erhu strings keep going out of tune

[gustyvbc]

Hi all, something I'm noticing is that every time i take out my erhu to practice, the tuning of each of the strings has gone flat. Is this normal? Are the strings just continuously stretching? Am I losing my mind?

I'm using the blue Fang Fang strings, and they've been on there for a few months (though I wasn't practicing until recently, so maybe they're not all the way broken in?).

Your expertise is very much appreciated.

[davidmdahl]

Pretty much all instruments made of strings and wood go out of tune, usually due to changes in humidity. I find my erhus are particularly susceptible to environmental changes. So, don't worry. Going out of tune is normal. You will also likely notice that your erhu will sound and play differently from day to day, in other ways than just tuning. If you take care of your erhu, by keeping it clean and dry, and not exposing it to extremes of temperature and humidity, you will have the best results.

Best wishes,

David

[gustyvbc]

Thank you for the response, David!

I keep it in the case and the house is generally kept between 69-73F and is not humid.

I'm relieved to know it's normal, because I was worried.

[davidmdahl]

Sounds like you are doing it right. I hang my erhus on the wall so they are more accessible, but the case is safer. Besides that, keep your erhu away from heat sources, such as sunlight and furnace/air conditioning vents.

Best wishes,

David

[gustyvbc]

I have several pets, so I worry that something could happen if I left it out.

I'll make sure to keep it away from vents, thanks!

Oh, David, do you mind if I ask sonething else?

Do you have any tips for a smooth transition when switching between strings mid-bow? I'm practicing slurs, and this is giving me a lot of trouble.

[davidmdahl]

Changing strings smoothly is challenging, so be patient with yourself. Many people think that the fingering in the left hand is the hardest technique to learn, but bowing is harder. First, make sure that your bow hair is not too tight. If you are familiar with the tension on the hair of a violin bow, that is much too tight for erhu. Often times, my teacher would take my erhu from me to check out the adjustment, and would loosen the bow hair. It is actually pretty loose when it is right.

Make sure that your wrist is not tight. In proper bowing technique, you lead with the wrist. To see an example of this, I suggest looking for erhu bowing demonstrations/tutorials on Youtube. When changing strings, I find it useful to move the frog end of the bow (where you grip) in a circular counter-clockwise motion. This is harder to describe than to demonstrate, but I hope this is clear.

Check out the video on Jiebing Chen's website link You will need Real Player, but it is free. If you don't want to install it, there are good videos on Youtube.

Best wishes,

David

[gustyvbc]

I don't have any experience with bowed instruments - just rudimentary knowledge of the piano, and I'm finding picking up the fingering for at least the first octave in D/G/C is coming quite naturally. Adding in the pinky is difficult for me, though.

My bow hair is quite loose, as I remember reading (especially on here) that the hair needs to be looser than you think it does. I actually wonder, comparing to videos/pictures if mine is not too loose, though it seems to play alright.

I understand what you mean, about rotating the frog. I'll try this. I intend to practice erhu for at least thirty minutes a day, and so I'm sure that in time it will improve. Going from a fingered note to open string also often sounds a bit wonky, but I know I will get there.

This video is incredibly helpful! I've watched a LOT of videos on youtube, and I don't think any laid it out as clearly as this one. Also, it works fine with vlc media player; so I didn't need to download Real.

Thank you so much for your continued advice, I appreciate it very much!

[fatpanda]

There was a video done by eason on how to make the tuning pegs tighter. That out the pegs and put some chark or rosing powder in the hole, then put the peg back and restring it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywyXLTU3r7Y

link from eason