 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2024) |
 A Banhu | |
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| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 321.321-71 |
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The banhu (Chinese: 板胡; pinyin: bǎnhú) is a Chinese traditional bowed string instrument in the huqin family of instruments. It is used primarily in northern China. Ban means a piece of wood and hu is short for huqin.
Like the more familiar erhu and gaohu, the banhu has two strings,[1] is held vertically, and the bow hair passes in between the two strings. The banhu differs in construction from the erhu in that its soundbox is generally made from a coconut shell rather than wood, and instead of a snakeskin that is commonly used to cover the faces of huqin instruments, the banhu uses a thin wooden board.[2]
The banhu is sometimes also called "banghu," because it is often used in bangzi opera of northern China, such as Qinqiang from Shaanxi province.[1]
The yehu, another type of Chinese fiddle with a coconut body and wooden face, is used primarily in southern China.[3]
- ^ a b "Banhu | Chinese, 2-string, Fiddle". Britannica. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Stock, Johnathan P.J. (1993). "An Ethnomusicological Perspective on Musical Style, with Reference to Music for Chinese Two-Stringed Fiddles". Journal of the Royal Musical Association. 118 (2): 279.
- ^ "China 'Yehu'". Hartenberger World Musical Instrument Collection. Retrieved 2024-02-17.