二泉映月
阿炳Long lines, vibrato and slides show the erhu's voice-like expression.
EINSTRUMENT · KNOWLEDGE GUIDE
Erhu
Two strings and direct bow contact produce a continuous, highly voice-like sound.
- Instrument family
- Strings
- Origin
- China; developed from older huqin traditions and gained a modern solo repertory in the twentieth century
- Related genres
- 1
ORIGIN
Where does it come from?
The bow passes between two strings and the strings are stopped without a fingerboard, so pressure and slides directly shape pitch and tone.
ROLE IN ARRANGEMENT
What does it do in an arrangement?
It excels at lyrical melody, slides and fine emotional shading in traditional and modern arrangements.
SlidesVibratoPosition shifts
COMMON USES
Where will you hear it?
Used in Chinese instrumental music, opera, solo repertoire, screen scoring and contemporary pop arrangements.
LISTENING EXAMPLES
Recordings and repertoire to recognize
COMMON GENRES
Common in these genres
KEEP EXPLORING