Bowing and changing strings in erhu performance are an important part of performance skills, and they are also basic skills that should be paid attention to and mastered from the beginning of learning the erhu. The bow and string change are mainly caused by the right hand directly interacting with the bow. The operation of the hand determines the quality of the sound quality. In order to control the bow well, the right hand should hold the bow scientifically.

First of all, to hold the bow, the middle and ring fingers must be inserted between the bow shaft and the bow hair, and the big and index fingers must be firmly held: the bow shaft. When playing the inner strings, the middle finger and the ring finger push the bow hair inward so that the bow hair contacts the inner string; when playing the outer string, the towel finger and the ring finger release the pressure on the bow hair, and the middle finger touches the bow shaft and presses the bow shaft outward. The big finger presses the bow rod at the same time, so that the bow hair touches the outer string. This is the inner and outer coordinated action of the big finger, the index finger, the middle finger, and the ring finger, so that the bow hair changes on the inner and outer strings.

Secondly, you must know the direction in which the bow hairs are running. First, the left and right direction: the bow hair is close to the strings, pushing and pulling left or right to make the strings vibrate and pronounce. second. Inward and outward direction: When the bow hair contacts the inner or outer string, pressure is applied inward and outward. Keep the bow hairs on the strings at all times. Third, the up and down direction: the bow hair must be close to the outer edge of the piano barrel, so that the bow hair has a slight force, so as to keep the bow hair brushing point consistent and keep the tone relatively stable.

After understanding the direction of the force of the bow, it is also necessary to understand the essentials of smooth and straight bow. Flat: It means that the bow must be parallel to the top surface of the qin barrel from left to right or from right to left, and the bow hair and the strings should be kept at a vertical angle. The trajectory of the bow should be consistent, and the tip of the bow should not be lifted or sagged. Straight: When the bow is pulled to the right, the right arm cannot be pulled back, and when the bow is pushed to the left, the bow tip cannot be down and backward. That is to say, the bow movement should be a parallel linear motion.

The following is a solution to the problems that often occur in the bow and string operation:

1. The bow hair leaving the piano barrel is a problem that is easy to cause when changing the strings

The bow hair leaving the barrel not only makes the sound dull, but also enlarges the traces of changing strings and destroys the fluency of the tone. The way to correct it is: when changing the strings, the bow hair is close to the piano barrel, when pulling the inner string, the middle finger and ring finger push the bow hair inward, and at the same time, the thumb presses down the bow rod; when pulling the outer string, loosen the middle finger and ring finger, and use the middle finger Point out to the top of the shaft, with your big fingers pressing down on the shaft at the same time. The actions of pushing, releasing and pressing are done synchronously. When changing the strings, you must also pay attention to the coordination with the bow change, so that the movements of the fingers and wrists are coordinated and accurate, and the change of the strings is clean, the bow movement is coherent, and the tone is good.

2. The bow does not run smoothly

Some people do not pay attention to the essentials of bowing, and they are accustomed to raising their right arm when the bow is pulled to the right, and the tip of the bow is upturned when the bow is pushed to the left. Affected a lot, the tones sound unclear. The way to correct it is: try to make the bow go horizontally. When pulling the outer string, the palm should not fall down. It should move parallel to the inner string, and the wrist should be loose and controlled. When playing a fast bow, you should pay attention to the uniform force of pushing and pulling the bow, and the focus point of the bow hair to hang the string should be clear, so that the tone will be strong and pleasant.

3. Improper ratio of bow speed and strength

The strength of the bow hair pressing the string in the bow is proportional to the speed of the bow. When the bow speed is increased, the pressure of the bow hair on the string should be increased; on the contrary, when the bow speed is slowed down, the pressure of the bow hair on the string should be weakened. Only in this way can the erhu pronunciation be pure and beautiful. Changes in the strength of the bow hair and the speed of the bow are important means of controlling the timbre of the erhu. In practical application, the speed and strength of bowing should be considered according to the content of the musical work and the needs of the musical mood, so that the performance skills can better serve the expression of musical connotation.

Bowing and string changing are the basic skills of the erhu, and are also very important basic skills. Paying attention to and mastering this basic skill will lay a solid foundation for natural, smooth and handy performance.