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Author Topic: Erhu  (Read 3957 times)

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robot_god

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Erhu
« on: March 23, 2007, 08:59:35 pm »
I think I'm going to buy an erhu.  It's that weepy chinese violin with two strings that old chinese men play upright on their lap with a bow.

I was listening to a song with one last night and I realized, man, this is the perfect instrument for me.  I want an instrument that really sings - that was the reason I bought a sax, but the problem with the sax is that it is kind of a chore set up.  I'm always preoccupied with something, so if I want to play it, I have to think, is it worth setting up, putting in the time for a session, and putting away?  Despite my want to play, rarely is the answer 'yes.'  But that thing, you can just pick it up and it's ready to sing.

Plus, the sax has to be played at about ten thousand decibels, so playing it at 3:00 AM isn't usually an option.  But erhu.  There are some nice ones on eBay at around $300 and change.  I have a feeling I'll be good at it right off the bat.  I know fretless string dimensions pretty well, used a bow before, plus this pujabi dude lent me a tumbi for a few months a few years ago, and that's a pretty similar instrument.

Longshot here, but anyone ever play one or know someone who has had some kind of contact with one?
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jaydub

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2007, 09:14:13 pm »
There's an old guy in the Coliseum BART station who's always sawing away at one when I go to an A's or Raiders game.  I don't know how good his English is though.

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Teatime

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2007, 09:27:18 pm »
You are learning to play the erhu? That is fuck*ng class. You are totally bomb.

I know a dude in San Jose who plays his on the streets on Sundays.
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slink

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2007, 10:12:54 pm »
Sweet. I am a sucker for... well... musical instruments, let alone esoteric ones.
The strangest I have so far would be the charango and a bamboo saxamaphone. I don't really have the space or money right now to buy any more random instruments, but I must, for I have withdrawal.
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robot_god

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2007, 11:01:52 pm »
Man, I realize what it was.  I read through the Cartilage Head arc a week ago and last night I was thinking about the seething saw.  So when I heard a weepy instrument later in the night, I was like, "yeahh."

I just got a catalogue from this dude I know that works for Sam Ash with nothing but ethnic and obscure instruments.  Now there are like 1000 new instruments I want.  The erhu in it isn't that nice though, it's straight up plain, no cosmetics.

But I think tonight or this weekend, I'm probably going to hit this place up http://stores.ebay.com/eChinaville
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Golfhaus

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2007, 06:49:39 pm »
One of my friends from high school messaged me out of the blue a couple of years ago. She needed advice on a Christmas gift for her boyfriend. She wanted to get him something out of the ordinary, something music-related, and something he would love.

She got him a theremin.
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slink

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2007, 07:37:30 pm »
Quote from: Golfhaus on March 24, 2007, 06:49:39 pm
She got him a theremin.

Oh my, what I would give for a theremin. I've even tried to use one of the plugins for Pro Tools which is a theremin-a-like that uses colour recognition via a webcam, but it sucked ass as far as I could tell.

My brother came up with an idea having played Guitar Hero at a friends a while back for a Theremin Hero game. I can't say I wouldn't be tempted!
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pmcd9

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2007, 07:42:09 pm »
I have a deep love of the theremin.

Eileen Plays the theremin inside the Dragon
[links to large file[/url]
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Ruta Bagas

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2007, 09:31:48 pm »
There are instructions here for using a graphics tablet as a theremin. I can't really judge its worth, though, because I don't have a tablet, and have never used a theremin. So I suppose all we can be sure of is that it just wouldn't be the same.
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theinevitable

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2007, 09:44:51 pm »
this guy performed here who... had built his own utterly beautiful Theremin.

I cannot explain how awesome and well-crafted this thing was. It was built on the inside of this really nice wood box, and it had all these lights on it blinking...
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slink

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2007, 10:01:30 pm »
Quote from: Ruta Bagas on March 24, 2007, 09:31:48 pm
I can't really judge its worth, though, because I don't have a tablet, and have never used a theremin. So I suppose all we can be sure of is that it just wouldn't be the same.

I only fulfill one of the above criteria. It is quite nice, but as you say, I doubt it's the same... Thanks anyway, I shall play with it and some effects for the horror project I have coming up.
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chuanoplast

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2007, 06:17:34 am »
I don't think learning to play the erhu should be difficult if you've ever played a bowed string instrument before and if you have an okay sense of pitch. I've only fiddled around with them, but they're definitely easier to play than the violin.

If you want an instrument that really sings, you should kidnap an opera singer.
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Teatime

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2007, 10:34:13 am »
From what I know, Opera Singers give the bset head ever. possibly ev4r.
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Nabubrush

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2007, 02:48:13 am »
Hmm. Well, maybe she just hasn't told me about the opera singing.
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chuanoplast

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Re: Erhu
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2007, 04:34:55 am »
It's the vibrato that makes it the best.
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