Topmusicanswers
In performance the erhu is held upright on the performer's thigh, and the tautness of the bow strings is determined by the pressure of the performer's hand. Bowing is done horizontally, with right-hand fingering techniques for altering the bow tension and for crossing strings.
Is erhu harder than violin?
"The development of modern erhu has benefited from the techniques of violin playing but erhu is a more difficult to control than the violin," says Xing, who taught violin maestro Itzak Perlman to try to play the "Chinese violin" in 2002 at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
What sounds can the erhu make?
The erhu is incredibly expressive, capable of imitating sounds from chirping birds to neighing horses. An alto instrument with a middle-high musical range, its melodies can be tender or sonorous.
