Everyone can play Erhu (the Chinese violin)

Learn to install erhu strings, distinguishing the inner d string from the outer a string, threading them through hooks and tuning pegs, with clockwise on d and counterclockwise on a.

Learn how to install erhu bow hair by unscrewing the head, threading the ball through the strings, and securing with the screw without over-tightening to preserve sound quality.

Learn to install the erhu bridge by placing it 0.5 cm above the skin center, find the best resonance point, then insert a wedge-shaped sound pad and adjust tone.

Adjust the erhu engine to arm length while sitting upright on the left leg; higher position boosts sound but widens finger spacing, beginners should avoid blindly increasing height.

Learn how fine tuners simplify the erhu tuning process and why affordable options matter. Compare many types of fine tuners and select the one you like.

Rosin the erhu bow ball on both sides before practice to ensure friction and vibration. Rub the ball along its length, alternating inside and outside, while trying different rosins.

Wipe rosin on the instrument body with a cloth, hang the ball on the tuning peg, insert a pencil between the string and soundbox to prevent deformation, and handle gently.

Sit on an armless chair with a straight back to learn the erhu sitting position. Place the instrument on the left leg near the abdomen, ready to play.

Master the erhu bow hold: place the ball on the right index finger joint, press the ball hair with the middle and ring fingers, and relax your wrist.

Move your arm and relax your right wrist to control the ball with horizontal, parallel motion, keeping the palm as an arm accessory; open for outward, close for inward palm.

Master the right hand position for the inner string by placing the middle and ring fingers on the ball, applying pressure during pull and push strokes.

Master right hand position for Erhu outer string, pulling back with index finger and thumb and pushing out with middle and ring fingers with the ball to produce sound.

Tune erhu strings by ear or tuner while adjusting pegs; twist gently, tighter raises pitch and looser lowers it, hold pegs with four fingers and press neck with the thumb.

Tune the erhu to D4 and A4, with A4 at 440 Hz, and press inner or outer strings to produce notes a fifth apart, each string has a vibration frequency.

Learn to tune erhu using piano or ear, match inner and outer strings to the right notes, and use online or clip-on tuners to guide tightening or loosening.

Install the fine tuners and use them to tune the Erhu. Loosen the tuning pack, tighten the fine tuner, and turn the knob clockwise to raise pitch, counterclockwise to lower.

Students learn the basic method of tuning the D and A strings on the Erhu with the fine tuner, adjust tension, check pitch, retune after squeezing, and practice at home.

Prepare to play the erhu by trimming nails, sitting upright, cleaning the strings to remove rosin dust, applying string oil if needed, and tuning the strings before you start.

Develop erhu bowing by adjusting force to avoid too loud or too soft sounds, applying the lever principle to keep volume even, and practicing 20 minutes daily.

Practice open d string on erhu with a metronome at 60 bpm, keeping a relaxed wrist and a straight, even bow from left to right, and change bow gently.

Practice the open A string using the same method to play together. Avoid noise and hollow sounds by keeping the pressure balanced and following the 1-2-3 rhythm.

Learn the chinese numbered musical notation suited for beginners, mapping seven numbers to the do-re-mi scale with octave dots for higher or lower notes, and rest (zero) indicates silence.

Explain the movable do system in numbered musical notation, where key signatures aren’t shown, and demonstrate singing D major and E major scales using doremi fasol latido.

Learn how numbered musical notation conveys beats and rhythms, including time signatures, note lengths (quarter, eighth, sixteenth), extended notes, dotted notes, and score symbols indicating playing techniques for erhu.

Lead learners to sing along with familiar sheet music, twinkle twinkle little star, using solfege syllables like sol, la, fa, me, and ray to practice melody.

Learn how to read fingering indications in numbered musical notation for the erhu, using chinese finger numbers one through four and string indicators to choose inner, outer, or open strings.

Practice the open string etude by starting slowly, then gradually increasing tempo to improve tone, note quality, and finger familiarity, with the on-screen score downloadable as homework at 60 BPM.

Master the erhu left-hand first finger: sit upright, palm down, keep the finger curved with light pressure, locate ray, and switch inner/outer strings to form a fifth and la.

Practice the pitches Rea and Na with steady tone, ensure sound quality and accurate pitch, then perform the two pieces at 90 bpm.

Learn to position the left-hand second finger on the erhu, match its pitch to f sharp, and do-re-mi (movable do) with curved fingers and the palm facing down.

Learn the second finger etude on erhu with slur handling and bowl-length distribution. Practice from 60 to 90 bpm, adjusting speeds as needed before the next lesson.

Master the third finger placement on the erhu to play the D major scale, using semitone relations, tuner feedback, and varied bowing to practice with or without releasing prior fingers.

Learn a first, second, and third finger etude on erhu, starting at 60 bpm and advancing to 90 bpm while practicing the D major scale together.

Learn a pentatonic scale etude tailored for first, second and third finger, practiced at 90 bpm to build technique for erhu playing.

Master the fourth and little finger on erhu. Use three attitudes, keep a slight outward wrist, practice at the set tempo with a tuner, and study the score.

Master dotted notes: a dot extends a note by half, requiring the following note to shorten to keep the measure’s value. Practice two quarter notes as tar tar.

Develop legato and dotted quaver techniques in erhu playing by focusing on bow length distribution and practicing a piece featuring smooth bowing.

Achieve smoother string changing and legato by using the wrist as a buffer during bow switching, reducing noise and building a cleaner Erhu sound.

Master the retaining finger technique on erhu by holding the lower finger while pressing the higher note to enable fast switching, demonstrated on the dotted eighth note etude 121.

Explore syncopation by shifting accents and extending unaccented beats to create a syncopated rhythm in erhu playing. Practice the rhythm together, using the crotchet extension to emphasize the off-beats.

Practice the erhu repertoire 'Oroqen solo singing' in D with first position. Emphasize left half-bow marks, right half-bow, and full bow to produce a bright, positive tone at 90 bpm.

Explore Fengyang flower drum, an Anhui province folk art performed by one or two players with small drums and cymbals, singing and dancing, and practice slowly, then gradually speed up.

Explore pastoral spring, a compulsory erhu piece for beginners by Mr. Chen Zhenduo, and learn how grace notes enliven phrases and how to execute the gato sign for powerful notes.

Master the three-four beat in the high-pitched erhu folk song mylar from Chinese Kazakhstan, capturing its loud, triple-beat feel and playing along with the instructor.