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Post by janamaffet on Jan 7, 2009 16:17:47 GMT
Hello to all,
I am just visitor there. I know this forum for long time but I am a bit shy to write and mainly chinese music is not my main subject. I originaly play harp, but even I come from europe I like a lot of ethnic and world music including chinese. I have some probably strange and little stupid question but I would like to know your musical opinnion about this because you are erhu players and you know more this subject.
Of course some long time ago I felt love with Moon Reflected on Erquan Pond and I am able to hear it round and round. As far as I uderstand from this forum, it's so famouse that I notice that some musicians are a bit tired of that similar way like we- harpists are tired of Greensleeves. (I still love it :-)
And as every musician, when I hear something what I love, my fingers become impatient in mood to play or become somehow part of that beauty. I know that this song cant be reproduced with plucked strings. It's beauty is in long tones and it's just only for erhu, but I am still highly tempted to try. Just only play with that for my fun and I understant that it will be only a shade of original song. I am very curious if you ever heard this song on other instrument and if any of you would not stab with your bow that crazy person who would try that on such a unpropriate thing like harp. ;D
Well, I dont mind if I not be succesful with this song, it had very good side effect for me anyway. Because of that song I learnt to read chinese sheet music and found it so fast and logical that I like it more than classical. :-)
p.s. sorry for english, it's not my native language
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Post by calden on Jan 8, 2009 2:06:57 GMT
janamaffet;
Welcome, and thanks for posting. Yes, Er Quan Ying Yue is famous and a LOT of people love it. I have heard it arranged for many instruments including string orchestra and piano, as well as many different Chinese trad instruments. It's a good tune, and good tunes (like Greensleeves!) sound great on almost anything.
I play Celtic music and have done some Celtic-Chinese arrangements for erhu. If your fingers are itching to play this tune on harp, GREAT! But you have to post a recording of it so we can hear it, too.
Carlos
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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 8, 2009 6:43:20 GMT
Welcome indeed, janamaffet! I agree with Carlos regarding Erquan Yingyue. There are many good arrangements for instruments other than erhu. I think that it helps that Erquan is not really a trad tune, but one composed or improvised by Ah Bing. Of course, the roots of the tune are steeped in tradition. My own opinion is that an arrangement should not be overly harmonized in a Western fashion. For example, you will stay truer to the original version if you stick to a pentatonic scale (do, re, me, sol, la) as a guzheng might use.
But that is just one way to do it. I am sure that your version based on a love of the original will be wonderful. I hope to hear it.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by janamaffet on Jan 8, 2009 16:24:18 GMT
Thank you so much for wanderful welcome ;D
Lol! Today I found some version on piano on youtube. Until now I heard only erhu version, so I couldnt imagine how it should be played without long tones, but it's possible and I will try. It will take me some time. I am very very slow.
I agree that this kind of tunes dont need too much harmonies and it's better to stay with pentatonic natural for eastern music. Btw. this scales saved me manytimes. I am not very good for improvising during sessions but if people persuade me to join, chors and pentatonic were big help. I also learnt keep tunes simple, because in traditional music melody is the main thing, so I hope I will more focus on melody itself. :-) Thank you again
with best wishes and regards :-))))
jana
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Post by calden on Jan 8, 2009 16:35:39 GMT
Jana:
It sounds that you do Celtic music. Is that right?
One of the things I love about playing Celtic music, Chinese music, and traditional American music (Appalachia) is that there is an absence of rich harmonic structure. It is mostly melody, with some roots and fifths as drones and maybe ninths. Harmonies are suggested and heard almost in a ghostly way.
Carlos
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Post by janamaffet on Jan 28, 2009 15:49:18 GMT
Hello after some time  Yes I play also celtic music, but I am from Czech so I play our traditional music too which is melodicaly diffrent than celtic. I am now nearly in 1/3 of sheet music and working on Erquan ying yue step by step and as I progress I do easy arrangement. (I am not very good arranger and even harpist, so I use elemental things :-) And I very often return to Lei Qiang's version from youtube, because it's note by note identical to sheet music I have and it's very clear, slow and without too much ornamentation so I can perfectly follow that. I found also some piano arrangements, but they are too busy for my not very advanced harp skills and most of the time I was watching with open mouth and big eyes busy hands of piano player in video or sheet music - black because of giant chords and I skipped that and returned to erhu version as my inspiration to keep things simple and easy to play and to remember. Yesterday I played first 1/3 of tune to my teacher and friend and I didnt tell her what it is. I simply started to play without warning between some other music. Her reaction was great! She really loved that, asked what it is, and told me that it's very nice flowing and peacefull tune. I will try to record that short part I already finished and post it somewhere just for fun. To finish tune till end will take me some more time. Most difficult parts are still waiting for me. :-) best regards and thanks from jana |
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Post by calden on Jan 31, 2009 13:49:57 GMT
Jana:
We'd love to hear some of what you've done on this tune so far. Is there a way you can record some and put it on the internet or YouTube? I'd also be very interested in hearing what Czech traditional music is like.
Carlos
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Post by janamaffet on Feb 3, 2009 10:01:04 GMT
Hello, I am a bit shy to record myself and specialy on video. I did this short clip this morning and I played only first minute of tune. Well, I know it's too fast, but it's because I was nervous from camera. I usually play it very slowly. Now I am able to play nearly half of tune, but I dont want to publish it yet as I am not satisfy with arrangement. Its here... cz.youtube.com/watch?v=-g3SL40d4FAI can post more of czech music, but this is only for you to catch mood and hear how it might sound. This is one of my most favorite trad. songs (and also good musicians :-) cz.youtube.com/watch?v=SCa29AS0VkA |
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Post by davidmdahl on Feb 3, 2009 18:04:14 GMT
Well done, janamaffet! I enjoyed your performance. As you say, it is on the fast side, but you are very expressive. I look forward to hearing more.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 3, 2009 21:18:11 GMT
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Post by calden on Feb 3, 2009 21:47:18 GMT
Jana:
Extremely well done! Thanks for posting it. Very enjoyable, and you've got the feeling. Like many of use non-Chinese on this forum, I suspect you have some Chinese blood in your veins.
Carlos
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Post by janamaffet on Feb 8, 2009 8:41:13 GMT
Thank so much to all of you :-) I know that about speed :-) I will slow down. I suspect it's not only camera, but it's always when some tune is new and one is hardly trying to play it well ... than sometimes forget mood and dynamic :-) Oh I have seen chinese harps, they are very very complicated to me. :-) But wanderful sound. Jana: I suspect you have some Chinese blood in your veins. Carlos Lol! Some people say that. :-)))) |
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