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Apple Using the GarageBand Jam Pack: World Music Instruments User Manual

Page 21

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Chinese Erhu Violin

The erhu violin developed from earlier string instruments, including the huqin. Little is
known about its history before it was popularized in the early 20th century by the
musician Liu Tianhua, who composed many original pieces for it.

The erhu is a bowed instrument with two strings stretched over a long neck. The base
of the neck is attached to a resonator that consists of a hollow wooden box covered by
an animal skin (traditionally the skin of a python). The tip of the neck can be ornately
carved, sometimes in the shape of an animal’s head. The strings are tuned in fifths,
often to the notes D-A or C-G. The player never lifts the bow from the strings, but
instead passes it between them, producing a hypnotizing, voice-like sound. The
instrument’s playing technique includes bending notes up and down, and the Chinese
Erhu Violin Software Instrument gives you this playing style, accessed using the mod
wheel.

Chinese Guzheng Zither

The guzheng (sometimes called the “zheng”) is a traditional Chinese instrument dating
back to the Qin and Han dynasties. It was historically associated with the Qin state,
from which it migrated to many other parts of China. Ancient poems and stories relate
the instrument’s popularity and the pleasing effect its tone produced on audiences. It is
the parent instrument of the Japanese koto.