 Chinese Musical Instruments |
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| Bowed Instruments |
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Most of China's bowed strings belong to the huqin group, which includes the erhu, sihu, banhu, gaohu and jinghu. The sihu has four strings, and the others two. The bow hair is loose on the bow and held taught by the player's fingers. It passes between the strings (for the sihu there are two strings each side of the hair), and is lifted or lowered onto the upper or lower string as necessary. The strings are normally tuned a fifth apart, the lower of them either to the tonic of the piece being played, or to its dominant.
All huqin except the banhu have sounding membranes made of python skin. The banhu has a wooden sounding board. Recently large versions of the huqin have been developed for use in ensemble laying, but the differences between the various traditional huqin are functional and regional: some are used more in instrumental ensembles and others to accompany singers; some have strong associations with particular geographical areas, while others are more widespread.
BANHU
The banhu is a variety of the huqin, which is similar to the erhu. It uses a wooden sound board in the sound box. Also known as the bonghu (clapper huqin) because it was heard in the bangzi, or "clapper operas" of the 17th century.
 ERHU
The erhu has a small body and a long neck. It's range is about three octaves. There are two strings, with the bow inserted between them. The violin is very similar to the erhu, but the erhu has a thinner tone due to the smaller resonating chamber. In the orchestra they are usually divided into 1st and 2nd parts.
GAOHU
The gaohu is very similar to the erhu. The gaohu has a smaller body diameter and is usually tuned to A and E but can also be tuned to G and D. It is oft used in Cantonese music and solo perfomances.
 GEHU
The gehu is a mixture of the cello and the typical Chinese stringed instrument. Using four strings and an endpin, it is played like a cello and used primarily for bass support. Because the gehu uses a banjo-like membrane as the sound board, the resulting sound is unlike the cello.
 ZHONGHU
The zhonghu is slightly larger than the erhu and has a lower tone. It is usually toned to G and D and can be used as a solo instrument. It is said to have a tone similar to that of a cello, although the Euro equivalent would most likely be the viola.
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