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Post by patrickc on Aug 20, 2018 3:50:13 GMT
Hello everyone. I am Patrick from Singapore. Just signed up for a erhu course last month after a break of almost 30 years!!! Hahaha. Well, back in the late 80's. I joined my school's Chinese Orchestra as an extra curriculum activity (aka ECA) and got to learn to play the erhu. But as that part of school life only lasted for 2 years and having to get ready to take my 'A' levels exams at the end of it, all ECAs were stopped about 6 months before the exams. Therefore, the actual time available to learn the instrument was just over a year and I had always felt that I did not built up a good foundation in playing the instrument. After that, had not continued with the erhu but had always thought of picking it up again eventually. Just a little over a month back, happen to see a banner advertising an erhu beginner course outside a community club near my area and decided to enroll in it.  Got myself an erhu and currently still trying to get my bowing technique and tone accuracy correct.  Tend to have the bow knocking onto the body of the instrument while switching between strings especially doing faster pieces and my left hand have the tendency to slide lower without me noticing while playing thus the tone becomes bad.  Anyways, still practicing hard and hopefully I can overcome these issues quickly then I can further progress in my learning. 
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Post by ric on Aug 20, 2018 16:49:44 GMT
Hi Patrick, and welcome.
It's wonderful that you return to erhu. The enthusiasm of youth not diminished!
It's great you have joined a local erhu course, here in the UK the local community center offers coffee mornings and jumble sales!
I too find my left hand has a tendency to wonder, keep up that practice!
Best wishes
Richard
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Post by eugene on Aug 21, 2018 1:50:40 GMT
Welcome Patrick, I'm also from Singapore and I'm learnt from Hougang community center.
I guess learning and getting Erhu in our country should be easy.
There are quite a number of community center and music school that teach erhu.
I suppose that this is a rosewood erhu you got there.
There are a few youtube video about bowing but they are in Chinese.
I'm living at north east side, if you are interested you could PM and drop by my place to learn erhu together.
As my classmate will drop by my place on Monday or Friday evening.
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Post by patrickc on Aug 21, 2018 7:12:47 GMT
Welcome Patrick, I'm also from Singapore and I'm learnt from Hougang community center. I guess learning and getting Erhu in our country should be easy. There are quite a number of community center and music school that teach erhu. I suppose that this is a rosewood erhu you got there. There are a few youtube video about bowing but they are in Chinese. I'm living at north east side, if you are interested you could PM and drop by my place to learn erhu together. As my classmate will drop by my place on Monday or Friday evening. Hougang community center!! I am learning at Aljunied CC at Hougang Ave 1!  Pretty near to Hougang CC. Yup, it is a rosewood erhu. I am staying nearer to Macpherson side. And yes, had been watching quite a lot of youtube clips on erhu playing and I have no problem understanding Chinese.  But still trying hard get a technique to control the bow properly such that it would not tap onto the instrument whenever I switch strings esp while playing faster pieces. |
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Post by eugene on Aug 21, 2018 9:12:43 GMT
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Post by patrickc on Aug 21, 2018 16:01:30 GMT
Thanks for the links and the PM. I am sure there will be some help on the bowing technique. At last, I am not very fluent in Hokkien but I will try to understand what he is saying. Just came back from erhu class and was given an assignment just to practice switching between strings. Will be practicing the whole of this week and also with the video above, hopefully be able to switch between strings nicely by the next lesson. |
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Post by patrickc on Mar 15, 2019 18:32:45 GMT
A piece I had been practicing for about a month...but still not perfected.
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Post by eugene on Mar 19, 2019 3:09:54 GMT
Very good, just need more practice to prefect it.
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Post by patrickc on Mar 21, 2019 9:15:21 GMT
Very good, just need more practice to prefect it. My teacher watch it and said I need to slow down and aim to make every note and timing more precise...playing too fast.  |
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Post by eugene on Mar 22, 2019 8:57:21 GMT
Very good, just need more practice to prefect it. My teacher watch it and said I need to slow down and aim to make every note and timing more precise...playing too fast. what your teacher said its correct, the most important is to get the correct note and rhythm. Once you get it, you can slowly increase the speed. |
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Post by d̗̰̗͆͘ǎ͔̱͈̰̬̫ͨ̌ͮͥ͗ͭ̕vid on Mar 22, 2019 17:45:18 GMT
My teacher watch it and said I need to slow down and aim to make every note and timing more precise...playing too fast. what your teacher said its correct, the most important is to get the correct note and rhythm. Once you get it, you can slowly increase the speed. That’s a general idea for almost everything to start slowly then quickly... Any fool can play it fast, but it takes a real musician to play it slowly and beautifully. |
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Post by patrickc on Mar 22, 2019 19:29:28 GMT
what your teacher said its correct, the most important is to get the correct note and rhythm. Once you get it, you can slowly increase the speed. That’s a general idea for almost everything to start slowly then quickly... Any fool can play it fast, but it takes a real musician to play it slowly and beautifully. Not a musician yet...still learning. |
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Post by d̗̰̗͆͘ǎ͔̱͈̰̬̫ͨ̌ͮͥ͗ͭ̕vid on Mar 22, 2019 20:13:19 GMT
That’s a general idea for almost everything to start slowly then quickly... Any fool can play it fast, but it takes a real musician to play it slowly and beautifully. Not a musician yet...still learning. same. I can’t play that slowly than I can fast, since playing fast hides all of the techniques I do bad on, like long bowing, vibrato, huayin, etc |
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Tend to have the bow knocking onto the body of the instrument while switching between strings especially doing faster pieces and my left hand have the tendency to slide lower without me noticing while playing thus the tone becomes bad. 
Anyways, still practicing hard and hopefully I can overcome these issues quickly then I can further progress in my learning. 
Pretty near to Hougang CC. 
But still trying hard get a technique to control the bow properly such that it would not tap onto the instrument whenever I switch strings esp while playing faster pieces.
