Mike's Oud Forums

How close (different) is the pipa to (from) the oud?

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hurdygurdyguy - 5-1-2006 at 01:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by kasos

Seems you're using the same hand hold I'm using - but looks like you're playing on the outside of the strings, yes?


No, that's just poor photo angle:rolleyes:

I have the bow between the two strings. I find the biggest thing I consciously have to remember is I don't have to change bowing angle from one string to the other. Even though I've never played violin for some reason I want to roll the bow towards the nearere string when I play it! Stop it! Stop it!! :D

Yeah, I noticed the pad behind the bridge on a number of photos and tried it myself...it seems to muffle some high end harshness...maybe, I'm not sure.

What kind of rosin do you use? I find it's difficult to apply to the top side of the bowhair as putting any pressure bends the bow quite a bit and I sure don't want to snap it! The underside of the bowhair seems to take rosin pretty easily, but I'm never sure of the top side.

I just happened upon this site by accident:

www:spikefiddle.com

You should check it out if you haven't yet! I want one of Peter Biffin's tarhus!!

kasos - 5-1-2006 at 02:26 PM

Hi Randy!

Thanks for clearing up the bowing mystery... As for your other remark concerning switching strings, I've noticed the same thing, it's easy to overcompensate when make the move from one to the other - the erhu's so economical, in terms of bowing movement, it's a shame not to take full advantage of that.

As for rosin, I haven't experienced it as being a problem, so far. My erhu bow came with the instrument. It's made from a very flexible bamboo, and the hair is detachable at one end - it's easy to get the rosin in between the cane and the inside edge of the hair, so I just rosin the inside edge, separately and/or in alternation with my rosining the outside edge, as needed.

With a more conventional western bow, the bow is stiffer, and the hair more taut, so it might be harder to slip the rosin in without exerting what feels like undue pressure against the wood. I take it that this is what your problem is.... One solution might be to find a thinner slice of rosin (one partially worn down might do. The round pieces of rosin you can buy are probably easier to shape in a way conducive to this....)

Either that or try to use a broken chard of rosin - these are easy to create (often unintentionally), or to find, cheaply, if you can locate a dance studio that teaches classical ballet - they use rosin by the boxload, and crush it under their ballet slippers for traction.....

Another, more creative solution to getting rosin onto the inside edge of the bow might be to twist the bow and/or bow hair so that you are now pulling it on the opposite string, and pick up some of the rosin that's accumulated on that string.....although, depending on how you do this, this last approach could be likely to put a whole other unhealthy sort of stress on your current bow, so it's hard to say which is the more dangerous for it, the remedy or the original problem..... In the long run, you might want to consider buying, or creating, a more flexible bow, which would solve your problems more effectively than any solution offered above.....

With respect to Peter Biffin, yes, I'd seen the site. He's got some pretty clever design ideas, which seem to actually work in practice - Biffin's instruments are much in favor with, and used in performance by some of the better contemporary players of non-western bowed strings. Ross Daly, who organizes a seminar in Crete which is highly regarded on this site, owns and plays several of his instruments. And Phaedon Sinis (who posts on this site as Phaedon) owns and plays a tambur tarhu. Admitedly, purchasing one of Biffin's new age instruments requires more money than would typically be required for the purchase of one of the middle eastern instruments which Biffin used as inspiration. On the other hand, one can easily pay the same amount of money for a pretty modest piano or electronic keyboard, and not come away with the fair certainty that one has acquired a world class instrument.

Before leaving the topic entirely, I suppose I should also note that Biffin made some rather obscure comments on the same site about the erhu having a unique sound production system that made a soundpost unecessary.... it's occurred to me that whatever it is that makes the erhu sound louder when played from inside the strings, is probably what he's getting at. Unfortunately, though I've looked at it more than once, his remark remains cryptic enough to me that I still can't really explain the 'why' of how this should have come to be....

Good luck with your trip to Israel. I understand your concern, and pray both for peace (and justice) in the region, and for you and your traveling companions' health and safety while on the trip.

All the best, Mark

Paul007 - 8-10-2006 at 07:13 PM

Hi Every body,
I have read this thread with great interest, and indeed learnt a lot. thank you all!
have a great weekend! :)
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