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Bawu
May 19, 2010 10:34:50 GMT
Post by artoothewise on May 19, 2010 10:34:50 GMT
Hi, I just bought my first bawu and I'd like to ask if anyone has any experiences, good tips for a beginner or for example if there is any beginner's guide on market (better in english or any other western language of course). Thanks a lot.
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Bawu
May 20, 2010 6:38:36 GMT
Post by davidmdahl on May 20, 2010 6:38:36 GMT
I have seen books and tutorials for bawu listed on Chinese sites and at Chineseculture.net: www.chineseculture.net/guqin/instruments/xiaocds.htmFind the bawu entries near the bottom of the page. I don't know of any resources in English. I suggest listening to recordings of bawu and trying to copy the tunes and style. Best wishes, David
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Bawu
May 20, 2010 9:47:27 GMT
Post by artoothewise on May 20, 2010 9:47:27 GMT
Well thanks a lot. I'll try and one day a shall be the most powerful bawu player ever
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Bawu
Jun 13, 2010 9:19:19 GMT
Post by artoothewise on Jun 13, 2010 9:19:19 GMT
Ehm... does anyone has a clue where to find any sheet for bawu for free (I mean for download ofcourse). Thanks.
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Post by davidmdahl on Dec 11, 2010 23:02:14 GMT
I found a site with resources for hulusi and bawu: www.hlsbu.comIt is in Chinese, of course, but the Google tools for translation are helpful. there are pages with links to scores: www.hlsbu.com/jzqp/yp/ypl.htmBest wishes, David
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Bawu
Feb 21, 2011 15:20:48 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 21, 2011 15:20:48 GMT
I tried a Bawu recently! It makes a very unusual sound. I thought it sounded more like a Suona than a flute; possibly more like a harmonica and a flute. The fingering and music seem very similar for the hulusi and needless to say I was a complete disaster at it despite having no difficulties blowing it. It is unlike the Dizi and the Xiao in this respect - anyone can make a sound from it because it is reed operated. Until the reed breaks that is ... and then I suppose, switching over to a Di Zi makes sense
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Bawu
Feb 22, 2011 14:02:08 GMT
Post by kyokuhon on Feb 22, 2011 14:02:08 GMT
Hi, artoothewise and all,
I've played a little bawu for awhile, though I'm no expert.
One of the difficulties in playing bawu is that it's very sensitive to breath pressure; too little and it croaks away on one low note no matter what you do with the finger holes, too much and the reed chokes up with a little squeak. A little experimentation should find the right pressure. After playing xiao and dizi, though, I found I had to blow a lot harder than I expected. I think the quality of the instrument is a big factor, too. I have a cheap bawu which has a very rough tone, no matter what I do. I suspect the quality of the reed and the skill with which it's made are very important. German organ-builders have a saying: "Reed work is the Devil's work."
Bawu IS a quiet instrument, much quieter than dizi (IMO) though very expressive! Not like suona at all, except it has that "reedy" sound. Once you've found the correct breath pressure, you can vary the tone quite a bit by altering your tongue position and mouth cavity shape.
David, that looks like a great site, and I find that using Google translator will get close enough to English to make use of it.
Xindi, the fingering is identical to hulusi, and the music is very similar, due to the limited range of both (an octave and one note, without keys), except some sources for hulusi contain minority songs that I find interestingly different from Han tunes. I had heard that bawu was originally Mongolian, but I haven't found any similar tunes there.
Best, and keep playing, K.
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Bawu
Feb 22, 2011 14:55:08 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 22, 2011 14:55:08 GMT
Hi there,
Thanks for your thoughts - that's very interesting to hear. I can play reed instruments like a harmonica - it is surprising however to find an instrument with a single reed.
Have you any idea how durable a single reed is? I'm wondering when it breaks due to fatigue - is that its effective life over? I've never seen anywhere that offers replacement bawu reeds.
There is a bawu and hulusi specialist in the town I've just visited now. It's impressive seeing about 50 different bawus and hulusi' - some in jade; glass; red woods; pear woods; in different keys. Most impressive are the bawus with the metal fluted tenon in the upper third of the shaft. I'm not sure why it is constructed this way.
When I tried a number of bawus, I found I was quickly producing overtones from the same fingering. I find my dongxiao is the softest instrument (in the lowest octave). Are overtones not included in bawu and hulusi music, or are the musical scores written for it, derived mostly from folk music and the more limited octave scales? I can live with 2 octaves, with 3 octaves being ideal, but any less is a little constraining.
It's tempting to pick one up, but I suspect for me, it will be more of a tourist curiosity rather than another woodwind instrument to add to my repertoire.
Thanks for your thoughts. There is a Bawu/Hulusi beginner book which I saw in Chinese.....but it was very elementary and didn't have much music for bawu/hulusi either.
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Bawu
Feb 22, 2011 16:54:57 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 22, 2011 16:54:57 GMT
Well I think I've worked it out....mostly thanks to google. The Bawu is commonly found in the Yunnan and southern provinces where it is popular with ethnic minorities. This would explain why there is a huge Bawu shop right in the heart of the south where I'm on vacation! There are different 'generations' of Bawu with metal tenon like structures, as well as extensions, for added 11th sounds, beyond the traditional octave + 1. The reed should be replaceable in higher quality Bawus ....
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Bawu
Feb 22, 2011 22:27:37 GMT
Post by kyokuhon on Feb 22, 2011 22:27:37 GMT
Hi, xindi, I don't think there's a way to play upper octave tones on bawu or hulusi; if there is I'd love to hear about it. My impression is that both were considered "folk" instruments until recently. If you listen to the recordings, too, it's seldom played solo, and frequently another instrument "helps" when the tune goes higher than the range of the bawu. I don't play mine enough to know how long the reeds last. I haven't had one fail yet. That photo is quite interesting. An ingenious system! Best, and keep playing, PS, I have an old King recording of Yunnan music that has a type of bawu with a drone pipe on it. Fascinating. I hope your vacation continues to go well! K.
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Bawu
Feb 23, 2011 16:53:22 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 23, 2011 16:53:22 GMT
Hi Kyokuhon, Thanks - I'm not sure if a vacation going well includes ending up with a new Bawu and a new Dizi all in the same day! My goodness - there are just about every kind of hulusi you can ever imagine here. Wooden fruit shaped ones; traditional ones; three tier pipe ones; one pipe hulusi's; glass and enamelled hulusis; porcelain hulusis; every imaginable key; countless of different Bawus, including vertical and transverse Bawus. It's only the start of my vacation here, but from what I can gather, the Yunnan people major strongly on the Hulusi and the Bawu! They are weaker on the Dizi, however I found the local famed Dizi maker after visiting a classical chamber quintet with dizi. They play a brand of Di Zi using mottled bamboo and clear binding with an unusual lengthy internal tenon. It plays beautifully - no low end ones, so I finally caved in and bought a soprano F dizi after discovering it was not as earpiercing as my very first student dizi which put me off dizis for years. There is a lot of Yunnan music here; in the town square, people take to dancing en masse. Listening carefully to the music, I was convinced that there was at least 1 1/2 octaves. However you are correct - the basic instructions for the hulusi and the bawu show that there are really only 1 octave + 1 extra note. So how did they make music with a greater octave range? The answer is in a double barrelled Bawu: literally, two Bawus (e.g. key of G and key of C adhered to one another). Here's one example: Admittedly, it is not as handsome as a single Bawu. The deep rich melodious notes of the Bawu makes the Dizi seem rather thin. As far as I could hear, the Bawu sounded richer and deeper than the Hulusi for the same key.
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Bawu
Feb 23, 2011 21:57:46 GMT
Post by kyokuhon on Feb 23, 2011 21:57:46 GMT
Hi, xindi, A new bawu and hulusi bought in Yunnan sounds like a perfect vacation to me! But then, new instruments bought almost anywhere is a good day for me. I had read about the Yi people and their love for dancing, in large groups, and in public. I'm glad to hear it's still true. In my reading, it also said that they play wonderfully decorated, octagonal bodied yueqin. Did you see any? As for the tunes, double barrel will work, but it's also very common in many "folk" traditions to just play the low or high notes in a different octave if the tune goes "off" your instrument. I'd guess that's what they do, too. And, I think all of my bawu sound richer and deeper than hulusi. Is it because of the gourd air chamber, as opposed to my whole body? Also, I think the bamboo (or whatever) of bawu tend to be wider and longer than hulusi. But I'm just guessing. Maybe you could get the answer from the experts, if you're still there. I'd love to see some pictures! Best, and keep playing, K.
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Bawu
Feb 24, 2011 16:07:09 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 24, 2011 16:07:09 GMT
Hi K., I'm pretty spoilt....I've never had to suffer the unknown which happens when a flute is brought off the internet untested. The problem with such a great selection out here is....there are too many! Granted, the porcelain hand-painted ones with Yunnan art I can live without, and the ones with red tassles I can drag myself away from I've been to two classical chamber concerts here. Whereas the standard of playing, is more 'loose' than what I'm used to, the yueqin; both octagonal and snake-body covered, as well as the more traditionally circular moon guitars were bountiful. I've yet to see the pipa though - I've only heard a student play it next to me in an adjacent room, and it sounded like a frenetic banjo. There are many spots where people and traditional folk dance. Some are more obviously touristy - there's a huge market slice for that here, so it's harder to avoid it and get off the beaten track to more obscure areas which are less commercialised. The low F Bawu is just deep and gorgeous. I can't get that kind of volume and purity of tone from any dizi. You're absolutely right about it being more richer and deeper than the hulusi. The hulusi's gourd chamber looks suspiciously like one of those gourds which I've been drinking local wine from! Yes - my Bawu is made of rosewood. There are bone made Bawus, but they are very fragile and I'd hate to drop it. The low F Bawu however, is not as low as the low F bass Dizi, and nowhere as low as a Dizi can go; the reed needs a high pressure to activate, otherwise it just produces under and over tones which aren't counted as a part of Bawu music! I'm a bit nervous about going into a shop to photograph all their wares! The biggest risk is ...buying yet another Bawu or a Hulusi when one will do!
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Bawu
Feb 24, 2011 16:08:26 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 24, 2011 16:08:26 GMT
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Bawu
Feb 24, 2011 16:11:30 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 24, 2011 16:11:30 GMT
...and here is the fingering for the Bawu for anyone who is late on starting a Bawu! Attachments:
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Bawu
Feb 26, 2011 5:40:45 GMT
Post by kyokuhon on Feb 26, 2011 5:40:45 GMT
Thanks, xindi! I understand about not wanting to photograph in shops (and I understand the danger!), but I meant photos of dancing, playing, the town, etc. Continue to have fun! K.
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Bawu
Feb 26, 2011 15:12:28 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 26, 2011 15:12:28 GMT
This is a dance set performed today against the backdrop of natural scenery here. It's quite astounding just witnessing the sheer scale of the ethnic folk music here. The bawu features here very strongly along with the hulusi and ethnic Naxi folk music. Attachments:
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Bawu
Feb 26, 2011 15:14:21 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 26, 2011 15:14:21 GMT
This is the costume of the traditional Naxi shepherds in dance. Attachments:
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Bawu
Feb 26, 2011 15:16:12 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 26, 2011 15:16:12 GMT
Sorry - I seemed to have deleted the rest of the videos from my mobile phone - they were all too blurry in the dark to make anything out
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Bawu
Feb 26, 2011 15:32:59 GMT
Post by xindi on Feb 26, 2011 15:32:59 GMT
No bawu here, but this was a chamber ensemble playing to a packed crowd indoors! Guzheng in the front - not clear from the blurry phone pic unfortunately! Attachments:
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Bawu
Mar 27, 2011 23:05:24 GMT
Post by edcat7 on Mar 27, 2011 23:05:24 GMT
HI my music teacher says that the reed on the hulusi and bawu can be replaced quite easily and cheaply...in CHINA. The reed on his hulusi needed changing after 3 years.
The first thing to go is the highest note, 6
However this is not is not an option to most of us so my advice is twofold: i) dry the hulusi naturally after playing by either taking it apart or resting it upside down.
ii) dont spend too much on one
Ed
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Bawu
Mar 28, 2011 18:10:28 GMT
Post by davidmdahl on Mar 28, 2011 18:10:28 GMT
The bawus that I have found were too expensive to be throw-away, at least for my pocketbook. I have one bawu from about ten years ago that has lost its top note, and another from last year (Eason) that so far plays all notes beautifully and easily.
A model of bawu that allows for replacement of reeds would be ideal, but a source of replacement reeds for my ten year old bawu would at least make it playable again. Are there any online sources for either?
Best wishes,
David
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Bawu
Mar 28, 2011 20:36:55 GMT
Post by edcat7 on Mar 28, 2011 20:36:55 GMT
Sorry David,
I know of no online place which will replace the reed. Obviously the cost of postage to and from China would be prohibitive.
Your only bet is for a friend or relative is to do it for you on a trip back to China.
Luckily for me my music teacher goes back to China every year. I cant wait because this year he will get me the best £300 erhu he can find. Any suggestions?
Oh yes, if your top note has gone on your bawu have you tried adjusting the reed? You get a pin and gently 'flick' out the the tongue part. This is only a temporary solution.
Best wishes
Ed
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Bawu
Mar 28, 2011 22:24:39 GMT
Post by xindi on Mar 28, 2011 22:24:39 GMT
The hulusi and the bawu are folk instruments; they are designed (cheaply) and designed to be replaceable.
A friend who plays the harmonica tells me that his reeds die after a few years of playing. A company recently introduced more robust stainless steel reeds which don't fatigue. Now you can imagine, a 12 hole harmonica, which has 48 reeds, will eventually fatigue and wear out in a few years - a bawu has a single reed, for a whole octave + 1 note ... that's not going to last half as long.
None of the shops I'd been to in Yunnan (home of the Hulusi and Bawu) stocked spare reeds either. They are so cheap (at the point of origin) that the whole instrument tends to be replaced - not great news.
Some of the larger music stores which have a custom bawu/hulusi manufacturer in Guangzhou and Hong Kong will replace the reeds - however the lag times are very lengthy, and there is virtually no internet service from these shops.
Ed - £300 for an erhu is plenty!
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Bawu
Mar 29, 2011 3:48:58 GMT
Post by song on Mar 29, 2011 3:48:58 GMT
Well, I give out spare reeds to my bawu / hulusi customers who want to try their hand at replacing the reeds if they ever go quiet.
SW
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