Research On The Intonation In Erhu Performance

Among Chinese traditional instruments,Erhu,a two-stringed bowed instrument,is undoubtedly the most charming bow instrument.Different from other instruments,Erhu has no Pin,Xiang,Zhu(the parts of Chinese string instrument to adjust the position of the strings and the pitch or tone of the instrument) to adjust the position of the strings,posing the intonation problems for performers.However it is the unstability of the temperament of local music brings about the possibility of slight change of pitch.The complication of intonation is the most important factor influencing the performance of Erhu.Therefore,it's worthy further and deeper research.This article makes detailed research based on exhaustive theory analysis and personal performing practice on the intonation problem in Erhu performance.It includes four parts.Chapter one introduces and compares three temperament modulations: twelve tone equal temperament,five tone cadence temperament and pure tone temperament,in view of the concept of intonation,and makes a brief introduction about the ancient Chinese twelve tone temperament.Chapter two expounds the choice of temperament modulations in Erhu performance from four aspects,which are the traditional Erhu music, the modern creative music,multi-voice music performance and the basic characteristics of the structure of Erhu.Chapter three is the main part of this article.Firstly it analyzes the intonation from the pattern in the melody produced by Erhu,and then elaborates the temperament features of different music style.Thus illustrates how to get the perfect intonation in Erhu performance to meet the auditory aesthetic requirements of audiences.Chapter four expounds the main factors which influence the intonation of Erhu,and some measures to solve the intonation problem in practice.This article makes thorough introduction about the factors influencing the intonation of Erhu,thus proving that Erhu is suitable for many temperament modulation.Through this article,Erhu performers could acquire the correct concepts of temperament and the ability to use different temperaments and percept the tonality of music pieces,to perform Erhu with perfect intonation,and make better interpretation of the composition of Chinese national music style.Therefore,Erhu and Erhu performance could converge with western instruments and world music.