Jinghu
Posted on 06/25/2009 12:52 am by Lois.Zhou
The jinghu (京胡; pinyin: jīnghú) is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the huqin family, used primarily in Beijing opera. It is the smallest and highest pitched instrument in the huqin family.
Construction
Like most of its relatives, the jinghu has two strings that are customarily tuned to the interval of a fifth which the hair of the non-detachable bow passes in between. The strings were formerly made of silk, but in modern times are increasingly made of steel or nylon. Unlike other huqin instruments (erhu, gaohu, zhonghu, etc.) it is made of bamboo. Its cylindrical soundbox is covered with snakeskin on the front (playing) end, which forms a taut drum on which the bridge rests, sandwiched between the drum and the strings, which are connected to a peg at the bottom of the soundbox.
Use
In Beijing opera, the jinghu often doubles the singer’s voice. Jinghu performers in Beijing opera rarely shift into higher positions, and instead choose to compress the melody into a single octave.
The jinghu was also featured prominently in the single “Shinjitsu no Uta” by the Japanese band Do as Infinity.
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Audio sample:
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Luo Yun Fei (乱云飞)