Asked about erhu

[trongnhan9799]

Hello everybody,

Today, I have questions and want to receive your answers for it.How to preserve skin python and improve the sound of erhu at hot and humid climate area in the tropics? Does skin python of erhu need to use skin cream and wood should use essential oil? Does it make the sound of erhu better?

Thank for reading

Best wish,

Nhan (from Vietnam)

[edcat7]

I treat the erhu skin like any other leather product, it will eventually dry and crack. A new erhu, especially a budget one, might sound harsh so I use hand cream on the skin. Over time the use of hand cream and continuous playing will mellow the tone.

I have no experience of erhus in hot humid conditions but here in London, the winters can be cold and dry. I've had a dizi and my liuqin crack. Generally with wooden instruments, high humidity is beter than low humidity.

Ed

[davidmdahl]

I don't use any kind of oil or cream on the snake skin of my erhus, and neither does my teacher. I don't know what is reasonable in Vietnam though. You might try to check with experienced dan nhi or erhu players in your area. This is likely to be a regional thing.

The care I give my erhus, is primarily to wipe them clean of rosin with a clean dry cloth, and protect them from extremes of temperature and humidity. For example, they should not be left in direct sunlight or next to a heat source.

Best wishes,

David

[edcat7]

No matter how well you treat your erhu the snakeskin will one day have to be changed. I remember reading about some famous gaohu player and he has changed his snakeskin several times. Of course with us mere mortals who play our instruments much less, this is not so important.

Eason has quoted me £GBP 100 to change my snakeskin on my ebony MRX by erhu maker YKM. This doesn't of course include shipping or any CITES certificates.

[davidmdahl]

Jan 7, 2016 20:17:50 GMT edcat7 said:

No matter how well you treat your erhu the snakeskin will one day have to be changed. I remember reading about some famous gaohu player and he has changed his snakeskin several times. Of course with us mere mortals who play our instruments much less, this is not so important.

Eason has quoted me £GBP 100 to change my snakeskin on my ebony MRX by erhu maker YKM. This doesn't of course include shipping or any CITES certificates.

Changing the skin makes sense for a high value huqin. If you live abroad, and have international shipping and CITES to pay for, the total cost is not going to be far from the cost of a new erhu. It's probably not such a big deal for a Chinese artist who has a maker or two to change the skin when necessary.

Best wishes,

David

[trongnhan9799]

Thank you so much Edcat and David,
I learned a lot of experience from the two of you.
And, Can you tell me how to improve the sound of the erhu for better?
Best wishes,
Nhan

[SuLi Sues YU]

Jan 7, 2016 17:42:09 GMT edcat7 said:

I treat the erhu skin like any other leather product, it will eventually dry and crack. A new erhu, especially a budget one, might sound harsh so I use hand cream on the skin. Over time the use of hand cream and continuous playing will mellow the tone.

I have no experience of erhus in hot humid conditions but here in London, the winters can be cold and dry. I've had a dizi and my liuqin crack. Generally with wooden instruments, high humidity is beter than low humidity.

Ed

Hello edcat7. recently i got a new erhu and it's been about two months. The snakeskin is cracking a little bit in some places. How much hand cream do you use on it? And is handcream really safe to put on the snakeskin? 

[edcat7]

Oh dear! The snakeskin shouldn't crack unless you bought a bargain bucket erhu. I once bought a similar gaohu: it was awful, I wasn't sure what kind of skin it was and the neck had snapped in half.

If that is what you bought then no amount of hand cream (which is easily absorbable) will mellow the tone.

The use of hand cream has no adverse affects on my Ming Qing aged rosewood by HHR.