We all know that the newly bought erhu needs to be run in, so how to run the erhu into the best condition? Today I will talk about the running-in problem of the new erhu, and how to cultivate the timbre of the erhu.

The erhu is a difficult instrument to learn, and even more difficult to master it. Due to the structural characteristics of the erhu and the randomness of material selection and production, the sound quality and timbre of each erhu have their own individual characteristics.

What is the running-in of erhu, does every erhu have to go through such a process?

1. First of all, all musical instruments have a running-in period, including piano, violin, etc. Running-in is a process of coordination of many factors. Because the erhu has a skin, everyone thinks that running-in is just loosening the skin, but in fact, such a statement is incomplete. The running-in includes the adaptation of the musical instrument to the surrounding environment, the adaptation of the user to the manipulation of the musical instrument, and the factors related to the musical instrument are also factors of the running-in, which is the fusion process of the musical instrument and the human being.

2. Any new musical instrument has the characteristic that the more it is used, the better it will enter a stable period after a certain level. The looseness of the erhu qin skin after running in is different from the looseness of the erhu skin. The looseness of the former is the pressure of the harp that is adapted to the piano skin through playing, so that the vibration of the erhu skin surface is uniform from the center to the surrounding area. Spread, make the piano skin vibrate evenly, and the sound quality will be better if the vibration effect is good. Therefore, the loose concept of running-in is different from the loose concept of the tightness of the piano skin itself.

3. The determinant of the sound quality is the erhu itself. Any production process of the erhu will bring changes to the sound quality of the erhu. Therefore, we pursue the seriousness and rigor of each production process. These factors are the guarantee of product quality.

The skin of the new erhu is naturally a little tighter, but if it is too tight, it will also lead to a sharp tone. This is because the over-tightening damages the fibrous structure of the skin and makes the skin lose its effective elasticity. Usually the tightness of the piano skin is determined according to the dryness of the piano barrel. If the piano barrel is not particularly dry, the piano skin should be tightened, because the shrinkage rate of the piano barrel is greater than that of the piano skin. The reason why we need to dry the piano shell and the piano shell for a long time, and then carry out the harness, the purpose is to make the piano shell fully dry, so that when the harness is tuned, it will be better. Take advantage of handmade harnesses. The sound quality of the erhu is produced. Our approach is very good for the performance and stability of the sound quality of the erhu, but the disadvantage is that there will not be a lot of output, which is also our characteristic.

How to get the erhu into the best condition?

Whether you are a professional or an amateur erhu enthusiast, you all want to have a handy erhu. Faced with a newly bought erhu, the first task is to run in. During the running-in period, the most important thing is the running-in of the python skin. Because Xinmeng's piano skin is generally relatively hard and tight, it is necessary to continuously play the piano to adapt its fibrous tissue to the transmission of various forces, causing the piano skin to vibrate. Whether it is inner string, outer string, treble area, bass area, longbow, shortbow, heavy bow, light bow, slow bow, fast bow, bowing and fingering, etc., you must practice. In this way, the piano skin can adapt to the changes of various strengths, so that the vibration frequency of the piano skin can produce the best vibration effect at different pitch points and under different strengths. When the elasticity of the piano skin is in the best condition, the piano skin is completely "vibrated", and the sound of the piano will become better and better. If the skin of the violin is thick and tight, it needs to use a stronger bowing method to break in.

During the break-in period, it is important to take care of all pitch points. You can pull some more scales into the etude to help the running-in of each sound area. Since the timbre of the erhu outer strings is generally better than that of the inner strings, it is more difficult to press the strings, intonation, and force control of the bow at the high position of the inner strings than the outer strings. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the training of inner strings. I have encountered an old erhu that has been played for 30 years. The tone of the outer strings is very good, while the second position of the inner strings is very noisy. When I asked the owner, he said that he basically never played the high position of the inner strings. This shows that his inner strings have not been well run in. For the running-in of the inner strings, in addition to the etudes, often playing Liu Tianhua's "Solo String Exercise" will be of great help.

For a new piano, the skins, strings, bridges, shafts and other components are all new combinations. In addition to the piano skin, other parts also need to be run-in to achieve the best adaptation state. The tightness of the piano shaft can be tightened by turning it without running the strings; the strings are run-in to make their elasticity stable; the bottom surface of the piano code must be processed, and the arc in the middle is slightly higher than the surrounding area, so that it matches the The contact surface of the piano skin is tightly seamed.

As for the running-in time, it has a lot to do with each person's foundation and skill. Under normal circumstances, for an erhu master, a few months or half a year is enough; for an intermediate level, it takes about a year; for a beginner level, it takes longer. This is only an estimate. In addition, the running-in period is also related to the thickness of the piano skin and the tightness of the skin.

Cultivate the timbre of the erhu:

A newly purchased erhu has its own timbre characteristics. Every player has his own unique technique, and a good playing technique can give full play to the unique timbre of the erhu. During the break-in stage of a new piano, the amplitude and frequency of the vibration of the skin begins to be influenced by the player's bowing technique, and there is a gradual adaptation process. This process is also a process of blending and interacting with the original timbre of the erhu and the player's technique and personality. Until you use your technique to completely shake the skin of the piano, your erhu tone is formed, and this process is over. The cultivation of erhu tone is like cultivating a child. You should patiently and meticulously convey your longbow, shortbow, slowbow, fastbow, strongbow, weakbow and other techniques to the piano skin, so that it can feel your different strength characteristics. When it completely accepts, responds, and integrates, it can make the human and the qin one, and the erhu sound quality, timbre and charm with your own characteristics will come out.

Erhu's running-in period:

The newly produced erhu has a sharp and noisy pronunciation. It takes several months of use and repeated playing in each position, so that the tension of the python skin is vibrated, and the sound will be round and soft. This is usually called the running-in period of the erhu, so The erhu that is played often will improve the sound quality, and regular use is the best way to maintain it. The skin of a new piano will always be a little tighter. The “running-in period” process not only involves the skin, but also includes the process of familiarizing yourself with the performance and characteristics of the new piano, the running-in of the new bow, the debugging of the daughter, and the harmony of the bridge and horse. Pad placement adjustment, etc.

Noise Cancellation:

When the new piano is played, there will be noises. They are related to the vibration state of the skin, the strings, the bow and the bowing. The sound of the erhu is produced by the friction between the bow and the strings. The uneven friction between them and the uneven force of the bow will cause noise. The erhu itself does not produce any noise. The method to eliminate the noise can be a soft sponge or Flannel, stuff it into the gap between the lower string section of the bridge and the film, and adjust the position between the sound pad and the bridge. Come out, choose the position according to the situation of the erhu, it will make the erhu produce a good tone. After pulling the erhu for a period of time, the sound pad should be properly controlled, and the method of increasing the sound pad from less can be used, because the process of erhu pulling is also the process of eliminating noise.

The running-in of erhu accessories:

Erhu accessories play an important role in the sound and overall performance of the erhu. Some accessories are consumables and must be replaced after a certain lifespan. Like strings and bows. Some are durable goods, which are replaced and adjusted according to the condition of the piano. Such as kilograms, piano yards. But no matter what kind of accessories, there is a process of adaptation, adjustment and running-in.

Strings: From a relaxed state to a taut state, the new strings have a stable process of tension, as well as a process of adaptation to the bridge and the friction and vibration of the bow. For the player, there is also a process of adaptation to the feel, for example, some strings are hard, and some strings are soft. These aspects have been adapted and used, and its performance can be fully exerted, and its operation can be handled well.

Bow: When using a new bow for the first time, be sure to put rosin on it. Repeat several times to make the rosin and horsetail fully run in. It takes a stage. Only a well-drawn bow will have the best friction. The bow is the cause of erhu. One of the factors of noise. The weight and length of erhu bows are different, the bending angles of the bow head and bow tail are different, the number of ponytails is different, the elasticity of the bow is different, the friction between the bow hair and the strings is different when the bow is pushed and drawn, etc. It all needs to be gradually adapted during the running-in process. Even if the amount of rosin is rubbed, it is related to the quality of the horsetail and the ratio of the pros and cons of the bow hair. It requires careful experience and symptomatic treatment. Every time you change a bow, the feeling is different. It will even affect the operating habits of different bowing techniques.

Bridge: There is an adaptation process between the pressure of the bridge and the strings and the tightness of the piano skin, and it also depends on the conduction of the vibration wave of the string by the bridge material (including the strength of the vibration wave, the sensitivity of the frequency, and the sensitivity to the vibration wave. The degree of noise filtering), so the performance of the bridge can not be fully exerted without the induction of the bridge to the high, medium and low sound zones and different strengths for a period of time, and the adaptation process of the bridge to the strings and skins. Adjusting the bridge up will make the tone brighter, but the volume will be lower. The shape of the bridge is oval. You can trim the bridge yourself, and make it flat to help the treble and volume play. The sound hole on the bridge can also be adjusted. Increasing the sound hole can increase the volume. If it is too large, the sound will be empty. The big piano has a thick sound, and the small piano has a finer sound.

Qianjin: Qianjin of different materials has a slight influence on the timbre of the erhu. For example, different jacks, and metal, wood, rubber pulleys, etc., have different effects on the change of tone. It is only related to the pressure and tension on the strings at the contact point of the strings, and the break-in period is shorter than other accessories. However, the adjustment of the high and low position and the distance from the touch point to the piano rod has a great influence on the user's operation. It involves the change of finger spacing and the shape of the hand pressing the strings. The adaptability of this operation is the main process of running in. The width of the gold wire is generally about 16mm. The width has a great impact on the quality of the sound. The "wide" volume increases, and the "narrow" volume decreases. The height of the gold wire will also affect the tone. As it grows, the timbre will become thicker. Generally, the position above and below the daughter line is generally the second section from the elbow to the little finger, which is adjusted according to the length of the player's arms and fingers. It is not easy for the daughter string to be wound around the string part too much, and too much will affect the vibration of the string.

The running-in period for accessories adjustment depends on the quality of the accessories and the adaptability of the user, generally 3-5 days, which is only an experience index. Can't be rigid.

The adjustment and running-in of erhu accessories have a direct relationship with the overall performance of the erhu. If the above accessories are replaced at the same time, it is more necessary to carefully adjust and run in, so that all accessories are adapted to each other and the adaptability of operation is also proficient, so that you can play well and let your Aegean emit the most beautiful tone.

To what extent should the new piano be run in well? This cannot be compared with the fixed number of kilometers that a new car runs, and can only be judged by qualitative feeling. The sound of the new piano is "raw", hard, astringent, not soft; noisy, not round, not smooth. Some pianos are not loud, and the wolf sound is more obvious. After running in, the sound quality and timbre of the piano will be improved, the sound will become round, smooth, soft, transparent and loud, the volume will increase, the penetration will be enhanced, and the wolf sound will also be weakened or reduced. When this effect is achieved, the break-in period is over.