In 1972, he became the erhu soloist and later art director of the China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra. He returned to the Central Conservatory of Music in 1983 as head of the Chinese music department. He wrote books and articles about erhu playing, performed worldwide, and helped improve erhu design with the Beijing National Instruments Factory.

Min Huifen (1945–2014) was born in Yixing, Jiangsu. She became famous after winning the 1963 fourth Shanghai Spring Art Festival. She studied with Lu Xiutang and Wang Yi, graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1968, and became the erhu soloist with the Shanghai Folk Orchestra. She was considered the leading expert in erhu playing for 50 years.

Song Fei (born 1969) from Tianjin is a member of the Jiusan Society and a professor. She has taught, performed, and researched erhu and huqin for many years. She has premiered over 50 erhu works, including Zhu Diao, Cu Hun, Yan Zhao Chun Chao, Ye Cao, Qingming Shanghe Tu ("Along the River During the Qingming Festival"), and Meng Li Hua Kai.