Erhu
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The Erhu is a two-stringed Chinese fiddle. One of its unique features is the way you play it. The hair of the bow passes between two playing strings - the bow and fiddle are never separated. The erhu has a small, hexagonal box for a body and a long, slender neck often finished with a carved head of a dragon or bat.
| Family |
| Strings |
| Pitch range |
| About two-and-a-half octaves. |
| Material |
| Wooden body, snakeskin belly, and silk or gut strings. |
| Size |
| Usually around 26 in (66 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| The erhu was known in 18th-centuty China. It evolved from the xiqin, which had been introduced to China in the 10th century. |
| Classification |
| Chordophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of strings. |
| And also... |
| The erhu's popularity is largely due to Liu T'ien-hua, a Chinese musician who studied western music. Many of the pieces he composed for the erhu in the 1920s are still popular. |
