In the past, some outstanding folk artists said: "The first thing to learn art is to have a right way, and the second is to work hard." The so-called "right way" means that the method must be right. In the basic skills training of Erhu, I think the most important issue is to learn to "relax". "Relaxing" is not a lack of effort at all, it is aimed at stiffness, and is a dialectical unity with effort, that is, using skill flexibly on the basis of relaxation. Such as shooting a ball, the right wrist is relaxed and elastic. When shooting the ball, use the wrist force, relax immediately after the shot, use a small force to bounce the ball low, use a large force to bounce the ball high, and maintain a certain height if the force is even. Second-rate. On the other hand, if the wrist is stiff, the wrist will be sore after a few shots. The basic method of bowing in erhu performance is the same as when shooting a ball. If the arm muscles are tense, the wrist is stiff, or the fingers are too strong to press the bow hairs, the pronunciation will be sluggish and unpleasant, which will affect the sound quality of the performance. timbre. If you master the correct method of moving the bow and changing the bow, and correctly experience the feeling of "relaxation", the pronunciation will be transparent, pure and pleasant.

Let's talk about "relaxation" from the playing skills of the left and right hands:

1. Basic bow

Bowing is the basic means of erhu pronunciation, and mastering various bowing skills is an important prerequisite for playing. The basic bows of the right hand are: long bow, slow bow, split bow, even bow, short bow, etc. The most common problem for beginners to learn erhu is that the arms and wrists are stiff, and the force of the fingers pressing the bow hair is too great, resulting in rough and sluggish pronunciation. The correct way to move the bow is: all parts of the body are naturally relaxed, when the shoulders, arms and elbows feel relaxed, apply the natural gravity to the right wrist, and the fingers, wrists, and arms holding the bow do not feel strong (actually there is a little force). ), let the bow hairs move left and right against the strings. When the push-pull bow is properly coordinated, the erhu string can fully vibrate, and the pronunciation is also pure and pleasant. This basic method of bowing is an indispensable part of basic skill training. It is necessary to experience the feeling of "relaxation" every day until the bow is naturally coordinated and can be used proficiently.

2. fast bow

Quick bow is the key content of erhu bow skill training. It is the contraction and acceleration of the longbow, slowbow action. Due to the high speed and short bow segment, the shoulders and arms of the right hand are required to relax naturally and cooperate closely with the left hand. The correct method is: hold the bow lightly with the right hand, and move the wrist under the support of the shoulder and arm and the drive of the forearm. When the bow is moved from side to side, the wrist should remain loosely controlled, rather than consciously swung from side to side or forced hard. Some people hear the teacher say to "relax" when they are learning fast bows, but their wrists don't have any strength at all, and the sound is weak, weak, and unclear. This kind of relaxation is unnecessary. When we say "loose", we mean the feeling of slack after a springy, controlled effort. This looseness is used to adjust the tension and fatigue of fast bowing. The correct method of fast bowing produces a clear, firm, grainy sound. The best way to solve technical problems with fast bows is to slow down and practice. In the slow training, carefully experience the support and relaxation of the shoulders and arms, the control and loosening of the wrist strength, so that all parts can coordinate with each other and eliminate the state of constant tension in the muscles. At the same time, it also applies a variety of speed exercises such as slow, medium, fast, and fast, and feels the slight difference in arm, wrist, and finger relaxation in the changing speed, thereby improving the ability of the hand to adjust and control the bow, so that the performance can reach the ideal. Effect. In this way, after a long period of rigorous training and continuous consolidation of the correct method, the automation of the performance can finally be formed, and the fast bow can be played freely.

3. Bow

The bow is a colorful bow method, which can enrich the expressive power of music. There are fen bow and lenton bow. The following is mainly about how to play the split bow: the fingers holding the bow naturally hold the bow shaft, the bow hair is close to the strings, and each note is played firmly with the explosive force of the middle bow and wrist. Disconnected, the pronunciation is elastic, focused, and powerful. The most important thing in learning the bow is to experience the momentary tension and relaxation of the wrist and forearm. The tension mentioned here is not rigid, but controlled tension that can be relaxed immediately, and its pronunciation should be flexible and concentrated, not a dead, broken sound. Some erhu performers, such as Ae Huifen and Chen Yaoxing, are skilled in their bowing skills. According to the different moods of the music, some are strong and powerful; some are relaxed and flexible; some are soft and smooth. Before practicing the bow. You can practice the sub-bow with the sound head first, experience the explosive power of the sound, and then practice the bowing when you feel it. After being proficient, consider the change of the force of the bow and the control of the focus point according to the different needs of the etude music.

4. Touch the strings

Like the right hand, the left hand should also learn to "relax". First, the shoulders, arms and elbows of the left hand should be relaxed naturally. The left palm holding the piano should be in the shape of a half fist, the fingers should be bent naturally, and the fingers will naturally lift and fall when pressing the sound. The mistakes that beginners are prone to make are: ① One finger is raised to press the sound, and the next finger is raised with force at the same time, which contracts the muscles of the other fingers and causes excess tension, which results in wasted strength and fatigue. , which greatly affects the smooth progress of the music. ② Continue to press the strings hard after pressing the finger, without using "relaxation" to buffer and adjust the strength of the finger, so that the finger cannot press the sound according to the rhythm of the music, which affects the fluency of the tone. When playing short and fast notes, the fingers are in a state of excessive tension, which hinders the performance of the right hand, and the poor coordination of the two hands makes the melody line of the music unclear. The solution is: slow down the speed, carefully experience the single finger pressing the string, and the other fingers do not move in place; carefully experience the feeling of "relaxation" after the finger touches the string. Only by eliminating redundant movements and pressing the sound loosely can the fingers be flexible and the strings can be touched quickly and sharply.

5. Change the handle

Changing the handle is the basic skill of the erhu, it can broaden the vocal range and enhance the expressive power of the erhu. There are two types of handles on the erhu, traditional and new. No matter which grip position you use, you need to move your forearm and wrist up and down. When changing the handle, the wrist should be relaxed. As the forearm moves up and down, the wrist acts as the link between the palm and the forearm. When changing the handle, it is necessary to overcome the psychological tension factor. The brain instructs the arm and wrist to move up and down slackly. The arm muscles should not be stiff, and there will be a "heavy" feeling. Only by practicing in a relaxed feeling can you find the exact phoneme and make the bar changing technique more proficient.

6. vibrato

Kneading strings is the most basic technique of the left hand, which not only makes the erhu pronunciation soft and pleasant, but also enhances the expressiveness and appeal of musical works. The most basic method of erhu kneading is to drive the fingers to vibrate up and down with the wrist, the fingertips roll up and down on the strings, and the strings are pressed elastically to change the tension and length of the strings. When kneading the strings, the shoulders, arms and wrists should be relaxed, the strength of the arms should be applied to the fingertips, and the wrists should easily drive the palms and fingers to shake. To achieve uniform amplitude, speed, and weight of the vibrato, the connection between the two vibrato should be coherent. In addition, there are pressure kneading, sliding kneading, pulling kneading, late kneading and so on. I won't go into details here. In short, "relaxation" is always inseparable from the process of vibrato. Only on the basis of "relaxation" can we master and use various vibrato techniques in a controlled manner, so as to make the musical performance more colorful and moving. From the bow fingering skills of the left and right hands described above, there is always "relaxation" throughout. This is the dialectical relationship between looseness and strength, and it is looseness and perseverance. The "relaxation" in performance is to liberate the power that has been used, which is often referred to as skill. This kind of relaxation exercise, which consciously liberates the excessive tension of physiological muscles, enables people and musical instruments to achieve balance and unity, and also enables learners to master the performance of musical instruments faster.