A Pilot Study On The Teaching Activities Of Tianhua Liu

This thesis is mainly about Tianhua Liu (1895-1932), born in Jiangyin Jiangsu Province and was not only known for being a great composer, erhu and lute performer as well as music educator, but an inaugurator and founder of Chinese erhu school. This paper is intended to restore the erhu teaching activities of Tianhua Liu so as to determine his historical status and significance in both histories of erhu art and the development of his teaching methodology. The study on this issue thus attaches important significance to the establishment of erhu branch and further development of erhu art.The paper as a whole falls into four chapters (sections). It is designed to carry out a pilot study which implores erhu teaching ideas of Liu from four angles on the basis of preceding research achievements with references to relevant historical materials and theoretical sum-ups by adopting a variety of methods including survey, literature, comparison and analysis as well.The first chapter with the title "The guiding ideas of Liu's teaching activities" discusses the contributing factors and the development of the very directing thoughts. Chapter two "The practices of Liu's guiding ideas" argues how his ideas are put into real teaching practices, started with his efforts to make improvements in the erhu textbooks and teaching methods. The following chapter "Liu's achievements in teaching practices" talks over the major accomplishments Liu attained through three channels involves the establishment of erhu branch, the formation of Liu's art school as well as promotion of erbu art The final one "The significance of Liu's ideas and practices" illustrates how Liu not only turned over a new leaf on the teaching patterns of the traditional folk instrumental music, but serve as positive incentive to current teaching patterns of erhu in China. As a result folk instrumental music in China has embarked on the route carved out by Tianhua Liu over a century ago, characterized by his contribution in uniting both the traditional inheritance and learning from the foreign countries.