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Post by ed on Jun 26, 2017 0:02:30 GMT
Please does anyone have the JianPu for the "Song of Four Seasons", si ji ge, 四季歌 ?
I should be very grateful for a copy of it. Not speaking Chinese I have found it hard to find.
It was first sung by Zhou Xuan in the film "Street Angel" 1937.
Many thanks
Ed H
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Post by dawei on Jun 26, 2017 3:03:40 GMT
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Post by ed on Jul 2, 2017 0:05:39 GMT
Many thanks dawei
I will have a go at a couple of these and see what they sound like. They are clearly all a bit different, and in a variety of keys, and yet one can also see that the basic tune is that same.
Thanks again
Ed H
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Post by dawei on Jul 2, 2017 5:20:11 GMT
They are clearly all a bit different, and in a variety of keys, and yet one can also see that the basic tune is that same. Thanks again Ed H That's one of the fun things about seeing various versions of some Chinese tunes. Lots of variations. Anyway, I'm happy to be of any help. |
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Post by ed on Aug 7, 2017 3:37:36 GMT
Help please! Having mastered the basic version (see dawei above), I should like to play the more advanced version. However this is a bit beyond anything I have played before. Could anyone help me with the slides, for instance how does one deal with this (ErHu parts above, version 3, line 3, bar 1):  Both these slurs appear to be slides. Presumably one changes finger part-way through the slide. * In the first slur one goes from 1 to 1 then to 6. But how can one distinguish the first 1 from the second? * In the second slur is the first 3 under the slur or not? Is the whole thing, 3 5 5 3, all done as a single slide? If anyone can help with this I should be very grateful. Ed H Ps. There are some errors in the basic score, for instance it seems to be in Bb rather than A. |
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Post by davidmdahl on Aug 7, 2017 15:54:41 GMT
Hello Ed,
The measure you are asking about is not played with slides. The indicated fingering is the clue. The first half of the measure is played on the inside string, and the note "1" is played with the forth finger (pinky). Stop the bow very briefly and then play the grace note "1" again with the pinky, and then play the "6." with your second (middle) finger. The second half of the measure is played on the outside string. If I understand this correctly, and I don't have my erhu handy, you should be able to play the "3" on the outside string without moving position. Then play the "5" note with your pinky, and then the "5" and "3" notes again with the same two fingers (pinky and second).
The bowing might be a little new to you. When proceeding to the grace notes in each half of the measure, stop the bow a little, but don't change direction. The "1" to grace note "1", and "5" to grace note "5" should sound distinct, but still connected. It will come with practice.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by dawei on Aug 7, 2017 19:25:02 GMT
Hello Ed, The measure you are asking about is not played with slides. The indicated fingering is the clue. The first half of the measure is played on the inside string, and the note "1" is played with the forth finger (pinky). Stop the bow very briefly and then play the grace note "1" again with the pinky, and then play the "6." with your second (middle) finger. The second half of the measure is played on the outside string. If I understand this correctly, and I don't have my erhu handy, you should be able to play the "3" on the outside string without moving position. Then play the "5" note with your pinky, and then the "5" and "3" notes again with the same two fingers (pinky and second). The bowing might be a little new to you. When proceeding to the grace notes in each half of the measure, stop the bow a little, but don't change direction. The "1" to grace note "1", and "5" to grace note "5" should sound distinct, but still connected. It will come with practice. Best wishes, David David, I agree about the use of inside and outside string. For those of us not so far advanced, it is sometimes hard to differentiate a slide from a grace note under a slur! Thanks for pointing that out. this link is a refresher for erhu symbols: tansungwah.blogspot.com/2008/01/erhu-score-symbols-and-notations.html |
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Post by ed on Aug 9, 2017 4:34:30 GMT
Many thanks davidmdahl and dawei.
I shall try this as soon as I get a moment, it sounds doable.
However I am used to thinking of slurs and slides as almost interchangeable in ErHu music - have I got this wrong? In particular, can anyone suggest any places in this particular piece where I should use a slide?
Many thanks in advance
Ed H
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Post by dawei on Aug 9, 2017 14:37:05 GMT
However I am used to thinking of slurs and slides as almost interchangeable in ErHu music - have I got this wrong? In particular, can anyone suggest any places in this particular piece where I should use a slide? Hi Ed, if you look at the chart of symbols, you'll notice that the slur has no arrowhead on it, but the symbols for slides do have a small arrowhead. The erhu version on m.gepuwang.net/erhuqupu/29675.html Slides begin happening by measure 2! Look for the slur-like lines with the arrowheads. |
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Post by davidmdahl on Aug 9, 2017 19:14:32 GMT
Many erhu tunes are written or arranged by someone who understands the erhu well. In these cases, the fingering is often very specific and a great clue to playing the music properly. When you see the same finger indicated for one note and the next (different note), that is likely an indication of a slide, even if an arrow is missing. Sometimes the only way to play with the indicated fingering is to switch strings. There may or may not be a symbol specifically indicating the string change.
Errors do occur, so if the fingering or other notation doesn't make sense, then do what does. Recordings can help you confirm what a tune should sound like, if you don't have a teacher or experienced player to check with.
There are Chinese tunes that are expected to be played a certain way, but you do often have flexibility to make your own changes to improve expression and variation. My teacher has certainly never been a slave to the score. Many of my jianpu scores have his changes indicated, including new notes and rhythm. Sometimes a repetition of a phrase on the other string is a nice touch.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by ed on Aug 9, 2017 23:26:26 GMT
Many thanks once again.
davidmdahl, that is a nicely considered piece of advice, with consideration for how to proceed if there are no arrow-head markings.
dawei, many thanks for pointing out the arrow-heads in the piece above - but I have some doubts that this piece is actually Si Ji Ge. You have very kindly provided four Si Ji Je pieces, but I cannot see any similarity between this one and the other three. The other three, which are the ones I have been trying to play, do not have any arrow-heads!
Thanks again
Ed H
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Post by dawei on Aug 10, 2017 14:22:08 GMT
dawei, many thanks for pointing out the arrow-heads in the piece above - but I have some doubts that this piece is actually Si Ji Ge. You have very kindly provided four Si Ji Je pieces, but I cannot see any similarity between this one and the other three. The other three, which are the ones I have been trying to play, do not have any arrow-heads! Thanks again Ed H This is a vocal version, no erhu indications. The erhu version does indeed seem to be another setting of the tune. Some titles are used by different melodies in different parts of China. Either way, David's advice about slides and position changes is worth listening to! |
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Post by ed on Aug 10, 2017 23:26:16 GMT
dawei, I now realise that there is at least one other song with the same title. You can find it easily by typing into yahoo, 四季歌. However, whether this matches the one you found I am not sure.
Ed H
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