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Post by melissat on Oct 4, 2005 21:39:48 GMT
Hi, I got an erhu from ebay for my birthday a month ago (18) and I read some things one these threads and watched the george gao and jiebing chen video's... But I still have alot of questions; like how much slack should be in the nut, how much is too much rosin and how often to wash the bow/ what stuff to clean it is ok, and when to oil the skin, and how to correctly fold the felt... If theres a book or website about the basic care of it please let me know I'v never had a stringed instroment before and I want to make sure im doin things right. ( I dont even know how to tune it the correct way  ) And I really want to start right Away! I dont think theres a teacher around my little town. But Im considering broad casting it on our radio station that does just broad casts for people who look for stuff to sell/buy.. Oh, the rosin I bought was an amber color for violins, mine did come with a yellow cello rosin so if thats ok let me know. Any advice on this thread would be Greatly Appreciated! |
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Post by davidmdahl on Oct 4, 2005 23:10:06 GMT
It is great to finally see a erhu post after so long. I was beginning to think that we were all busy practicing or something. <g>
Regarding starting out doing things right, a teacher is the best approach. Even traveling to another city for one lesson is a great idea. You might search for a Chinese cultural organization in your town, or maybe larger cities nearby. There are good reasons for you to keep your location to yourself, but if you can indicate which general part of the country you live maybe someone will have suggestions. For example, I can make suggestions for the West Coast.
The right amount tension in the bow is a matter of feeling rather than something that can be measured objectively. I tighten the bow just enough so that it works well for me. It should be on the loose side, rather than tight like is typical on a violin bow.
The right amount of rosin is also tough to advise on. If you have too much rosin on the bow, a lot will come off and collect on the erhu, strings, body, and your clothes. I think that it is a matter of experience to see how much rosin you need, that allows for a good even sound, and yet that does not make a mess. Good quality violin rosin is best. I don't know why cello rosin is often included with erhus. It could be a matter of personal preference, but all of the erhu players I know use violin rosin. I use Pirastro Obligato.
I have never oiled the snake skin, and I think it would likely be a rare event. I think that it would be very easy to get too much oil on the skin and ruin it.
You should not ever need to wash your bow unless it gets fouled in some way. At one time I considered washing my bow, but in the end just ordered a new one. It was a good decision.
I don't think that there is any particular trick to folding the felt below the bridge. Just fold or roll it up however you like. It only has to dampen the strings. You can experiment with the position with respect to the bridge to see what sounds the best.
The erhu is usually tuned to D (lower string, closest to player) and A (higher string, outside position). The D string is the same pitch as the D next to middle C on a piano. You can tune lower or higher if you want, but it is best to tune the strings a fifth apart.
The erhu is a wonderful instrument and a lot of fun to play. Good luck!
Best wishes,
David
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Post by wanggx on Oct 5, 2005 6:53:21 GMT
hi! i'm new here!! I play the erhu for abt a yr.living in S'pore now
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Post by davidmdahl on Oct 5, 2005 8:06:43 GMT
Welcome to our group, Wanggx. I look forward to your posts.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by paulv on Oct 5, 2005 13:44:23 GMT
Hi Melssat,
Welcome to the forum. I'd like to add a couple of comments to David's excellent advice.
I've washed my bow once when I put too much rosin on it a long time ago. I used a mild dishwashing detergent (liquid) and let the bow dry overnight. My teacher recommends oiling the skin once a year -- olive oil works good and use it sparingly. Adjust the "qianjin" (the rope that ties the strings around the neck) so it is approx the length of your forearm with your elbow resting on the top of the resonator box up to the first joint of you small finger (the joint that connects the finger to the hand). Also, you should be able to just pass your index (large joint) finger between the qianjin and the neck.
Bow hard and use the full length of the bow -- regardless of how it sounds. It's important that you do this -- don't be like me when I first started -- using the middle 12 inches of the bow!!!
I have some fingering charts for several keys in a MS Word document. If you like, I could send them to you.
Also, I would suggest that you download a metronome and tuner (AP Tuner is good). I use a tuner visible on my laptop when practicing as this helps me finger the correct note.
Good luck and keep practicing.
Regards,
Paul Valente
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Post by melissat on Oct 5, 2005 23:48:41 GMT
Oh wow so much to reply...
David- I live in upper Alabama if that helps. I looked for Pirastro Obligato rosin in our local music store because I had read in another topic that you used it, but they did not have it. thanks for the help.
Paul- I placed the "qianjin'' to the right position and I tried to fit my index finger between the strings and neck but I couldn't even get my first knuckle threw...
I would love to have a look at the fingering charts!
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Oct 6, 2005 0:54:43 GMT
Hi!
If you use Pirastro, I suggest Olive, cos Obligato tends to be too sticky...
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Post by melissat on Oct 6, 2005 2:01:23 GMT
thank you
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Post by davidmdahl on Oct 6, 2005 9:05:25 GMT
Oh wow so much to reply... David- I live in upper Alabama if that helps. I looked for Pirastro Obligato rosin in our local music store because I had read in another topic that you used it, but they did not have it. thanks for the help. I know very little about your part of the USA. You might check at major universities in Alabama. Is the University of Alabama in your part of the state, or is that in the south? A university should have an ethnomusicology department or maybe a Chinese language studies department. Maybe you can find someone who knows someone who plays erhu. Another major city may be a possibility. The guzheng player Angela Lee lives in Atlanta, and I am sure there are erhu players in the Wash. DC area. If you can find one Chinese musician, they may know of someone who plays erhu. Don't stress overly much about the exact brand of rosin to get. Just get some violin rosin and see how well it works for you. Good luck! Best wishes, David |
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Post by paulv on Oct 6, 2005 12:35:02 GMT
Hi Melissat,
You should be able to get the flat part of your first index finger knuckle past the strings & neck. Don't worry if this doesn't happen -- it's important that the strings are closer to the neck then way further apart. Also, you don't what to "unravel" the qianjin which can easily happen.
Another thing, if you're taking your erhu in/out of a case, is to make sure the bridge is centered -- you'll get funny noises from certain notes if the bridge isn't centered. Also, get a couple of violin "fine tuners" to put on the strings -- this will eliminate the constant turning of the tuning pegs -- you'll get mixed opinions on this forum on the pros/cons of fine tuners. The cheapo fine tuners (like I use) are about $2 each in a violin store.
I'll send you those fingering charts via your email address.
Regards,
Paul...
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Post by melissat on Oct 7, 2005 1:38:01 GMT
David - Yes, I will most certainly search around.
Paul - Thanks for the advice, I will take a look into the fine tuners.
Thanks so much for all your help and time.
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Post by melissat on Oct 8, 2005 1:22:25 GMT
hey paul thanks for the Metronome program. When I received your tuner email, there was nothing to click to download or a website. But I have the metronome and fingering charts just fine. Thanks again!
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Oct 8, 2005 1:50:47 GMT
Hi!
Hmmm..
The bridge is a huge study in Central Conservatory this season. I'm invoved in a small research, and the reukts are very very varied. Materials uch as ebony, sandalwood, maple, mahagony and even chenngal and teak has been used, with varying results.
Bridge height and position, nd even snake skin scale postioning... argh...
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Post by paulv on Oct 9, 2005 1:52:17 GMT
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Post by melissat on Oct 11, 2005 1:18:34 GMT
sorry, I cant get it to open after saving ..
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Post by davidmdahl on Oct 11, 2005 4:44:38 GMT
sorry, I cant get it to open after saving .. Hmm. I downloaded and installed the AP Tuner without any trouble, using Windows XP Pro. Maybe you have an incomplete file. This can happen sometimes. The file should be 1,282 KB or 1.25 MB. Try downloading the file APTunerInstall306.EXE again. Check to see if the file size matches the first time or my figures. Please let me know if I can help. Feel free to write directly to me. Best wishes, David |
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Post by paulv on Oct 11, 2005 14:32:21 GMT
Hi David,
Thanks for following up and helping Melissa. Hopefully, we can get her up and running so she can start practicing and enjoying her erhu. I like the AP Tuner because it has a very fast response time.
Regards,
Paul.....
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Post by Charlie Huang on Oct 11, 2005 16:51:12 GMT
I installed it with no probs...
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Post by melissat on Oct 13, 2005 21:08:16 GMT
I have the installer saved on my computer and I it says it completed installing but it doesnt show the program. and when I went to check it again. it just asks me to install again but it never shows me the program anywhere. and the file is 1.25 MB..
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Post by davidmdahl on Oct 14, 2005 8:20:50 GMT
I have the installer saved on my computer and I it says it completed installing but it doesnt show the program. and when I went to check it again. it just asks me to install again but it never shows me the program anywhere. and the file is 1.25 MB.. The installation does not create an icon if that is what you mean. If it installed correctly, you can start the program from the Start menu. If you are running Windows XP, click Start, then Programs, then AP Tuner. If you have an entry for AP Tuner you can create a short-cut icon by right-clicking the AP Tuner entry in the Start menu and dragging it to your desktop. Best wishes, David |
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Post by melissat on Oct 14, 2005 23:56:03 GMT
ha, yes there we go , I see. I guess I thought since the metronome left an icon the ap tuner would too... all well. its up now.
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) And I really want to start right Away!
