The use of strength in the erhu is a very important point. Many times people tend to overlook some important points. Today we will start with the best conditions for strength and precautions.

The control of the force of the erhu bow and the coordination of breathing allow us to better grasp the control of the force of the erhu in the study of the erhu. The control force of the erhu bow, skillfully use the gravity of the erhu bow and overcome the tense breathing state. By mastering the strength of the good luck bow, you can skillfully borrow the natural gravity of the bow and the relevant links of the human body to act on the strings when pressing, so as to achieve A bowing technique endowed with coordinated operation, firm pronunciation, and changes in timbre and dynamics.

The scientific method of playing should be round, smooth and elastic in pronunciation. To do this, the main thing is to master the optimal pressure-speed ratio between the bow and the string and the proper force of the left hand fingers on the string. The "best" and "appropriate" are subject to change at any time according to the specific requirements of the music. The scientific performance method gives the player the greatest possibility of change. If the performance method is not standardized enough, it will bring obstacles to the performance of music.

Optimal force conditions for erhu bow

The erhu bow is the basis of daily practice. It is simple and difficult. It is easy to pronounce it with one pull, but it really takes a lot of work to pull the sound well. The optimal force of the erhu bow probably involves two aspects, that is, the efficient transmission of the force and the optimal vibration of the strings.

1. Efficient transmission of power

Efficient power transmission means that the force in the bow can be effectively used to push the strings to vibrate. In order to facilitate understanding, we simply divide the right-hand bowing force into the left-right movement force of pushing and pulling the bow and the string-attaching force. Only the left and right movement force of pushing and pulling the bow is discussed here, and the string force is not discussed here.

Many teachers use the swinging state of the fish tail to describe the movement of the right hand when teaching students. This analogy is very appropriate. When the fish tail swings, the energy is efficiently transmitted in the form of waves, and the tail is like an elastic whip. When the resonance is followed (meaning that the excitation frequency of the system is close to the natural frequency of a certain order of the system, the system amplitude increases significantly. phenomenon) principle, only a small force can make the tail fully swing; when swinging at high speed, the natural frequency is increased by shortening the swing length and reducing the swing mass to meet the resonance requirements.

In order to achieve this state with the right hand when erhu is using the bow, the arm needs to be relaxed as much as possible, but not completely relaxed. There must be a certain strength to lift the forearm, and at the same time, a certain string force must be applied to the bow, so it cannot be completely relaxed. To relax, it is necessary to fully relax and maintain a certain elasticity. The right hand uses the shoulder joint as the focal point to drive the upper arm, the upper arm drives the forearm, and successively drives the palm and fingers to fully swing. When the bow is moved quickly, the focus point is moved forward to the elbow joint, which can effectively reduce the vibration mass, thereby increasing the resonance frequency. When the bow is fluttering, the focus point is moved further forward to the wrist joint. At the same time, the fingers apply appropriate string pressure to the bow shaft and bow hair to ensure that the bow hair runs close to the strings. This string pressure can be adjusted flexibly with the change of the bow position and the bow speed.

If a certain part of the right hand is not relaxed, this energy will be blocked in the form of wave transmission. Below the blocked point, it will become a whole movement. At the blocked point, additional bowing force must be provided, and it will be sore after playing the piano for a long time. . This is the negative effect of improper method. At the same time, this power is not easy to control, and what you get is not a round and full sound, but a fierce and false sound. Of course, the tension is different and the degree of influence is also different, resulting in various phenomena.

For the sake of simplicity, only the movement form of the right hand is discussed here, and the force control is not discussed here.

2. The best vibration conditions for strings

The strings have both overall vibration and segmental vibration. In addition to the overall vibration of the strings to emit a fundamental frequency sound, there are also segmental vibrations to emit a number of pitches higher than the fundamental frequency. So the vibration of the string is formed by the superposition of vibrations one by one. Here, for simplicity, only the fundamental frequency of the overall vibration is discussed.

The erhu tuning is generally DA, then the fundamental frequency of the open string of the inner string is 293.67Hz, and the fundamental frequency of the open string of the outer string is 440.00Hz. In order to achieve the best vibration of the strings, the simple resonance condition of the strings must be met, that is, the bow hair plucks the piano. The frequency of the strings is synchronized with the vibration frequency of the strings.

In the article "Discussion on the Vibration Mechanism of Erhu Strings", the process of "playing the strings by alternately transforming static friction and sliding friction" is discussed. The bow hair uses static friction to pull the strings and the bow hair moves in the same direction. The force is a certain value at a certain string pressure, and the rebound force of the string increases as the displacement increases. When the rebound force is greater than the static friction force, the string will overcome the static friction force and turn into sliding friction for rebound. When the inertia of the rebound is not enough to overcome the sliding friction, it will turn into a static friction state for a new round of plucking, so that the continuous plucking of the strings is completed in a cycle.

The special method of plucking the strings of the erhu is different from other plucked instruments: the erhu strings are plucked once in each vibration cycle, while the strings of a general plucked instrument are free to vibrate for several cycles after plucking once.

The problem of difficulty in controlling the sound of the erhu also appears. Generally, the strings of the plucked instrument are free to vibrate after being plucked once, and the sound quality is only affected by the characteristics of the instrument itself; the erhu is not only affected by the characteristics of the instrument itself, but also by the plucking technology. It is reflected in the problem of whether the plucking frequency can be synchronized with the vibration frequency of the strings. This synchronization is easier said than done, but it can be a very difficult process. Learning Erhu requires a lot of time and in-depth exploration to master this technique.

The synchronization of the plucking frequency of the erhu strings and the vibration frequency of the strings is embodied in that the running speed of the bow hair is consistent with the vibration displacement speed of the strings.

The use of power in erhu performance should pay attention to the natural state

Try to stay as natural as possible. Relaxation in erhu performance is taken from nature. The relaxation we are talking about is not the complete relaxation of the muscles. For example, when sitting, hunched over and hunched, it seems to be more relaxed than sitting upright, but it is not natural, and it is not conducive to performance, so it does not conform to the principles of scientific relaxation. The scientific relaxation principle means that you should never exert your strength where it should not be used, but concentrate your strength on the necessary points. For example, when playing, keep your legs flat and your feet on the ground is in line with the natural sitting posture. Yes, but some performers raise their left leg high and point their toes on the ground. This part of the strength does not help the performance, but they get an unsightly playing posture.

Whether in the classroom or in textbooks, "relaxation" seems to be synonymous with the scientific method. But relaxation is just a concept, and it is a very complicated issue in specific performances. Relaxation is not slack, and not all techniques require relaxation. In principle, relaxation means not wasting energy. It is mainly reflected in the following aspects in performance:

1. Try to stay as natural as possible. Relaxation in erhu performance is taken from nature. The relaxation we are talking about is not the complete relaxation of the muscles. For example, when sitting, hunched over and hunched, it seems to be more relaxed than sitting upright, but it is not natural, and it is not conducive to performance, so it does not conform to the principles of scientific relaxation. The scientific relaxation principle means that you should never exert your strength where it should not be used, but concentrate your strength on the necessary points. For example, when playing, keep your legs flat and your feet on the ground is in line with the natural sitting posture. Yes, but some performers raise their left leg high and point their toes on the ground. This part of the strength does not help the performance, but they get an unsightly playing posture.

For another example, when playing, the shoulders should hang down naturally, which is not only relaxed, beautiful, but also easy to make full use of the weight of the arms. However, some players lift the shoulders, which wastes this part of the strength, and also offsets the sinking of the arms. weight and poor posture. Another example: when holding the piano in the upper position, the left arm should maintain a 45-degree angle with the side of the body. This is an optimal angle, which is both natural and conducive to performance. At a 90-degree angle, the power of this arm lift is wasted. When the handlebars are changed to the middle and lower handlebars, the big arm should descend accordingly, and the angle with the body side should become smaller. This is natural and correct, but if the big arm does not descend with the body side, it will still keep 45 degrees from the body side. Angle, this is a tension. Conversely, if it is in the top position, the big arm will sag, and the angle to the side of the body is too small, which seems to be slack, but it is not conducive to playing, and it is not natural, so it is not correct.

The human hand is the most natural and relaxed in the shape of a half-clenched fist. It is in line with the principle of scientific relaxation to maintain the hand shape that is closest to the half-clenched fist when pressing the fingers. Pressing the strings in many places at the junction of the face will inevitably lead to excessive bending of the fingers, which can only cause the fingers to be tense, inflexible, and weak in pronunciation. When the bow is drawn, the right upper arm is lifted too early, or the upper arm cannot be retracted in time when the bow is pushed, so that the upper arm is raised, which not only wastes the strength of lifting the upper arm, but also offsets the weight of the arm sinking, and also makes the right arm rise. The pronunciation of the half bow is difficult to control, so it is not in line with the principle of scientific relaxation, but some erhu skills cannot be played without arm tension, such as: stretching the fingers, flying bow, bending the column method, etc., which are necessary for performance. It's not wrong to be nervous.

In short, in the performance state, including sitting posture, hand shape, dynamics, etc., when it comes to relaxation, we must grasp the two preconditions of nature and necessity.

2. Make use of natural gravity. For example, the force of the bow sticking to the strings in the erhu performance mainly comes from the gravity of the arm sinking, and then changes the direction of the force through the movements of the middle finger and the ring finger, thus forming a force between the bow hair and the strings. kind of oblique pressure. When playing at medium strength or below, the weight of the arm itself is enough to provide the bow hair to stick to the string. When playing with a strong strength, you can take the body slightly forward and add part of the weight of the body, so that It can fully meet the stringing degree required by the bow, and it needs to rely on the strength of muscle tension to push the bow. Another example: when the left hand is changed from a low handle to a high handle, as long as the tiger's mouth is loosened, the arm will "fall" downward under the action of natural gravity, and there is no need to add any artificial force. Another example: when playing the stretched and singing swaying jin, the bow is generally wider, and the player's body can swing slightly left and right with the bow, so that the center of gravity of the body is biased to the right when the bow is drawn, and the bow will also be in the position. It can be easily pulled out under the action of natural gravity; similarly, if the center of gravity of the body is biased to the left when pushing the bow, the bow will also easily move to the left under the action of natural gravity, and so on. In short, making full use of natural gravity during performance is also an important relaxation technique.

3. Use natural inertia. The movement of the object will inevitably bring inertia, and if it can be fully utilized, it will become a force that has been supplied until the bow is changed, and then the bow suddenly moves in the opposite direction, just like a car moving forward at full speed and reversing its inertia. Not only can it not become a booster, but on the contrary, it will offset the effective kinetic energy of the same amount. The cushioning effect of the wrist in bowing. It is used to control the habitual movement, and there are also some bowing skills, such as: throwing the bow, jumping the bow naturally, hitting the bow in the same direction, etc., which are played by using the inertia of the bow movement. If you can't master its laws , it is difficult to use these techniques well. In the music, there are many places where you can make full use of inertia to play easily, it just depends on whether the performer can use it skillfully.

4. Don't stress the left hand to keep the hand shape. If we call the finger that is pressing the string as the "work" finger, and the finger that is temporarily off the string as the "off-duty" finger; then, when one finger is pressed on the string, if the other fingers are not in a reserved state. When not on quick standby, they should all be relaxed into their natural bends, without the fingers dangling tensely over the phoneme. In this way, the left hand can be fully rested.

When playing a long note, the bow hair has to grab the string at the moment of sounding in order to play the attack. At this time, of course, the right hand must hold the bow and give it a certain amount of strength. But when the long note is played, the right hand should be relaxed immediately to keep the strings vibrating normally, without having to hold the bow tightly all the time. At this time, it is best to make the right hand become a subconscious state, that is: let the right hand temporarily disappear from consciousness, and before the next sound is played, the right hand will be re-energized to prepare for pronunciation. In this way, the right hand can often be fully rested, which is also one of the ways to relax.

5. When playing a long note, the bow hair must "grab" the string at the moment of pronouncing to play the sound. At this time, of course, the right hand must hold the bow and give it a certain amount of strength. But when the long note is played, the right hand should be relaxed immediately to keep the strings vibrating normally, without having to hold the bow tightly all the time. At this time, it is best to make the right hand become a subconscious state, that is: let the right hand temporarily disappear from consciousness, and before the next sound is played, the right hand will be re-energized to prepare for pronunciation. In this way, the right hand can often be fully rested, which is also one of the ways to relax.

6. In a phrase, not every note is important and needs to be played hard. Also as we usually talk. Important words need to be spoken clearly and powerfully, while unimportant words should be gently passed by. Then, when playing, it is also necessary to distinguish the tonic and consonant in the phrase. According to the needs of the mood of the music, the notes that should be emphasized are clearly played, and those that should not be emphasized are gently passed. In this way, the music can be made vivid and changeable, and the labor intensity when playing is greatly reduced.

7. If there is an accompaniment, the performance rights of the phrases or paragraphs mainly based on the accompaniment part should be given to the accompaniment instrument, and the soloist can relax and play lightly, which not only can rest, but also makes the erhu sound more impressive when it reappears. The freshness enriches the performance of the music, and it serves several purposes in one fell swoop.

8. Deliberately relax and lightly play before the phrase that must be played with strong force. On the one hand, it can preserve the strength, and on the other hand, it can form a strong contrast with the latter phrase, which increases the drama of the performance, and the effect is very good.

9. Improvise tension. The performance of a piece of music is always in constant change, and this transformation is not completely pre-processed, and a large part of it is the performer's improvisation during performance. The better the performer, the richer and more wonderful this improvisation is. When we play, the tension needs to be adjusted improvisationally as the music unfolds. This kind of tension includes both movement and psychology. When you feel a little tight, or a piece of tense music is over, you should relax in time; There are strong and weak, continuous and paused, long and short, and other changes and comparisons to complete the performance of a piece of music. This kind of impromptu change is a concrete manifestation of the player's sense of music and experience, and there are not many rules to speak of.

Use scientifically, save and not be stingy, you should not care about every bit of use, but use your best, this is the principle of relaxation; and being able to do everything just right, this is the principle of art.

The control of the force of the erhu bow and the coordination of breathing allow us to better grasp the control of the force of the erhu in the study of the erhu. The control force of the erhu bow, skillfully use the gravity of the erhu bow and overcome the tense breathing state. By mastering the strength of the good luck bow, you can skillfully borrow the natural gravity of the bow and the relevant links of the human body to act on the strings when pressing, so as to achieve A bowing technique endowed with coordinated operation, firm pronunciation, and changes in timbre and dynamics.