Finally playing sanxian

[lightningduck]

The sanxian i ordered showed up a few weeks ago but had some setup issues. So I took it to a local luthier and he seemed to have a lot of fun exploring an instrument he doesn't see much of (if at all)

Anyway, so I got it back today and have been exploring it and it's been challenging but fun.  I was able to tune it in fourths like my bass so my scales and patterns work, but the action is higher than I expected and the string spacing tighter so it's more finicky on getting a quality note.

In a sense, I can already play it, but in another sense, this is going to be a lot of work to really play it 

[edcat7]

What setup issues did you have? What could possibly go wrong with a sanxian since it's so simple. I ask this as I have a couple of issues with my zhongruan but will probably leave it alone.

Ed

[lightningduck]

Well, I ordered two.


The first one (Southern variety)* I didn't know how to use tension on the tuning peg to get it to hold so I couldn't tune it up at the time and then the high string slipped out and the tuning peg fell out. I was more than a little drunk so I just thought I had a useless piece of junk. I took it to the luthier and he set it up (restrung it) and showed me how to apply tension to the pags to get them to hold. Now I know how to tune it and take care of it (restringing it is still a bitch but that's just because the string and the hole are both tiny)

So I ordered a second one in drunken spite. (Northern variety) This one had a real problem. The nut (name on a guitar, not sure the Chinese name on a sanxian) had physically come unglued and the instrument wouldn't hold tune or string tension as the nut slipped. Again, I let the luthier fix it as I wasn't sure what type of glue to use or how to apply it. It's ready to go except he broke a string setting it up so we're waiting on new strings from China before I get that one back

It's a finicky instrument.SInce it just uses friction of wood on wood to hold the tuning pegs to hold string tension (rather than gearing like a guitar tuning peg), it's hard to tune (at least for me) perfectly, so I get it close (each string will be _just_ a bit out of tune to each other)** and then have to listen to make sure I'm on pitch from string to string. I have not yet tried to play it in an ensemble but I'm sure the inaccuracy in the tuning will require attentive listening to the music around me. You also can't leave it setup between sessions. You have to back off the string tension, remove the bridge, and wipe it down. So every time you play, you have to set the bridge at the proper location and bring it up to tune. You don't just pick it up and fiddle around for a few minutes, a playing session is a commitment

However, it's been a blast, I've been playing it pretty heavy daily since I got the first one back from the luthier and now that I know how to get it in playing form and I'm getting used to the physical parameters, it's been a lot of fun. Standard tuning for this is A-d-a but I cheat and teach it A-d-g so it has the same intervals as my base and all my scales and pattern apply.

Other than the unglued part, the 'setup issues' was mostly down to me not knowing how to set it up to treat it properly, now that I think about it

*Southern style has a scale length of about 75cm(30"). The Northern style is about a foot longer physically(not sure on scale length)

**It's possible with a better tuner and a better touch I could get it on more precise as the luthier really futzed with a tuner to get what he wanted, but that's my impression based on my experience so far

[edcat7]

Try using violin rosin on the tuning pegs to stop it slipping, that's what I did to my erhus.

[lightningduck]

Thanks...one comment I'd read about the sanxian was not to touch the tuning pegs because skin oils would cause them to slip and it made me nervous that I could accidentally ruin it

I'll remember that

[lightningduck]

I talked about this with the local guitar shop and while they agreed that bow rosin would work, because the climate here is so dry (Arizona, USA...26% humidity as of this moment) they recommended little humidifiers in the cases so that the wood would have a enough moisture to expand and not slip (most Sanxian and Shamisen players seem to worry about keeping the humidity below 40%)

Both Sanxian have one peg that gives me trouble, the same one on both instruments. I talked to the luthier and he agreed, the tuning is imprecise and you really have to listen and adjust your playing as you go to account for the slop in the tuning. Also, since it uses a floating bridge, not attached to the body, the actual scale length can vary, which affects the note placement on the neck, so you really have to keep your ears wide playing in an ensemble

[edcat7]

I too keep home made humidifiers with my classical guitars and that's not a bad idea to do the same with your sanxians.