Left handed erhu

[rozz]

Hello .....does anyone have any information on a left-handed erhu......thanks Rosalind

[sanmenxia]

I would have thought you just swap the strings over, and take the bow off and fit it back the the other way.

[paulv]

Or you can use the "Jimi Hendrix" method and leave the erhu alone and play it as is, but you'll have to translate all the fingering patterns in your head while playing.

For all you "youngsters" on this forum, Jimi was a [great] rock guitarist from the 06's who was left-handed -- he just flipped the guitar over and learned how to play it like that -- never changed the strings around.

Regards,
paul...

[sanmenxia]

Playing the erhu with A string on the inside would be really weird!

Err...I'm not sure if Hendrix didn't change the strings around, I thought he used a right handed guitar upside down but strung in the normal way ie with the thicker strings at the top. But don't quote me on that, I could be wrong...

I don't think there would be any problems changing the strings around on the erhu if you're left handed, the erhu erhu seems to be completely symetrical, apart from the piece of plastic on top of the body (is there name for it, bow-guard?).

[song]

I actually saw one of my customers play using left handed. He just moved the erhu to the other lap and hold on to the bow at the other end and play! An old dude who picked up the erhu by himself, probably thinks that way suits him better.

[YouLanFengChune]

there are left handed erhus, However, it will be very odd, and we have to remake the entire internal dimensions.

Have made 1 b4 on special request. not recommeneded unless you have a disability in your right hand or left hand. FYI, that was a customer with only 4 left fingers due to injury

[rozz]

Thanks to all of you have replied for my request on info about left handed erhu. I will simply put the erhu on my other leg and play bow from other end....thanks to everyone who replied
especially song who's idea it was to put erhu on other leg.... safer than fiddling with strings BLessings ROzz

[sanmenxia]

Hi YouLan,
I was just wondering how would a left-handed erhu differ from a normal one? From just what I can see, and maybe I'm wrong but the only only difference would be the piece of plastic on top of the body (qintong).

Hi rozz,
I 'm not sure that would be the best way to play left-handed... I don't think song was actually suggesting to play like that. I don't know what's the usual way for left-handed people to play the erhu but I still think it's best to swop the string over and rethread the bow so that you have the "standard" setup with the D (thicker) string on the inside (nearest to player), and everything in a mirror image, so the erhu's on your right leg etc.

[pqleyr]

sanmenxia said:

Err...I'm not sure if Hendrix didn't change the strings around, I thought he used a right handed guitar upside down but strung in the normal way ie with the thicker strings at the top. But don't quote me on that, I could be wrong...

For my first ever post on this forum, I will confirm for you that yes, Jimi Hendrix played a right-handed guitar that he re-strung the other way round so that it would be basically normal, just the body of the guitar would be upside down.

I know much more about guitars than I do about erhus, you see, which is why I'm here!

[ed]

I have just converted an old Er Hu to a left handed version so that I can teach my daughter who is left-handed.

I swapped over the two strings and put the bow on the other side. However it then wouldn't play properly and I realised that one also needs to swap the tuning pegs. This is because (in this case at least) they are arranged so that the strings run parallel. I then put the A string onto what was originally the D tuning peg and vice-versa and all became OK. It is not easy to visualise, but the alternative arrangement caused the two strings to cross over near the qian jin and altered the sound.

Of course to complete the job one would also have to reverse the piece of plastic that the bow runs on.

It's not easy to play this thing though if you are NOT left-handed!

Ed