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Post by caeman on May 26, 2010 13:19:43 GMT
I am in the research phase now for my plans to learn to play the hulusi. In this phase, I am looking to see what models are out there and at one prices.
What advice might you guys have to offer on trusted sellers and models?
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Post by davidmdahl on May 26, 2010 18:05:23 GMT
I don't play the hulusi, and so can't provide specific advice. I usually get my Chinese instruments at Eason in Singapore. In the past I have found Eason to be responsive and dependable. www.eason.com.sg/products/products_hulusi.jspThe hulusi models at www.shoppingchinanow.com are very attractive, at least from the photos. I don't know anything about their sound quality or playability. I have not ordered any instruments from this vendor, so I cannot comment one way or the other on their reliability. Options on the hulusi include tunability and key. A tunable model will be important if you plan on playing with other musicians. The key will affect the finger stretch and the tunes you can play with others. Best wishes, David
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Post by caeman on Jun 12, 2010 23:47:22 GMT
As soon as I save up the $110 needed, I am going to buy my Hulusi from Eason. They have a good reputation, something that can be uncertain through various eBay sales.
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Post by guqin on Aug 28, 2010 8:38:25 GMT
I tried the rosewood hulusi (WHLS5) and the traditional hulusi (WHLS4) yesterday at Eason. I am a traditionalist at heart and I assumed that the rosewood version is an over-hyped, over the top, show-off piece. However, I was very surprised to discover that the rosewood hulusi sounded much louder and fuller when compared to the traditional version! The rosewood version, however, is considerably heavier because the upper 'gourd' segment is crafted out of rosewood, while that of the traditional one is made from a real calabash or bottle gourd (='hulu'). Thank goodness that I had the impulse to compare both instruments or else I would never know the difference! I already have two traditional type hulusi but I am seriously considering getting a rosewood one for potential performances purposes in the future.
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Post by davidmdahl on Aug 29, 2010 23:19:28 GMT
Thanks for the comments about your hulusi tryouts, qugin. Did you play on the ebony sandalwood model? I am curious to know how the sound differed from the rosewood.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by guqin on Aug 30, 2010 11:28:06 GMT
Alas, I did not have time to try out the ebony version, but there is a youtube clip of someone playing it in Eason's youtube channel.
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 4, 2011 18:05:47 GMT
Hi there is on ebay a £18.89 hulusi inc postage (look under Chinese dizi calabash). For the money it is the best sounding hulusi on the market. The £6.29 from the same seller can just be very good also.
Try to get one in which the pipes are detachable.
Next is harder to explain:
THere are 2 types of drone pipes:
One has a kind of stopper in it , the other is blocked, save for a small hole in the side of the drone pipe.
Professional hulusi players choose the latter. They block the hole with the right thumb and when required release the hole. In my experience from buying and looking at websites the hulusi will have to be rearranged as the drone pipe with the hole is rarely where it should be.
Get a few extra reeds as they only last a few years before the top note goes.
I think a rosewood hulusi has a richer sound but I'm not sure if this is authentic.
If you look at the master hulusi players on utube they dont play on redwood or ebony. One master player even has glue on his gourd.
Choose one in C as a lot of tunes are composed in C
Best Wishes
Ed
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 5, 2011 8:56:35 GMT
Just got delivery of my £18.89 inc postage hulusi from Taiwan.
It's my second one, the bamboo is different from the photo, but it's detachable and plays
brilliantly. The reed is mint, no signs of oxidation or discolouration whatsoever and so should last me a long time.
At this price I'm hugely tempted to buy a third, Absolutely Overjoyed!!!
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Post by xindi on Apr 5, 2011 20:45:30 GMT
That's fantastic news. It's not particularly expensive either. I was delighted to find one book (yessss! Just one!!) in Lijiang's Xinhua Store (the largest book store in the town) for the hulusi/bawu. The lady gave me a 1.5Yuan discount because the corner of the book was dogeared lol. That brought the price down to 13.5 Yuan
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Post by kyokuhon on Apr 12, 2011 15:30:25 GMT
Hi, all, Just got my US$31.99 "dizi calabash flute" from ebay (Taiwan); here's my preliminary review.
It does indeed have a wild, loud sound, though tends to buzz easily on the low notes if I let up pressure even just a bit. In terms of "authenticity", it has a much louder, more raucous tone than my vintage (1960?) instrument, which was made before hulusi "went viral" and therefore presumably was built to sound according to local tastes.
It has stoppered drones, but two working ones (on low 6 and 3, if all holes closed is 5); my first hulusi with two drones. It has brass mountings on the ends of the pipes, but I'm not sure if they're detachable -- haven't dared to pull hard enough, I bet. Also a nice carved dragon on the melody pipe, for us Dragons, and a Yunnan beauty carved in the gourd.
Best to all, and keep playing, K.
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 12, 2011 17:04:26 GMT
Hi Kyokuhon I'm not here to represent that Taiwanese company (honestly! but: 1) at US$32 it's £1 dearer than over here in the UK (a big mac meal over here costs £4+, cost of a local 1st class stamp is 39p) 2) the pipes are detachable, gently twist and then pull. I then coat the inside of the metal joints with hand cream Compare this with my £72 'professional' redwood hulusi All the notes are slightly high with the lowest note 5 being even more high Note 6 didn't work on delivery and the reed had to be adjusted. If I blow hard '6' disappears altogether. The reed will in my opinion have to be replaced in the not too distant future. The brass isn't pure brass but brass plated and is already rubbing off Obviously I bow down to your superior knowledge and experience (I wasn't born when you bought your vintage hulusi) and this isn't aimed at you ,but the buzzing sound in my humble opinion is caused when one blows with the breath rather than down from the diaphragm. This Hulusi I promise will grow on you. Initially I too was lukewarm when I first tried it. It's that at the price it's a very pleasant surprise. Whereas when one spends a large amount one's expectation is so much higher and therefore is more likely to be disappointed. I have 2 of them, one has dark pipes and the other has pipes the same colour as the gourd. The lighter one has a deeper richer sound. When one buys from the internet ultimately one is taking a chance. My teacher says because the reed lasts only 3 years anyway one shouldn't spend too much on one. (Eason kindly gave me a few reeds with a dizi purchase). I have a feeling that the size and the shape of the gourd is the determining factor for the richness of the sound. Best Wishes Ed
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Post by xindi on Apr 12, 2011 23:14:37 GMT
The cheaper Taiwanese one sounds like a great way to get one.
One reason I was so reluctant to acquire a hulusi relates to its limited octave range and it's rather unwieldy size. The last gourd (filled with fermented fruit wine incidentally!) I bought in China was the size of a perfume bottle ... and the only hulusi I was interested in playing had a gourd the size of two American rugby balls morphed together.
It's amazing to hear that vintage hulusis last that long! Congratulations - any chance of an upload/image?
On a slightly different note, the Tang Dynasty xiao flute is really intriguing me. I haven't seen much about it here - anyone else play this?
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Post by kyokuhon on Apr 13, 2011 1:27:31 GMT
Dear edcat and all,
You misread my comments, so sorry for the confusion! I'm very happy with the hulusi, and agree you're probably right about my blowing. I've been home from work for two days with a cold and laryngitis! I meant "loud, wild sound" as a compliment!
Also, I didn't buy my vintage hulusi then (though I was alive!), I'm just guessing at the age. I was just trying to comment on what we think of as "authentic" In my other life I deal with the Euro-American Early Music world and have spent a good deal of time chasing that elusive concept. I should have added: "but what constitutes authenticity?"
Again, sorry for the misunderstanding.
Best to all, and keep playing, K.
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Post by kyokuhon on Apr 13, 2011 1:29:18 GMT
xindi, I'm not much of a photographer, but I'll see what I can do about an image! K.
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 13, 2011 4:51:49 GMT
I love the sound of the hulusi, any hulusi. (Like the smell of napalm in the morning...er..wrong film) I find it intensely romantic and slightly melancholic.
I guess the xiao would also fit into that category
Authenticity sounds like a subject for a college dissertation.
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Post by xindi on Apr 13, 2011 20:01:20 GMT
Authenticity is a low F xiao without the red tassles and a boogie box for backup!
I guess the only way to push further into discovering what constitutes a period chinese instrument, is to learn chinese hanzi writing. Unfortunately there is so little about it in English.
I'm either not very resourceful or just unable to decipher the language subtitles from Google Chrome translations. The Tang Dynasty Xiao is my favourite - that is what we know as the Dong Xiao from the era (618 - 907 AD).
It's just really difficult trying to figure out what is original; what is more modern. There are so many rim blown end types of dongxiao now, but it's melancholic and slow soothing tones are probably what I associate most with it (rightly or wrongly).
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 13, 2011 20:45:12 GMT
I think Picasso once said he didn't understand why critics analysed his paintings... one enjoys the sunset without knowing why the sky goes red. Similarly as long as we get enjoyment from the music who cares whether it's authentic or not.
I once had a discussion with a top chef about cooking 'Tea smoked duck' and he said who cares whether it's authentic or not I'm rolling in money so it can't be that bad!
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Post by xindi on Apr 14, 2011 18:04:07 GMT
There's quite a lot Picasso never understood lol. Particularly women. I guess his gift in life wasn't in understanding - it was in expressing - no matter his limitations. These days, (O/T), photographs of sunsets are everywhere. It's hard not to feel tired of seeing yet another fake photoshopped sunset. I want the real thing Tea smoked duck?! I wonder if smoked flutes sound better than normal mottled bamboo flutes ...
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Post by kyokuhon on Apr 16, 2011 5:07:32 GMT
Hi, all, Here's one photo of the old hulusi. My 1960's date is just a guess, but notice the tiny gourd and heavy black laquer over the whole instrument, but chipping off the gourd. The pipes are definitely not detachable. The single drone at 3 has a permanently stopped end, with a hole to allow it to sound, however the hole is not placed to allow it to be easily closed with a finger, so the drone always sounds. I'll have some more photos if anyone is interested. Please excuse the glare. Best, and keep playing, K. Attachments:
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Post by xindi on Apr 16, 2011 9:44:44 GMT
Just look at those gorgeous tassles lol
Its definitely an older design!
I haven't seen anything quite like it. Shame about the lacquer, although it's lasted a long long time!
Very nice. Have you uploaded any sound clips on youtoob?
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Post by kyokuhon on Apr 16, 2011 15:20:14 GMT
Yes, the tassles are the best part! They came with it, I swear!
I admit also that I tried to remove the rest of the laquer from the gourd, having seen photos and video of hulusi made in that style with natural gourds that look quite sharp! We also need to remember that this could simply be an oddball design, no matter when it was made. I haven't yet uploaded any youtube videos at all, but it's obviously time for me to stride resolutely into the 20th century.
Best to all, and keep playing. K.
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Post by xindi on Apr 16, 2011 21:54:54 GMT
Isn't it amazing how important tassles are! Did you relacquer the gourd after stripping it? I use artists' oil - eithe rjasmine oil or for a thicker and glossier look - linseed oil. It needs some thinning and application in thin layers built up slowly to get a smooth finish. One great thing about flutes like the Tang Dynasty Xiao flute - is its rather strange embouchure position against the sharp edge. You can achieve bawu or slightly hulusi sounding tones from a xiao flute, and switch back to its buttery mellow self. I'm working on it and discovering that the older instruments seem to have a 'different' sound. Can't quite explain, but it's a bit like your oddball hulusi - it is a different character. Maybe less 'clinical' and more earthy, or more like a fractured breath and sonority combined, than just a pure sweet sonority. If that makes any sense. I'm not a great uploader of Youtube anymore either. Too many drive by teenage hooligans trying to act all big
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Post by kyokuhon on Apr 19, 2011 15:15:45 GMT
Hi, everyone, @ xindi in re: relaquering the gourd: since I didn't actually strip it in the sense of taking off the old laquer, no. I just pulled off the flaking laquer. Not as much came off as I hoped would. In re: Tang xiao: I have an instrument that's a copy of one currently in Japan, made by a Chinese maker and identified as a "Tang shakuhachi". I can't remember the builder's name, but I bought it online from Sound of Nature. It does have a blowing edge shaped much more like a shakuhachi than a xiao, and if yours is like that, too, that shape does allow more timbre flexibility. To everyone: all this hulusi talk reminded me to get out the recording pictured here. It's King Record Company #KICC 5214. Released in 1996, it's very hard to find, but wonderful for lovers of Chinese free-reeds. It was recorded in a studio by a Japanese recording team, so doesn't represent field recordings, but the instruments, hulu sheng, hulusi ("huluxiao"), bawu, "bige" (apparently essentially a bawu witha drone pipe) are recorded bare of any accompaniment by apparently native players. Leaving aside questions of ideas of "folklore" on the part of the producers and the problems of government-sponsored "folk music", it's a great resource IMO. Best to all, and keep playing, K. Attachments:
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 19, 2011 21:14:59 GMT
It was because of the melody 'Bamboo phoenix under the moonlight' heard whilst wandering around a street-market in Shanghai that I resolved to learn to play the hulusi,.
The late GenDequan almost single-handedly brought the hulusi from obscurity to the masses,
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Post by xindi on Apr 19, 2011 22:49:21 GMT
Thanks for uploading the recording for us - that looks splendid.
The problem I had with choosing recordings in China ...the writing is indecipherable and the chinglish transcripts like 'the most beautiful luxuriant xiao music never bested in the whole wide China' or 'beauty seducting xiao hulusi secrets magic to you' - none of those ever tell you if there is a synthetic backing track to the music. Consequently I bought several CDs which I just ended up binning - they were that terrible and painful to listen to.
Maybe we need a catalogue of recommendable flute music here. Sadly most of my collection is undecipherable. I have no idea who recorded what or when, since I'm still using the mini-disc format.
Thanks Ed - I've never heard of Gen De Quan before. I wonder if I go back to Shanghai, will I even recognise it now. Anybody who can play hulusi and breathe in that thick city smog I experienced when the Shanghai Pudong was being demolished, deserves a low dong xiao flute solo!
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