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Post by calden on Jul 18, 2005 18:19:10 GMT
Jeongmee:
Yep, you've got an erhu. Don't be scared to put lots of rosin on that bow, especially with the black horsehair. It should be emitting clouds of dust with the first few strokes.
Here's a playing tip: Use your whole bow with each stroke. There is a tendency with beginners to use the middle third of the bow. You should be using the whole length, to within a half inch from the tip and the frog (end where your hand is.) Also when you watch that great jiebing video note that she is using her upper arm as much as her forearm.
Use your elbow to lead each bow stroke. WHen the bow is all the way out on the pull stroke, your whole arm ought to be way out there, and your elbow ought to be away from your body. When you start the push stroke, also lead with your elbow, and when your elbow reaches your side keep going with your forearm until your forearm can't go any more, then keep pushing with your hand bending at the wrist until you've used the whole bow.
Let us know how it goes.
Carlos
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Post by jeongmee on Jul 26, 2005 7:35:00 GMT
Well, Jeongmee, it appears to me that you have an erhu. The hexagonal shape of the resonator, and the dimensions add up to an erhu. The color of black for the bow hair threw us off the scent, since that type of bow is not normally considered suitable for an erhu. The best sort of bow to get has white/cream horsehair. My first erhus (actually the Vietnamese versions) came with bow hair of nylon, and these were terrible to use. The erhu is much easier to play with a good bow. Fortunately a good bow for an erhu is not expensive. Well, I suppose that I should not give advice that is not asked for. <g> How can we help? Best wishes, David I don't have a whole lot of questions right now besides if you know of any techniques that I could practice like vibrato or anything else... I also wasn't too sure about the bow when it arrived since it was black but it does work fine Was anyone able to do a search on ebay for the erhu I bought? I believe there are 2 more selling that were the same.
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Post by jeongmee on Jul 26, 2005 7:36:41 GMT
Jeongmee: Yep, you've got an erhu. Don't be scared to put lots of rosin on that bow, especially with the black horsehair. It should be emitting clouds of dust with the first few strokes. Here's a playing tip: Use your whole bow with each stroke. There is a tendency with beginners to use the middle third of the bow. You should be using the whole length, to within a half inch from the tip and the frog (end where your hand is.) Also when you watch that great jiebing video note that she is using her upper arm as much as her forearm. Use your elbow to lead each bow stroke. WHen the bow is all the way out on the pull stroke, your whole arm ought to be way out there, and your elbow ought to be away from your body. When you start the push stroke, also lead with your elbow, and when your elbow reaches your side keep going with your forearm until your forearm can't go any more, then keep pushing with your hand bending at the wrist until you've used the whole bow. Let us know how it goes. Carlos Thanx for the tip! I will definitly try that!
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Post by paulv on Jul 26, 2005 15:08:52 GMT
Hi Jeongmee,
Carlos's recommendation is the most important -- always use the full length of the bow and play hard.
Regards, Paul Valente
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Post by davidmdahl on Jul 26, 2005 17:16:17 GMT
I don't have a whole lot of questions right now besides if you know of any techniques that I could practice like vibrato or anything else... I also wasn't too sure about the bow when it arrived since it was black but it does work fine Was anyone able to do a search on ebay for the erhu I bought? I believe there are 2 more selling that were the same. Can you identify an Ebay item number? There are usually several erhus of various sorts up for auction. Vibrato is something to work on when a lot of the basics are already under control. First you will need to focus on playing evenly, in tune, and with a good tone. Scales are excellent practice for warmups before doing anything else. They help me to get my fingers set. I recommend playing with a recording of whatever you are trying to learn, including scales. The recording can be of just about any instrument, but a keyboard is usually convenient. If you know someone who plays the violin well, that might be even better. I sometimes use the tone generator on my portable tuner to create a drone to play with. Practice scales, exercises, and tunes slowly and in strict time to give yourself a chance to find the correct pitches. When practicing, you are training your fingers, so you want to be sure to train them correctly. If you make the same mistakes over and over, you are simply training your fingers to make mistakes. Best wishes, David
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