20 Pieces for Erhu Ensemble Practice (2)

Author: Zhang Feilong, Zhang Jianguo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-09-01
Features: This book continues to be structured around three parts: "Reed Technique Practice," "Melodious Reed Sounds," and "Songs of the Times and Life." Adhering to the principle of balancing popularization and improvement, it adapts and arranges some well-known Chinese and foreign songs that the masses enjoy. By playing familiar melodies, it aims to enhance the overall control of musical phrasing for the practitioners, including pitch, rhythm, and melodic techniques, as well as deepening their understanding and expression of music, thereby increasing their interest in learning the erhu.
In terms of the relationship between etudes and pieces, while they have differences, they are inseparable. The two open strings of the erhu hold endless musical ideas. The long bow, played slowly, resembles echoes in a hollow valley or wandering reflections of thoughts. The short bow, played with a sharp, urgent rhythm, is like the strike of war drums or the hurried steps of marching soldiers. Therefore, a large number of erhu etudes that have been melodized inevitably express specific musical ideas under the regulation of certain speeds. From this perspective, etudes can also be titled and considered as pieces. The teacher Min Huifen's "Long Bow Etude" was later renamed "Remembrance of Jiangnan" as a typical example.