The method and purpose of erhu bow technique training

273 views · Organized by 烟雨燕双飞 on 2022-07-03

Instruments are like our voices, but different. Voices are innate, but our instruments are made of different materials by different people. But even with the same good voice, in order to obtain a good timbre, there is a problem of whether to use the voice or not. From a physics standpoint, the better the resonance, the more pleasing it sounds. From the point of view of music performance, the sound that is most conducive to expressing the thoughts and feelings of music can move people more. And music is constantly changing, so the timbre should also change with the changes of the music.

Having good pronunciation is the ideal of every string player, and of course, everyone has different aesthetic preferences for timbre. Usually, the player hears the sound he wants in his mind before playing it. This kind of very personal sound due to differences in aesthetic habits will not be discussed here. What I want to discuss is what technical rules can be followed in order to have a sound that resonates well.

The method and purpose of erhu bow technique training

The relaxation and coordination of the joints of the right hand is very important to obtain a relaxed, powerful articulation and fluency in bowing. Stiffness in any part of the body can cause incoordination and hinder the natural transmission of weight from each part of the arm to the bow. Of course, the stability of the arm is also the key to the bow, just like the stability of the center of gravity is the key to the stability of the road.

The sound quality depends on having good pronunciation. Mastering the angle of friction between the bow and the strings is a key to getting good pronunciation. Only a good angle can make the strings vibrate regularly to the greatest extent, so that the pronunciation has a good resonance. This good angle is that the bow should be flat and straight. So, is there a good angle, there must be a sound of sufficient vibration? It also depends on whether the bow hair and the strings are "affixed" well, that is to say, there is enough friction The force will have sufficient vibration sound. So. How can we ensure that the bow is attached to the string? It is very important to pay attention to the position of the center of gravity of the bow. When pulling the outer string, it should be outward, and the inner string is the opposite. When changing strings, the center of gravity of the bow should be shifted in time. In my opinion, to get good articulation, the exact center of gravity of the bow is as important as the angle of friction between the bow and the strings and the proper friction. The same friction angle will be very different depending on the position of the center of gravity of the bow. friction and ultimately affect pronunciation.

Another key to pronunciation is the correct relationship between bow speed and pressure. When the pressure is greater than the bow speed, the sound is often dead and too rough; when the pressure is less than the bow speed, the sound is weak and weak. So, what is the relationship between bow speed and pressure so that the strings can fully vibrate? The general rule is that the faster the bowing speed, the greater the bowing pressure, and vice versa, the lower the pressure. So how big is the pressure? As small as it is, it is entirely guided by the ears of the performer. Moreover, since the bow speed is constantly changing during the performance, the pressure is required to change continuously with the change of the bow speed. We need to constantly make adjustments to this relationship, guided by our ears, to get better resonance. And eventually through practice, rise from conscious control to subconscious revealing. That is: when we hear this sound in our hearts, our hands can automatically play this sound with the best relationship between bow speed and bow pressure.

Music art expresses people's thoughts and feelings, and the changes of people's thoughts and feelings are prominently reflected in the changes of people's breath. Therefore, the movement of grasping this breath is the key to musical expression. So what are the factors related to the movement of breath that is naturally revealed when expressing thoughts and feelings in the process of music? I think it is the change of timbre and the different movement modes of tone, melody, harmony, polyphony, orchestration, musical form , dynamics, timbre, rhythm, etc. In fact, all factors embody a movement of breath. So, what is the main factor that makes the music more breathable when playing a stringed instrument? I think it is through the changes in the timbre and dynamics in the melody movement to reveal the different movements between the tones and the different breaths. sports. It is the key to making music vivid, they are the soul of music, and the change of this breath is largely reflected by the change of bowing and vibrato for stringed instruments. Behind the sound, you can feel the presence of a breath. Therefore, in addition to having a good pronunciation, only by finding the correct breath feeling of this tone in the music can we decide what timbre to use, what kind of bow segment, what kind of bow speed, and what kind of pressure to have a basis. Only by making this sound truly become an integral part of the so-called "living" music can this sound be brought to life.

Regardless of emotions, there will be very different breathing. May be deep. Very shallow or fast, slow, and the performance of the music is different, the breath of the music is bound to be very different. In addition, it should also be seen that the content of music needs to be expressed in a certain form, that is, the musical structure. Because each sound has a different position in the structure, it has a different meaning and thus a different sense of breath. So, no matter from the form or the content. Because each sound has a different sense of breath, the requirements of timbre will also be subject to the requirements of changes in the movement of breath in musical performance in addition to "pure beauty". Reflected in the bow, we need to realize the change of the virtual and the real of the bow, the change of the length of the bow, the difference of the bow segment, and the colorful movement of the breath caused by the difference of the bow method. Only in this way can technology truly serve music and allow us to better express our intentions.

In short. The breath movement is harmful and rich, so the expressive power of the bow should be rich. Bowing is like singing, and good control of the breath should be the goal of the performer in his life. And the unique charm of the expressive force of the bow in the music performance is also here.

Reference materials and contributors
《二胡技术训练的方法与目的》-严洁敏

Involving musical instruments

Erhu (Pinyin: Erhu) originated in the Tang Dynasty, called "Xiqin", and has a history of more than a thousand years. It is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Erhu, or Erxian Huqin, also known as "Nanhu" and "Omzi", is one of the main bowed and stringed instruments (wiping strings) in the Chinese national musical instrument family.

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