Bowed Strings | Practicalities
Practicalities
Techniques
Playing techniques include those of the left and right hand, and both in combination. The right hand is mainly concerned bowing techniques involving bowing speed and direction, and various changes in wrist movements and force. The left hand is mostly involved with various fingerings, vibratos, glissandi, harmonics, and different ways of pressing on and muting of the strings. Pizzicato techniques can also sometimes be found, both for the left and right hand.
Ranges
This section contains score examples showing the instruments’ ranges:
Gaohu
Erhu
Zhonghu
Qualities
Tuned a fifth higher and having a smaller soundbox and membrane that is more taut than the erhu, the gaohu’s sound is bright, silky, and rich.
The sound of the erhu is sweet and expressive. The outer string is brighter while the inner string sounds mellower and a wide range of tone qualities can be obtained via different playing techniques. Not only do the different registers of the instrument have different timbres, the dynamic ranges that are possible on the different registers differ widely too. The lowest octave is the most resonant and can easily produce the loudest sounds while the higher the pitch goes, it becomes more and more difficult to produce equally loud sounds.
The open strings of the zhonghu are a fifth lower than that of the erhu. Having much thicker strings and a larger body, the zhonghu’s tone is thick and rounded.
On its own, each of these instruments can produce sounds that are delicate, graceful, elegant, deft, and nimble. As an ensemble section, the timbre blends easily together, creating a thick sound full of vigour that can carry long melodic lines, provide support, or give springy rhythmic punctuations.
Repertoire Examples
Section under construction…