''Huqin'' () is a family of bowed

string instrument String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the ...

s, more specifically, a

spike fiddle Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

popularly used in

Chinese music Music of China refers to the music of the Chinese people, which may be the music of the Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, ma ...

. The instruments consist of a round, hexagonal, or octagonal

sound box A sound box or sounding box (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a musical instrument which modifies the sound of the instrument, and helps transfer that sound to the surrounding air. Objects respond more strongly to vibr ...

at the bottom with a neck attached that protrudes upwards. They also usually have two strings, and their soundboxes are typically covered with either

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

skin (most often

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) or thin wood. Huqin instruments usually have two tuning pegs, one peg for each string. The pegs are attached horizontally through holes drilled in the instrument's neck. Most huqin have the bow hair pass in between the strings. Exceptions to having two strings and pegs include variations of huqin with three, four, and sometimes even more than five. These include the zhuihu, a three stringed huqin, the sihu, a huqin of Mongolian origin, and the sanhu, a lesser-known three-stringed variation. The most common huqin are the ''

erhu The ''erhu'' (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a ''Southern Fiddle'', and is sometimes known in the Western world as the ''Chinese violin'' or a ''Chinese two-s ...

'', which is tuned to a middle range; ''

zhonghu The ''zhonghu'' (), short for ''zhongyin erhu'' () is a low-pitched Chinese bowed string instrument. Together with the erhu and gaohu, it is a member of the huqin family. It was developed in the 1940s as the alto member of the huqin family (sim ...

'', which is tuned to a lower register, and ''

gaohu The ''gaohu'' ( 高胡; pinyin: ''gāohú'', ; Cantonese: gou1 wu4; also called ''yuehu'' 粤胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument developed from the ''erhu'' in the 1920s by the musician and composer Lü Wencheng (1898–1981) and use ...

'', which is tuned to a higher pitch. The lowest pitched huqins include the dahu and gehu. The highest pitched huqin is the jinghu, used in the Beijing opera. Over eighty types of ''huqin'' instruments have been documented. ''Huqin'' instruments are believed to have come from the nomadic Hu people, who lived on the extremities of ancient Chinese kingdoms, possibly descending from an instrument called the '' Xiqin'' (

奚琴 Xiqin may refer to: *Xiqin (instrument), a bowed string Chinese musical instrument *Western Qin (385-400, 409-431), a Xianbei state and one of the Sixteen Kingdoms * Xiqin Guildhall, a museum in Zigong, Sichuan, China Towns or townships in China * ...

), originally played by the Mongolic Xi tribe. Like the people of China, Mongolian people also have cultural and ethnic heritage of the ancient Hu nomads, and the Mongol version of the ''xiqin'', known as the ''

khuuchir The khuuchir is a bowed musical instrument of Mongolia. Formerly, the nomads mainly used the snake skin violin or horsetail violin. The Chinese call it "the Mongol instrument" or " ''huk'in'' or ''huqin''".dihu The ''dihu'' (低胡, pinyin: dīhú) is a large bowed string instrument from China. It has a large soundbox covered on one end with snakeskin. Like most other members of the huqin family of instruments, it has two strings and is held vertically ...

'', ''

gehu The ''gehu'' (革胡; pinyin: géhú) is a Chinese instrument developed in the 20th century by the Chinese musician Yang Yusen ( 杨雨森, 1926–1980). It is a fusion of the Chinese huqin family and the cello. Its four strings are also tu ...

'', and ''

diyingehu The bass ''gehu'' (低音革胡; pinyin: ''dīyīngéhú'', ; also called ''digehu'' or ''beigehu'' 倍革胡, literally "bass ''gehu''") is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family. It was developed by Yang Yusen along with ...

'' were developed for use in modern

Chinese orchestra The term Chinese orchestra is most commonly used to refer to the modern Chinese orchestra that is found in China and various overseas Chinese communities. This modern Chinese orchestra first developed out of Jiangnan sizhu ensemble in the 1920s i ...

s. Of these, the ''gehu'' and ''diyingehu'' would be analogous to Occidental cellos and double basses respectively, and were designed to have a timbre that would blend in with the sound of traditional ''huqin''. These instruments generally have four strings and fingerboards, and are played in a similar manner to cellos and double basses, and are very different from the traditional ''huqin''. Similar instruments also feature in the music traditions of neighboring countries, such as

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

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Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

and

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

List of Chinese huqin instruments

Erhu The ''erhu'' (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a ''Southern Fiddle'', and is sometimes known in the Western world as the ''Chinese violin'' or a ''Chinese two-s ...

(二胡); also called ''nanhu'' ( 南胡) * Erquanqin (二泉琴); slightly larger erhu used specifically to play the melody Erquan Yingyue (二泉映月) *

Gaohu The ''gaohu'' ( 高胡; pinyin: ''gāohú'', ; Cantonese: gou1 wu4; also called ''yuehu'' 粤胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument developed from the ''erhu'' in the 1920s by the musician and composer Lü Wencheng (1898–1981) and use ...

(高胡); also called ''yuehu'' ( 粤胡) *

Banhu The ''banhu'' (板胡, pinyin: bǎnhú) is a Chinese traditional bowed string instrument in the huqin family of instruments. It is used primarily in northern China. ''Ban'' means a piece of wood and ''hu'' is short for ''huqin''. Like the more ...

(板胡) * Jinghu (京胡) * Jing erhu (京二胡) *

Zhonghu The ''zhonghu'' (), short for ''zhongyin erhu'' () is a low-pitched Chinese bowed string instrument. Together with the erhu and gaohu, it is a member of the huqin family. It was developed in the 1940s as the alto member of the huqin family (sim ...

(中胡) *

Yehu The ''yehu'' () is a bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family of Chinese musical instruments. ''Ye'' means coconut and ''hu'' is short for ''huqin''. It is used particularly in the southern coastal provinces of China and in Taiwan. The i ...

(椰胡) *

Erxian The ''erxian'' ( 二弦; pinyin: èrxián; literally "two string") is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family of instruments. It has two strings and is used primarily in Cantonese music, most often in "hard string" chamber e ...

(二弦) *

Tiqin The ''tiqin'' () is a name applied to several two-stringed Chinese bowed string musical instruments in the ''huqin'' family of instruments. Types There are several types of ''tiqin'': *The ''tiqin'' used for ''kunqu'' opera *The ''tiqin'' used f ...

(提琴) *

Tihu Tihu (Pron:ˈtɪhuː) is a town and a town area committee established in 1951 in Nalbari district in the Indian state of Assam. Demographics India census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating inf ...

(提胡) *

Daguangxian The ''daguangxian'' (; literally "great, broad string nstrument) is a Chinese bowed two-stringed List of traditional Chinese musical instruments, musical instrument in the ''huqin'' family of instruments, held on the lap and played upright. I ...

(大广弦) *

Datong Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China. It is located in the Datong Basin at an elevation of and borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Hebei to the east. As of the 2020 cens ...

(大筒)photo
/sup> * Datongxian (大筒弦)photo
/sup> *

Kezaixian The ''kezaixian'' () is a bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family originating in China. More specifically a type of ''yehu'', it is a two-stringed fiddle and is used in Taiwan opera. Traditionally the ''khak-a-hian'' is constructed with a ...

(壳仔弦) - two-stringed fiddle with coconut body, used in

Taiwan opera Taiwanese opera () commonly known as Ke-Tse opera or Hokkien opera, is a form of traditional drama originating in Taiwan. Taiwanese opera uses a stylised combination of both the literary and colloquial registers of Taiwanese Hokkien. Its earliest ...

Hexian He County or Hexian () is a county in the east of Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, under the jurisdiction of Ma'anshan. It has a population of 650,000 and an area of . The government of He County is located in Liyang Town. History From ...

(和弦) *

Huluhu The ''huluhu'' (traditional: 葫蘆胡; simplified: 葫芦胡; pinyin: húlúhú) is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family of instruments. It has two strings, and its sound box is made from a gourd, with a face made of thin ...

(traditional: 葫蘆胡; simplified: 葫芦胡) * Maguhu (traditional: 馬骨胡; simplified: 马骨胡) * Tuhu (土胡) *

Jiaohu The ''jiaohu'' ( 角胡; pinyin: jiǎohú) is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the huqin family of musical instruments. Although very similar to the Jinghu and Ehru in physical structure, the Jiaohu is a traditional Chinese instrument. It is a ...

(角胡) *

Zhuihu The ''zhuihu'' ( 坠胡, pinyin: zhùihú; also called ''zhuiqin'' or ''zhuizixian'') is a two-stringed bowed string instrument from China. In construction, it resembles the ''sanxian'', and likely evolved as a bowed version of that musical ins ...

(traditional: 墜胡; simplified: 坠胡) *

Zhuiqin The ''zhuihu'' ( 坠胡, pinyin: zhùihú; also called ''zhuiqin'' or ''zhuizixian'') is a two-stringed bowed string instrument from China. In construction, it resembles the ''sanxian'', and likely evolved as a bowed version of that musical instrum ...

(traditional: 墜琴; simplified: 坠琴) *

Leiqin The ''leiqin'' ( 雷琴 or 擂琴, literally "thunderous instrument"; also called ''leihu'') is a Chinese bowed string musical instrument. Construction It has a metal soundbox covered with snakeskin and a long fretless fingerboard. The two str ...

(雷琴) * Sihu (四胡) * Sanhu (三胡) *Liuhu (六胡) * Dahu (大胡) *

Dihu The ''dihu'' (低胡, pinyin: dīhú) is a large bowed string instrument from China. It has a large soundbox covered on one end with snakeskin. Like most other members of the huqin family of instruments, it has two strings and is held vertically ...

(低胡) ** Xiaodihu (小低胡) **

Zhongdihu The ''dihu'' ( 低胡, pinyin: dīhú) is a large bowed string instrument from China. It has a large soundbox covered on one end with snakeskin. Like most other members of the huqin family of instruments, it has two strings and is held verticall ...

(中低胡) ** Dadihu (大低胡) *

Cizhonghu The dahu ( 大胡, pinyin: ''dàhú'') is a large bowed string instrument from China. It has a large soundbox covered on one end with python skin. Like most other members of the huqin family of instruments, it has two strings and is held vert ...

Gehu The ''gehu'' (革胡; pinyin: géhú) is a Chinese instrument developed in the 20th century by the Chinese musician Yang Yusen ( 杨雨森, 1926–1980). It is a fusion of the Chinese huqin family and the cello. Its four strings are also tu ...

(革胡) **

Diyingehu The bass ''gehu'' (低音革胡; pinyin: ''dīyīngéhú'', ; also called ''digehu'' or ''beigehu'' 倍革胡, literally "bass ''gehu''") is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the ''huqin'' family. It was developed by Yang Yusen along with ...

(低音革胡) *

Laruan The ''lāruǎn'' ( 拉阮; also spelled ''la ruan'') is a relatively new Chinese string instrument blending the acoustics of the ''ruan'' with that of the Western cello. Its larger counterpart is the ''dalaruan'' (大拉阮), which corresponds to ...

(拉阮) ** Dalaruan (大拉阮) *

Paqin The ''paqin'' ( 琶琴) is a modern bowed lute originating in China. The instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body like pipa, with neck no frets but bowed by horsehair bow. It has a bass variant, the ''dapaqin'' and a alto variant is the ''xiaopaq ...

(琶琴) **

Dapaqin The ''dapaqin'' ( 大琶琴) is a modern bowed string instrument originating in China. It is the bass variant of the ''paqin''. Its name literally means "big ''paqin''". Its tone is similar to that double bass. See also * ''Paqin'' * Chinese mus ...

(大琶琴) * Xiqin (奚琴) * Niutuiqin or ''niubatui'' (牛腿琴 or 牛巴腿) (Guizhou)photo
/sup> *

Matouqin The ''morin khuur'' ( mn, морин хуур, morin khuur), also known as the horsehead fiddle, is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument. It is one of the most important musical instruments of the Mongol people, and is considered a ...

(馬頭琴) (Inner Mongolia) *

Aijieke The ''ghijak'' (also spelled ''ghidjak'', ''ghichak'', ''gidzhak'', ''gijak'', ''g'ijjak,'', or ''ghijek'' ( ug, غىجەك, ғиҗәк, ghijek, or occasionally ug, غىرجەك, ғирҗәк, ghirjek; Chinese: wikt:艾捷克, 艾捷克 ''aijiek ...

(艾捷克) (Xinjian

*

Sataer The ''satar'' ( ug, ساتار, ucy=сатар; zh, 萨它尔) is a traditional Uyghur long-necked bowed lute. It is used by Uyghur people in Xinjiang, western China, and is an important instrument to play maqams. Characteristics The instru ...

(萨它尔) (Xinjiang)photo
/sup> * Shaoqin (韶琴) an electric erhu

Related instruments in other Asian nations

Cambodia

* Tro (Cambodia) **

Tro che The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro Khmer The ''tro Khmer'' () is a traditional bowed string instrument from Cambodia. Its body is made from a special type of coconut covered on one end with snake skin, and it has three strings. Instruments are not standardized, and coconuts vary in si ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro sau thom The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro sau toch The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it ...

(Cambodia) **

Tro u The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where i ...

(Cambodia) ** Tro Ou Chamhieng (

Cham people The Cham (Cham: ''Čaṃ'') or Champa people (Cham: , ''Urang Campa''; vi, Người Chăm or ; km, ជនជាតិចាម, ) are an Austronesian ethnic group. From the 2nd century to 1832 the Cham populated Champa, a contiguous territo ...

, Cambodia)

Japan

Kokyū The is a traditional Japanese string instrument, the only one played with a bow. A variant of the instrument also exists in Okinawa, called in Okinawan. The , like the , has its origins in Okinawa. Although it is similar to Chinese , it a ...

(Japan) (though this is actually descended from the rebab and related instruments, through South East Asia and the Ryukyu islands)Minoru, Miki 2008, Composing for Japanese Instruments, pp 116-117

Korea

Haegeum The ''haegeum'' () is a traditional Korean string instrument, resembling a vertical fiddle with two strings; derived from '' xiqin'', traditional Instrument of Xi people, which was introduced in Goryeo Dynasty through Northern Song. It has ...

(Korea; derived from the '' Xiqin'') **

Sohaegeum The sohaegeum () is a North Korean musical instrument, developed in the 1960s. It is essentially a modernized form of the '' haegeum'' (a traditional Korean bowed vertical fiddle). ''So'' (hanja: 四) in ''sohaegeum'' means "four", because it ha ...

(North Korea) ** Junghaegeum (North Korea) ** Daehaegeum (North Korea) ** Jeohaegeum (North Korea)

Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan

kyl kiak The Kobyz ( kk, қобыз, ''Qobyz''; ba, ҡумыҙ; tt-Cyrl, кубыз) or ''kylkobyz'' ( kk, қылқобыз, ''qylqobyz''; ba, ҡыл ҡумыҙ; tt-Cyrl, кылкубыз) is an ancient Turkic bowed string instrument, spread among K ...

(

Kobyz The Kobyz ( kk, қобыз, ''Qobyz''; ba, ҡумыҙ; tt-Cyrl, кубыз) or ''kylkobyz'' ( kk, қылқобыз, ''qylqobyz''; ba, ҡыл ҡумыҙ; tt-Cyrl, кылкубыз) is an ancient Turkic bowed string instrument, spread among Ka ...

)

Mongolia

Morin khuur The ''morin khuur'' ( mn, морин хуур, morin khuur), also known as the horsehead fiddle, is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument. It is one of the most important musical instruments of the Mongol people, and is considered a ...

(Mongolia) * Sihu (Mongolia)

Thailand

*Saw (Thailand) **

Saw duang A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, Wire saw, wire, or Chain saw, chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against ...

(Thailand) **

Saw u The ''saw u'' ( th, ซออู้, , ; also spelled ''saw ou'') is a Thai bowed string instrument. It has a lower pitch than the saw duang and is the lowest sounding of the saw family. Reliable evidence shows that pattern of the Saw U was prob ...

(Thailand) **

Saw sam sai The ''saw sam sai'' ( th, ซอสามสาย, , , also spelled ''saw samsai'', and occasionally called simply ''sam sai''; literally 'three-stringed fiddle') is a traditional bowed string instrument of Thailand. It is in the ''saw'' family ...

(Thailand) ** Saw peep or saw krapawng (northeast Thailand) ** Saw bong (northeast Thailand)

Tuva

Byzaanchy The ''byzaanchy'' (Tuvan: бызаанчы; Russian: Бизанчи; also transliterated ''byzanchi'' or ''byzanchie'') is a four-stringed vertical spike fiddle used in the traditional music of Tuva. It is similar to the Chinese '' sihu''. Howev ...

Igil The ''igil'' ( Tuvan: игил) is a two- stringed Tuvan musical instrument, played by bowing the strings. (It is called "ikili" in Western Mongolia.) The neck and lute-shaped sound box are usually made of a solid piece of pine or larch. The ...

Vietnam

Đàn gáo The đàn gáo ("coconut shell fiddle") is a bowed string instrument, a part of the traditional Vietnamese orchestra. It is similar to the đàn hồ. The instrument originated from South Viet Nam, and is used in entertainment contexts. It ...

(Vietnam) * Đàn hồ (Vietnam; ''hồ'' derives from Chinese ''hu'') *

Đàn nhị The (, Chữ Nôm: 彈二), also called , is a Vietnamese bowed string instrument with two strings. The word ''nhị'' means "two" in Vietnamese, and means "instrument". Its sound box is generally covered on one end with snakeskin.''Garland Enc ...

or Đàn Cò (Vietnam)

Notes

External links

Huqin photographs
(page 1)

(page 2)

(page 3) {{Authority control Bowed string instruments Chinese musical instruments Continuous pitch instruments Spike lutes