Gaohu

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Gaohu, traditional Guangdong type, with dragon head, round body, no base, and played with the body held between the knees

The gaohu (高胡; pinyin: gāohú; Cantonese: gou1 wu4) is a Chinese bowed string instrument used in playing traditional Guangdong Cantonese music and operas. It belongs to the huqin family of instruments, together with the zhonghu, erhu, banhu, jinghu, and sihu, its name means "high pitched huqin". It has two strings and its soundbox is covered on the front (playing) end with snakeskin.

The gaohu was developed in the 1920s by the musician and composer Lü Wencheng (1898-1981) and is now the leading instrument of Cantonese music and opera ensembles; prior to this the lead bowed instrument was a similar instrument called erxian. The gaohu is similar in construction to the erhu but is tuned a fourth higher, to G4 and D5, and is played with the body held between the knees. Well known pieces for the gaohu include Bu Bu Gao (步步高, Higher Step By Step) and Ping Hu Qiu Yue (平湖秋月, Autumn Moon On Calm Lake).

Notable gaohu players include:

• Lu Wencheng (吕文成, pinyin: Lǚ Wénchéng) (1898-1981) [1] in Chinese
• Liu Tianyi (刘天一) (1910-1990) [2] in Chinese
• Gan Shangshi (甘尚时) (1931- )
• Yu Qiwei (余其伟) (1953- )[3] in English [4]in Chinese

[edit] Reference

Huang, Rijin (1997) Guangdong Yinyue; Gaohu Qu Xuan (Guangdong Music; Selected Pieces for Gaohu). Beijing: Renmin Yinyue Chubanshe (Peoples Music Publishing House)

[edit] Audio Sample

[edit] Video Sample

Video of Mr Yu Qiwei performing the gaohu piece Ping Hu Qiu Yue (平湖秋月, Autumn Moon On Calm Lake). Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3BWTmcrbl0

[edit] See also

• Cantonese music
• Cantonese opera
• Huqin
• Music of China
• Traditional Chinese musical instruments
• String instruments

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