Erhu "Chinese Violin / Chinese Two String Fiddle" (EH-1)
Product Description
Features:
- 2 Stringed (Steel) Lead Instrument
- Rosewood Construction
- Snakeskin Head, Bamboo Bridge
- Horsehair Bow
- Includes a gig bag
- Has "training wheel" marks for beginning musicians
- Long Neck is made of plastic
- Rosewood construction
The Chinese Erhu, also known as the Nanhu, Chinese Violin, or Chinese Two String Fiddle, is constructed with a long, stick-like neck; two large tuning pegs; a 6 or 8 sided sound box (in rare cases, it may be round); a string (known as the qian jin) that functions as the nut, holding the wooden bridge in place. The name of this Asian violin, Erhu, is derived from the word meaning "two" and the word meaning "barbarian instrument" since this traditional Chinese string instrument is an evolution of the Xiqin, a foreign lute that appeared in China over 1,000 years ago.
The unique sound for this Erhu musical instrument is produced by the vibration of the python skin that covers the sound box, not from the vibration of the strings (which is a feature unique to this instrument; most string instruments produce sound by the vibration of the strings). Our python skin violins are constructed using skins from farm-raised pythons to protect the natural population, and the wood is from the highly resonant redwood (or other heavy, dense hardwoods). Similarly, the bow is unusual, as well - it is never separated from the strings, unlike with Western string instruments. Another unique feature of this snake string instrument is that there is no fingerboard because the strings are stopped without touching the neck. Because the two strings are close together, the two are played as one. Over time, the silk strings have been replaced by metal strings, much like other instruments.
Recent years have seen the popularity of the Erhu music instrument grow as it has been featured in mainstream and popular culture music. Cirque du Soleil used it as a key instrument for its show, O, while Earth: Final Conflict based on Gene Roddenberry's writings, saw it in a central role for the TV serie's soundtrack.