This zhonghu, like the other huqins, is one of the more successful reformed instruments.
The instrument, alongside the gaohu, is a common double for the erhu. The zhonghu commonly plays the alto voice in the bowed stringed section of the Chinese orchestra. Its shape is a little larger than the erhu but the stringing and bowing techniques are still the same. The shape of the wooden soundbox varies from circles to octagons. It is commonly used as an accompanying instrument in ensembles and Chinese orchestras and can also function as a solo instrument – though rarely seen as one.
It is argued that the Western equivalent of the zhonghu is the viola.
As this instrument plays the middle to lower note ranges among the huqins in the orchestra, it goes higher in pitch with increasing difficulty. The zhonghu’s sounds are well developed, with a slight nasal quality.
Though the zhonghu employs the same techniques as the erhu, is not as flexible as its strings are tenser. The instrument is often associated with a rich and mellow texture with a thick timbre and a deep tone. |
