Erhu  (二胡)  is probably the most well known and beloved Chinese string instrument. It’s not an overstatement that almost everyone that has heard the sound of this instrument is immediately drawn to its unique tone.

Erhu only has two strings however it’s more than capable of producing colourful and articulating sounds, from imitating many natural sounds such as birds and horses to expressive melancholy tunes and joyful melodies.  Many audiences find that the erhu’s unique tone closely resembles human voices in a way.

Although the erhu shares some similarities with the violin, which earns itself another name, the “Chinese violin,” it differs from its western counterpart in many ways. It’s played vertically, often resting on the musician’s lap. It has no fingerboard so that the player’s fingers must hold and vibrate the strings by pressing only against the strings themselves. The erhu’s bow is already fixed between the two strings, and the bow hair is either pushed forward or backwards to catch a string.  The sound of music resonates from the instrument’s wooden soundbox, which acts as a natural amplifier. Intonation is one of the instrument’s greatest challenges, as different positions and degrees of pressure can dramatically change the free-floating strings’ pitch.