1. Transport finger

Finger movement refers to the various pressing movements of the left finger on the strings. It is an important part of the basic training of the erhu.

The most important thing in playing a musical instrument is the cooperation of both hands, and the erhu is no exception. Only when the fingers of the left hand and the bow of the right hand cooperate with each other, can a good tune be drawn.

Finger movement refers to the various pressing movements of the left finger on the strings. It is an important part of the basic training of the erhu. Since the erhu does not have keys or grade marks like the accordion and pipa, it relies on the left finger to touch different parts of the strings. Since the length of the strings determines the width of the pitch, the shorter the strings, the narrower the pitch. The distance between the fingers of each erhu is different, which brings more difficulties to the finger movement.

The correct fingering method depends on the correct posture of holding the piano. The first thing to pay attention to is the "45 degrees" of the three parts of the left hand: that is, the forearm and the left chest are about 45 degrees, the forearm and the piano bar are about 45 degrees, and The second and third sections of the fingers (counting from the fingers) and the strings (in the direction of the gold) form about 45 degrees. Specifically, the forearm should hang down properly, the elbow should sink down, and the forearm should not be raised horizontally. The tiger's mouth should be kept loose and natural, and the fingers should be bent slightly downward. The whole hand is in the shape of a loose half fist. The four chord fingers are "next to each other" with the strings, and they are all in the state of wanting to touch the strings. Such a hand shape creates favorable conditions for the left hand to touch the strings accurately and sharply; when the fingers touch the strings, they should be pressed with the part between the pads of the fingers and the tips of the fingers, and should be lightly placed on the strings. When you leave the string, you should return to the original position naturally and quickly. This kind of elastic fall together, on the surface, the fingers are moving, but in fact it is dominated by the "internal energy", which in turn originates from the whole harmonious and natural left hand holding the piano.

The mistakes that beginners tend to make when learning to press the strings are: the arms are raised too high, the tiger's mouth is pinching the piano rod too much, and the four pressing fingers are stretched straight and not curved. Some people use their knuckles to touch the strings when pressing the strings, instead of the balls of their fingers. Some people lift their fingers high when they leave the strings after pressing the strings. This kind of incorrect finger movement makes the whole string pressing action very stiff and slow and lacks elasticity. Even though the right hand is more proficient in bowing, the sound is still muddy and confusing. If the above incorrect movements are not overcome and allowed to develop, these problems will be consolidated. Even if one is determined to correct them, it is actually a little more difficult than learning and mastering a new technique. Therefore, in order to train the flexibility and accuracy of finger movement, we must first check whether the finger movement method is correct.

To train the accuracy of finger movement, on the one hand, the posture must be correct. The strength of the ear is the basic guarantee for obtaining the intonation of the strings. Even if there is a slight deviation in the finger spacing when pressing the string, the ear force can adjust the finger spacing to the accurate pressing position at this moment. Although the finger distances held by each sound area on the erhu are different, as long as you practice for a certain period of time, the corresponding finger distances under the control of the ear will form an instinctive "conditioned reflex".

2. Portamento

Portamento is the sound produced by consciously sliding your finger on a string. The sliding method is different, the resulting portamento effect is also different. In terms of the range of sliding, there are the portamento for changing and the portamento for the original position. In terms of the sliding range, there are big portamento (above major third) and small portamento (minor third); in terms of sliding direction, there are up portamento (slide from bass to treble) and glide (slide from treble to bass) ); in terms of the sliding time, there are first portamento (the portamento appears before the original note) and post portamento (the portamento appears after the original note); in terms of the sliding strength, there are appoggiato portamento and concatenated portamento. From the general nature of portamento, it can be divided into two categories: decorative portamento and connected portamento.

① Glide first

First portamento is a portamento that first glides from the appoggiator to the natural note, which emphasizes the natural note. There are two kinds of first glide and up and down glide.

② back portamento

The portamento that appears after the main note is called back portamento. The back portamento slides from the natural note to the appoggiance, and the whole sliding process is exactly the opposite of the first portamento. Post Glide also has up and down Glide points. Usually represented by arrow symbols.

③ Link portamento

Connected portamento, also known as connected portamento, is a common portamento whose symbol is to add an arrow to the right end of the concatenated bow symbol. In terms of playing method, a certain finger is used to connect the sounds in the connection with a balanced strength, which sounds compact and makes the music have a strong appeal. In fact, the "slip finger change bar" that is often used in the bar change is also similar to the connection portamento, but the characteristics are not as strong as the connection portamento.

④ turn portamento

The transition portamento is a second step below the original note, so some people specifically call this portamento "down-turn portamento". In addition, there is a kind of "upturn glissando", which is more common in Mongolian folk songs. Its symbol is "——", and its intensity, range and time are exactly the same except that the direction of "revolution" is opposite to that of downward spiral portamento. What needs to be pointed out here is that no matter whether it is "up-turn portamento" or "down-turn portamento", the pitch interval of their "turn" is relatively regular. Generally speaking, the range of motion of turn portamento is two degrees above and below the original note, and rarely more than a minor third. of.

3. vibrato

The fan-shaped rolling of the fingers on a certain position on the string is called "rubbing the string". The rubbing of the string will make a wave-like sound. The proper use of the rubbing string can make the melody more singing and enrich the playing skills of the erhu. If changing the handle is the first door to improving the expressiveness of the erhu, then the vibrato is the second door. Vibrato marks the player's foundation, musical literacy and playing style. If a player cannot use vibrato, it means that his playing skills are still at an elementary level. Once you are proficient in vibrato, mastering fingering skills such as percussion and vibrato is easy and convenient.

Quick kneading is also known as "flickering fingers", which probably refers to the constant vibration of the fingers when kneading the strings. The specific method is: when a finger of the left hand is pressed on the string, the wrist is dominated by the forearm, making a regular continuous inflection (not shaking) movement, and the finger is also affected by the chain action of the wrist. Vibrate at a steady pace. The elastic vibration of the fingers makes the tension of the strings change accordingly, resulting in a wave of sonic vibrations. Fast kneading is easier to master than slow kneading, but the sound effect is not as pleasant as slow kneading, and its use is not as common as slow kneading.

Slow kneading is also known as "chanting", and the sound it makes is like chanting and chanting. The method of slow kneading is as follows: one hand of the left hand is placed on the string, and the wrist joint is used as the axis to make the entire palm make continuous and regular arc fanning. The speed of fanning is not as fast as that of fast kneading, but the amplitude is larger than that of fast kneading. In this way, driven by the wrist, the finger pressing the string undergoes a reciprocating change, which drives the finger pad to make a symmetrical arc flip within a small range between the up and down of the pressing sound. This not only changes the tension of the strings, but also changes the length of the strings, resulting in a soft and slow singing sound wave, which is a kind of vibrato with the most training value.

The folk playing method also derives techniques such as "kneading, sliding, pulling, pressing" from the slow kneading method. These changes are mainly in the intensity of the string, the speed of shaking, the width of the sliding string, the speed of the frequency and the The difference between the corresponding bow force and quick fit.

Players with certain attainments are very particular about the transformation of vibrato. In addition to the above-mentioned "kneading, slipping, digging, pressing" can be used accurately, you can also knead first and then no kneading, first no kneading then kneading, diffuse kneading and fast kneading, fast kneading and fast kneading, sliding while kneading, or When encountering notes of equal pitch and duration in a melody, some are rubbed and some are not. On the one hand, it depends on the player's solid basic skills, on the other hand, it depends on the player's understanding of the content of the music and mastery of the tune style. The proper use of vibrato in the content and style of the root disturbance music is an essential skill for the performer.