The accompaniment of Jiaren and Gudeng Erhu is in the key of F.
Erhu (Pinyin: Erhu) began in the Tang Dynasty and was called "Xi Qin". It has a history of more than a thousand years. It is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Erhu, the two-stringed huqin, also known as "Nanhu" and "Omzi", is one of the main bowed string instruments (stringed instruments) in the Chinese national musical instrument family.
Erhu, a national musical instrument, is a famous stringed instrument in China. Its origin can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty in China between the seventh and tenth centuries AD. At that time, it was mainly popular among ethnic minorities in northwest China.
In its development history of more than a thousand years, the erhu has always been an accompaniment to opera. The erhu has a simple structure. It consists of a thin wooden piano pole, about 80 centimeters long, with two strings on the pole, a teacup-shaped piano tube under the pole, and a bow made of horsetail. The luthier plays the erhu in a sitting position, holding the lute in his left hand and the bow in his right hand. The erhu has a vocal range of up to three octaves.
The music produced by the erhu is rich in expressive power. With a timbre close to the human voice, it has become a singing instrument. Some people even call it the "Chinese violin" for this reason. Because the erhu's tone sounds slightly sad, it is good at expressing deep emotions.
After 1949, the art of making, reforming and playing the erhu has developed. It can be played solo or accompaniment in singing, dancing and vocal music, as well as opera and rap music. In Chinese folk orchestras, the erhu is a lead instrument, similar to the role of the violin in Western orchestras.
Because the erhu is simple to make, cheap, easy to learn and has beautiful sound, it is deeply loved by the Chinese people and is a musical instrument with a high popularity among Chinese people.