Need help! Erhu absolute beginner.

[danielachoresh]

So I've always loved Asian music and finally after all these years I found the names of my favorites - Guzheng and Erhu. I decided I want to learn the Erhu and luckily I have this forum to help me I have some questions that I'd like to get out of the way. (I'm constantly researching details about the Erhu for the past three days, mind that I still don't have an Erhu, I'll order one seven days from now from eBay and it would take a long time to arrive to my house)

So the first question - I know it's stupid but can you play every single note from D4 to A7 on the Erhu?

Second question - what is a better damper, a sponge or felt fabric? (Or something else)

Third - I don't play any string instrument and I found out that's a lot of work preserving the horse hair and snakeskin, and that made me a bit scared... I need to keep my snakeskin from drying? Put rosin on the bow? Keep it in humid places, changing the tightness so it won't rip in different temperatures and all that... I thought about buying synthetic horsehair and synthetic snakeskin so I won't need to take so much care. The problem is I live in a country where the shipping of an EcoErhu that costs 100$ is 62$! And the only Erhu here costs 1000$! Although I'm sure it costs them less than 200$. I'm also afraid they'll sound worse, but I much prefer synthetic ethically and practically.

Fourth - about the bow, is it the same as a violin bow only with a plastic wrapping where the fingers push the hair? I'm asking because it looks basically the same, just with a plastic near the end. (And because the only synthetic horsehair available is for a violin)

That's it for now, I forgot some questions but that's OK, I have plenty of time to research

Also, bugs eating the horsehair? Wow. Just found out about it.

Fifth - about the Zhonghu, I love it's tone more, but because of the lack of information about it I'll start with the Erhu. Just want to know, what is the note range of the Zhonghu? (Like, in the Erhu it's D4 to A7)

Sixth - how often do I need to rosin the bow and how long does a quality rosin last?

[davidmdahl]

Welcome to the forum, Daniel. I hope you enjoy sharing your musical journey with us.

As for your questions:

1. The lowest note is D on an erhu tuned normally, on the inside open string (not fingered). I am not up on which octave that is, but D4 sounds reasonable as the D next to middle C on an 88 key keyboard. The highest note is at least a couple of octaves up from that, but the highest useful note will depend on the erhu and skill of the player. On a novice instrument, the first two octaves are reasonably good, but notes higher than that can be questionable.

2. I prefer the dense felt sold for use as a pad for erhu. The foam pads often don't age well, and develop "memory". As a result the foam pads are sometimes not as effective. I usually see foam pads on cheaper erhu models.

3. I suppose it depends on where you live, but I don't find it challenging to take care of my erhus. Like other instruments made of natural materials, the main thing is to keep it away from extremes in humidity and temperature. I make sure not to leave instruments where they will be exposed to direct sunlight or blast of hot air from a furnace vent. If you live where there are a lot of bugs,then you may need to take other precautions. For care of the horse hair on a bow, it is probably enough to not store it in a dark damp location for long periods. I have a small collection of Chinese fiddles, and I try to make sure and open the cases and play them from time to time.

I have some experience with synthetic hair on Vietnamese fiddles, and I much prefer horse hair. I don't think that the synthetic hair holds the rosin nearly as well. If there is a synthetic hair used for high quality violin bows, then I have no experience to share. An excellent erhu bow will cost USD30-50, plus shipping, and lasts me at least a year. Of course in Oregon, we don't have hungry bow-hair-eating bugs to contend with.

4. For playing erhu, use an erhu bow. They are much cheaper than those for violin, and are designed for the purpose. I don't have much experience with violin, but the erhu bows are much more flexible. Don't tighten the erhu bow hair nearly as much as is usual on a violin bow.

5. The zhonghu is normally tuned a fifth lower than erhu to G/D or maybe A/E. You can also get erquan strings for erhu that allow you to tune to G/D.

6. I usually swipe the rosin a few times on both sides of the bow hair every couple of days or so, depending on how often I am playing. As you get used to play erhu, you will recognize when more rosin is needed. I suggest using a good quality European violin rosin in a light amber shade. I have not been very impressed with the Chinese rosin that comes with novice quality erhus. There is also a shelf-live for rosin, so old rosin may not be as effective.

Best wishes,


David

[danielachoresh]

Thank you very much! This calmed me down. About the bow, you need to replace it every year? And what can I do to prevent the horsehair from ripping? And how long does the European rosin last? Some say a couple of months and some say a couple of years (that seems way too much)

And the horse hair in a violin bow is the same as an Erhu bow? Thickness wise and all that..? Because I found synthetic horse hair for violin (31 inches) that I would like to try and put it on an Erhu bow.

Is the Valencia VRS-200 rosin any good?

[davidmdahl]

I don't replace my bow every year. I use it until it doesn't play well anymore. A worn out bow doesn't grab enough rosin anymore and I have to work too hard to make a good sound. A bow may wear out prematurely if it is used a lot without enough rosin. Bow hairs may break from getting caught on things, such as fine tuners. With care, a bow is likely to last several years, or more than several if you don't play much.

Rosin has a shelf-life, but not in terms of months. I bought my current rosin, amber Bernardel, in 2013, and it is still fine. Maybe a fresher rosin would be better, but it is still working for me. A violinist or erhu master playing at a high level may be more sensitive than me to the optimum rosin.

I have used Pirastro and Bernardel rosin for erhu with good results. I have not heard of Valencia rosin, and do not have an opinion.

Best wishes,

David

[danielachoresh]

And the horsehair, is it the same as the violin? The same thickness or amount and all that..? Because I would like to try synthetic horsehair and as I said the only one available is for the violin... (just the hair, not the bow, I want to replace the hair on an Erhu bow.)
www.amazon.com/Herco-HE902-Hervex-Violin-Length/dp/B000EEHMDU/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1520089457&sr=8-12&keywords=synthetic+horse+hair 
And from your experience with synthetic horsehair, other than the rosin-holding problem, does it sound worse or reasonable?

And again, thank you for all your help! I've decided to purchase this rosewood Erhu, seems nice. (and a dense white felt for a damper, as you advised )

www.ebay.com/itm/Chinese-Brass-Turning-New-Rosewood-Erhu/331872061954?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

[davidmdahl]

Regarding synthetic hair for bows, I much prefer natural horse hair. I don't see any reason to replace good new horse hair with synthetic, but it is worth a try I suppose when the natural hair wears out. As far as I know, horse hair is horse hair. There may be different grades, but I have never paid much attention. I order a bow based on the reputation of the bow maker, and my past experience. I trust a good bow maker to choose the appropriate bow hair for erhu.

I would not choose an erhu based on the type of damper. It is one of the easiest parts to change if you want something better.

Best wishes,

David

[danielachoresh]

Yes I know, I found a damper separately. But I think I made up my mind, I'll wait some time, save up some money and order a nice non-python Zhonghu. Although I can't find a lot of information, I much prefer the sound of the Zhonghu. Or I'll buy a nice Erhu and in the future Zhonghu, I'll see.
Is there any difference between the Erhu and the Zhonghu bow?
Thank you for your help

[davidmdahl]

A zhonghu bow has a stiffer stick and bushier hair, as I recall. A new zhonghu should come with an appropriate bow, so there would not be much to worry about for a good while. A zhonghu can be harder to play than erhu. My first zhonghu was not very sensitive, so I had to use a lot of bow pressure. Such a zhonghu would be frustrating for a beginner. I suggest starting with an erhu.

Best wishes,

David

[danielachoresh]

I see. So I'll start with an Erhu, maybe later I'll buy a Zhonghu as well. Thanks

[ntp0210]

I recommend salchow medium-dark rosin for violin. You can find it on Amazon. This comes highly recommended from my friend who is an up and coming violinist that graduated from Juilliard in NYC in 2017 and erhu player of at least 10 years that I grew up with.

As for replacing the bow, I only had to replace a bow once, and that was because I bought one similar to my teacher's bow. My old bow was still fine, I just wanted something nicer to look at. But my rule of thumb, as it is with everyone else I know, is if it isn't broken and still makes a good sound, don't replace it.