It’s also quite easy to spot this instrument as it features a long neck that represents the Uyghur patterns. So, if you look up Uyghur traditional music of the Tempur, Xinjiang, Rawap, and Dutar, their instruments of choice were the silk instrument. We’ve got more Chinese music to come on the blog, including bamboo instruments such as the Chinese flute known as the xiao.On the other hand, out of the greater Han ethnic group, the ethnic minorities appear to have also owned the stringed music with a more talented player. Who knows, maybe some day it will make its way into Western orchestras. Let’s hope that this unique and traditional Chinese instrument manages to stick around. Sadly, many Chinese orchestras these days prefer using the cello and double bass in favor of the Ge Hu. Although this instrument is very similar to the cello, they sound completely different. It has four strings tuned exactly like those of a cello (C-G-D-A). While most traditional Chinese instruments are high-pitched and nasal, the Ge Hu was created to provide a full and low-pitched sound, thus enlarging the scope of Chinese music. In a Chinese orchestra, they take on the same role as the cello and the double bass in their Western counterpart. This instrument comes in two sizes, the big Ge Hu (大革胡 – dà gé hú) and the bass Ge Hu (低音革胡 – dī yīn gé hú). In its name, the character 革 means “revolutionary,” and that it is. Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)įinally, let’s check out the Ge Hu, which is a fusion between the Chinese Hu Qin instruments and the cello. One of his compositions, Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake (平湖秋月 – píng hú qiū yuè) was written in the 1930s and remains popular to this day.Īutumn Moon Over Calm Lake performance, including the Gao Hu. Actually, the modern day Gao Hu was developed by Lv Wencheng (吕文成 – Lǚ wén chéng), a Chinese composer and musician who was known as a master of Cantonese music (广东音乐 – guǎng dōng yīn yuè).
It is used primarily in Cantonese music and opera.
While most Hu Qin are placed on the left thigh, the Gao Hu is held in between the knees. Also, the neck is shorter and the soundbox smaller than its more famous musical cousin.
While the Zhong Hu has that low, alto sound, the Gao Hu has a higher pitch, as it is tuned a fourth to a fifth higher than the Er Hu. As it is an alto instrument with two octaves, the Zhong Hu gives off a deep and gloomy tone.Ī Zhong Hu solo entitled Remembrance 1937. Its two strings are tuned to a perfect fifth (usually G and D or A and E), and it is often used in orchestras or as a solo instrument. The shape is a bit larger, and it generates a much lower pitch. If the Er Hu is the Chinese violin, the Zhong Hu is the Chinese viola. Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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