Banhu

Banhu
A Banhu
Other names
  • Banghu
Classification
Hornbostel–Sachs classification321.321-71
Related instruments
Sound sample

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]

  1. ^ a b "Banhu | Chinese, 2-string, Fiddle". Britannica. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  2. ^ 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 – via JSTOR.
  3. ^ "China 'Yehu'". Hartenberger World Musical Instrument Collection. Retrieved 2024-02-17.