Traditional Chinese Instruments Names and Pictures

Traditional Chinese Instruments Names and Pictures

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If you have ever searched for traditional Chinese instruments names and pictures, you were probably trying to solve a very practical problem: putting the sound, shape, and name of each instrument together. That matters more than people expect. Many first-time buyers can recognize the look of a guzheng or erhu but are not yet sure what family it belongs to, how it is played, or whether it fits their musical goals.

This guide is meant to make that first step easier. Instead of giving you a loose list of unfamiliar names, we will connect the most recognized traditional Chinese instruments to the details that help musicians, students, educators, and collectors make sense of them.

Traditional Chinese instruments names and pictures: how to read them

When people look up traditional Chinese instruments names and pictures, they are usually comparing visual features. Is it bowed or plucked? Held vertically or laid flat? Made from bamboo, wood, silk strings, or snakeskin? A picture helps identify the instrument, but it does not always explain how it behaves in the hands.

That is where context matters. Two instruments may both be plucked, yet one is ideal for expressive solo music and another is better suited to bright, agile melodic lines. Some are beginner-friendly because they produce sound quickly. Others are beautiful but demand patience from the start.

A useful way to organize Chinese instruments is by family: bowed strings, plucked strings, flutes and winds, and free-reed instruments. Once you know the family, the names become easier to remember.

Bowed string instruments

Erhu

The erhu is often the first instrument people recognize. In pictures, it has a slim vertical neck, a small hexagonal or cylindrical soundbox, and two strings. The bow sits between the strings rather than above them, which surprises many new players.

Its sound is expressive, vocal, and deeply flexible. The erhu can be lyrical and tender, but it can also carry dramatic intensity. For beginners, it is a rewarding instrument with a real learning curve. Good tone production depends on bow control, left-hand accuracy, and a properly set up instrument. If you are drawn to singing melodies and emotional phrasing, the erhu is often the right starting point.

Banhu

The banhu looks related to the erhu, but pictures usually show a smaller resonator, often with a brighter visual finish. Its tone is sharper and more penetrating, and it is commonly associated with regional opera and folk traditions.

For a general music student in the US, the banhu is less common than the erhu. That does not make it less important. It simply means availability, repertoire, and learning support may be more limited depending on where you are.

Plucked string instruments

Guzheng

The guzheng is one of the most visually striking Chinese instruments. In pictures, it appears as a long wooden zither with multiple strings stretched across movable bridges. It is played horizontally, often with finger picks.

Its sound is spacious, flowing, and resonant. Beginners are often attracted to the guzheng because it produces beautiful sound relatively early in the learning process. That said, larger size, tuning requirements, and transport can be real considerations. It is excellent for students who want a strong solo instrument with both traditional repertoire and modern crossover potential.

Pipa

The pipa is a pear-shaped lute with frets and a short neck. In pictures, it is held upright against the body. Its right-hand technique is intricate, and its repertoire includes rapid passages, dramatic attacks, and highly detailed articulation.

This is an instrument for players who enjoy technical challenge. The pipa can be dazzling, but it asks for disciplined practice. For collectors and educators, it is also one of the most iconic instruments in Chinese music history.

Ruan

The ruan has a round body and a fretted neck, so it stands out quickly in pictures. Its tone is warm and rounded, with a gentler character than the pipa. Different sizes exist, from smaller high-range instruments to larger bass versions used in ensembles.

The ruan is often a strong choice for players who want a plucked instrument with clear frets and a more grounded, mellow voice. It may not be the first instrument a complete beginner searches for, but many musicians find it especially satisfying once they hear it in ensemble settings.

Liuqin

The liuqin is smaller than the pipa and has a bright, agile voice. In pictures, it resembles a compact lute, often with a narrow body and fretted neck. It is used for lively melodic work and regional repertoire.

For some players, the liuqin is appealing because of its clarity and speed. For others, its smaller scale and brighter tone may feel more specialized. This is one of those cases where the right choice depends on your musical taste more than popularity.

Guqin

The guqin is a long, fretless zither with seven strings. In pictures, it looks understated compared with the guzheng – no raised bridges, fewer strings, and a more minimalist silhouette. That visual simplicity reflects its musical identity.

The guqin is closely tied to scholarship, contemplation, and literati culture. Its sound is intimate rather than loud. It is not usually chosen because someone wants instant volume or flashy technique. It is chosen because the player values subtlety, touch, and deep tradition.

Flutes and bamboo winds

Dizi

The dizi is a transverse bamboo flute. Pictures often show a simple bamboo tube, but one key feature is the membrane hole, which gives the instrument its distinctive bright, buzzing timbre.

For students coming from Western flute, the dizi can feel familiar in posture but different in tone production and ornamentation. It is approachable, portable, and versatile. It is also one of the clearest examples of why pictures alone are not enough – visually simple, musically rich.

Xiao

The xiao is an end-blown bamboo flute, usually longer than the dizi and visually more restrained. In pictures, it appears elegant and slender, held vertically rather than sideways.

Its tone is airy, calm, and meditative. The xiao is often favored by players who want a quieter, more reflective sound world. It can be wonderfully rewarding, though beginners sometimes need patience with breath control and response.

Free-reed and folk wind instruments

Hulusi

The hulusi is easy to recognize in pictures because of its gourd wind chamber and bamboo pipes. It has a soft, sweet, almost vocal tone and is widely loved for folk melodies.

This is one of the more accessible entry points for beginners. The fingering is manageable, the sound is charming, and the instrument itself has strong visual appeal. If someone wants a first Chinese wind instrument that feels inviting rather than intimidating, the hulusi is often a very smart choice.

Sheng

The sheng is a mouth organ made of multiple vertical pipes set into a chamber. In pictures, it is one of the most distinctive instruments in the Chinese tradition. Its construction looks complex because it is.

The sheng is capable of chords and sustained harmonies, which makes it unusual among many traditional instruments. It is fascinating for advanced musicians and ensemble players, though it is usually not the first recommendation for a casual beginner.

What pictures can tell you, and what they cannot

Pictures are useful for identifying body shape, size, playing position, and certain construction details. You can often tell whether an instrument is likely to be portable, whether it requires a seated setup, and whether it belongs to a bowed, plucked, or wind family.

But pictures do not tell you how demanding the setup will be, how stable the tuning is, or whether the instrument has been made with proper materials. They also cannot tell you whether a beginner model has decent tone or if replacement strings, reeds, bridges, or bows will be easy to source later. That is where expert guidance matters.

For example, a guzheng may look beautiful in a photo but still vary widely in wood quality, string response, and bridge fit. An erhu may appear similar to another one online, yet the skin, neck alignment, and bow quality can make the playing experience completely different.

Choosing the right instrument from the names and pictures

If you are selecting your first instrument, start with the sound you want to live with. The erhu suits expressive melody, the guzheng offers rich resonance, the dizi brings bright energy, the xiao leans inward, and the hulusi feels warm and approachable. If visual beauty matters to you, that is valid too. Instruments invite practice partly because we want to spend time with them.

It also helps to think about practical realities. Large zithers need space. Some instruments need more setup support than others. Some have broader teacher availability in the US. A serious beginner does not need the most expensive option, but they do need an instrument that responds properly and does not fight every attempt to learn.

At The Bamboo Grove, we have seen how much confidence grows when a player can match the right instrument to the right expectations. The best first instrument is not always the most famous one. It is the one that fits your ear, your patience, and your musical plans.

If you came here looking for traditional Chinese instruments names and pictures, use that search as a starting point, not the finish line. Once the name matches the image, the next step is finding the instrument that makes you want to keep listening, keep practicing, and keep the tradition close.

What Are Some Traditional Chinese Instruments?

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If you have ever heard a silk-string glissando ripple through a film score or a bowed melody that sounds almost like a singing voice, you may have wondered, what are some traditional Chinese instruments, and how do they differ from one another? That question comes up often for beginners, teachers, and even experienced musicians who want to branch into a new musical tradition without guessing their way through it.

Chinese music includes a wide family of instruments shaped by regional styles, court music, folk traditions, opera, and solo performance practice. Some are immediately expressive and beginner-friendly. Others take longer to understand, but reward patience with a sound world that is hard to match anywhere else. The best starting point is not memorizing a long list. It is learning the role, tone, and feel of a few core instruments so you can recognize what draws you in.

What are some traditional Chinese instruments worth knowing first?

For most learners, the most useful introductions are the erhu, guzheng, pipa, dizi, xiao, guqin, ruan, liuqin, and hulusi. These are not the only traditional Chinese instruments, but they are among the most widely recognized, taught, and performed today. Each one offers a different relationship to melody, phrasing, technique, and musical texture.

Some instruments are ideal if you already play violin, guitar, flute, or lute-family instruments. Others are better chosen for their tone and cultural connection rather than ease. That distinction matters, because a beautiful instrument is not always the easiest first instrument, and an accessible first instrument is not always the one that best fits your long-term musical goals.

Bowed strings: the voice-like sound of the erhu

The erhu is often the first answer people hear when asking what are some traditional Chinese instruments. It is a two-string bowed instrument with a small resonator, usually covered with python skin, and it produces one of the most emotionally direct sounds in Chinese music.

Players hold it vertically on the lap, and the bow passes between the two strings rather than over the top. That setup feels unusual at first, especially for violinists, but it also gives the erhu its fluid, vocal quality. It excels in lyrical melodies, sliding ornaments, and expressive phrasing.

For beginners, the erhu can be both inviting and demanding. It has no fingerboard, so intonation takes careful listening. On the other hand, many students connect with it immediately because even simple notes can sound deeply expressive. If your priority is singing tone and emotional range, the erhu is a strong place to begin.

Plucked zithers: guzheng and guqin

The guzheng is one of the most visually striking and approachable Chinese instruments. It is a long zither with movable bridges and multiple strings, usually played with finger picks on the right hand while the left hand bends pitch and adds ornament.

Its sound is bright, flowing, and dramatic. Beginners often enjoy the guzheng because it can produce a satisfying sound early on, even before advanced technique develops. At the same time, serious guzheng playing requires excellent control of timing, articulation, and left-hand expression. It is a good fit for students who enjoy both melody and texture.

The guqin is quieter, older in lineage, and more introspective. Traditionally associated with scholars and literati culture, it has seven strings and a subtle tone that rewards close listening rather than volume. Compared with the guzheng, the guqin is less about immediate brilliance and more about nuance, breath, and refined gesture.

That means the guqin is not always the easiest recommendation for someone who wants instant projection or ensemble use. But for players drawn to meditative solo music and historical depth, it is one of the most meaningful instruments in the tradition.

Lutes and plucked strings: pipa, ruan, and liuqin

The pipa is a pear-shaped lute known for speed, precision, and dramatic storytelling power. Its technique includes rapid tremolo, percussive attacks, and intricate finger patterns that can suggest everything from battlefield energy to intimate lyricism.

For guitar or mandolin players, the pipa may feel structurally familiar in some ways, but the technique is its own discipline. It is a demanding instrument, especially at higher levels, yet also one of the most rewarding for players who enjoy virtuosic detail and a broad expressive range.

The ruan has a round body and a warmer, rounder tone. It belongs to the lute family as well, but its voice is often gentler and more balanced than the pipa’s bright attack. Depending on the size, ruan instruments can serve melodic, harmonic, or ensemble roles. For some learners, the ruan feels more physically intuitive than the pipa.

The liuqin is smaller and brighter, with a high register that cuts through ensemble textures clearly. It is agile and lively, though its smaller size and tension can make technique feel compact. It is often loved by players who enjoy crisp articulation and a sparkling sound.

Winds: dizi, xiao, and hulusi

Among Chinese flutes, the dizi is probably the best known. It is a transverse bamboo flute with a buzzing membrane that gives it a bright, vivid, slightly reedy edge. That membrane is part of what makes the dizi instantly recognizable.

The dizi is excellent for energetic folk melodies, opera styles, and expressive solo playing. Breath control and embouchure matter, as with any flute, but the membrane adds another layer of setup and tonal adjustment. For flute players, it can be a very appealing crossover instrument, though it still requires its own stylistic learning.

The xiao is an end-blown bamboo flute with a softer, more inward tone. It is often associated with reflective pieces and slower phrasing. Compared with the dizi, the xiao generally feels less flashy and more meditative. Some beginners love that restraint. Others find the embouchure less forgiving at first.

The hulusi is a free-reed wind instrument with a gourd chamber and bamboo pipes. Its sound is mellow, smooth, and unusually sweet. Because it can be more accessible for absolute beginners than some flutes, the hulusi is often a comfortable entry point for children or adults who want a gentle learning curve. The trade-off is that its repertoire and tonal role are more specialized.

How traditional Chinese instruments differ in feel and function

When people ask what are some traditional Chinese instruments, they are often really asking which one sounds right for them. That answer depends less on popularity and more on your musical instincts.

If you want an expressive solo voice, the erhu and xiao are compelling choices. If you want layered plucked textures and visual performance appeal, the guzheng stands out. If technical challenge excites you, the pipa offers enormous depth. If you are drawn to historical refinement and quiet intimacy, the guqin may be the right path.

There is also a practical side. Some instruments are louder and perform well in ensembles. Others are more personal and better suited to private study or small settings. Some travel more easily. Some require more maintenance, more setup knowledge, or more specialized accessories. These are not reasons to avoid an instrument, but they are worth considering before you commit.

Choosing your first instrument without getting overwhelmed

A good first instrument should match your ear, your patience, and your actual learning environment. This is where many beginners get stuck. They choose based on appearance alone, or they assume the most famous instrument must be the best fit.

A better approach is to ask a few plain questions. Do you want bowed, plucked, or blown sound? Do you want something lyrical, bright, meditative, or rhythmic? Are you learning for performance, cultural study, classroom use, or personal enjoyment at home?

For many beginners, the guzheng and hulusi feel rewarding early. The erhu is emotionally compelling but technically sensitive. The dizi is great for players who already understand wind technique. The pipa and guqin tend to benefit from a strong commitment to style and regular practice. None of those choices is universally right. It depends on whether your first goal is connection, convenience, or craft.

If you are buying rather than just researching, quality matters more than many people expect. A poorly made instrument can make tuning unstable, tone thin, and technique harder than it should be. That is especially true with specialized instruments, where setup, parts, and after-purchase guidance make a real difference. At The Bamboo Grove, we have seen how much confidence grows when a player starts with an instrument that is properly prepared and supported.

Why these instruments continue to matter

Traditional Chinese instruments are not museum objects. They are living tools of expression used in solo repertoire, regional traditions, conservatory performance, cross-cultural composition, and everyday personal practice. Their history matters, but so does their present use by students, teachers, and performers around the world.

That is part of what makes this family of instruments so rewarding to explore. You are not just identifying names. You are finding a sound, a technique, and a musical language that can become part of your own life. Start with the instrument whose voice stays with you after the music stops. That instinct is often more reliable than any checklist.

Guzheng – An Introduction

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The Guzheng, a traditional Chinese zither, enchants with its melodic tones and rich history. Easy to learn, it’s popular among beginners and experts alike. Discover its origins, playing techniques, and contemporary relevance in our detailed blog at Oriental Music. Explore our gallery for stunning visuals.

Read more

Erhu Assembly – Questions Beginners Always Ask!

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Questions all new Erhu Players Ask: Part 1 — Erhu Assembly

Our work revolves around musicians, both beginners and experts who are always so kind to lend a hand at helping beginners with seemingly mundane but extremely important issues. When it comes to Erhu, most beginners overseas, in their search for more information, have come across Patty Chan. Prolific performer, educator, Music Director of Toronto Chinese Orchestra… the list goes on. She has always been a friend of The Bamboo Grove and we’ve even collaborated on projects and performed together several times. She’s kindly given us permission to reproduce some of her instructional videos. More info can be found at http://musinno.com

Erhu Assembly

Well, most purchases made today have the erhu come mostly assembled. In the off situation where the erhu is disassembled, here’s what to do:

1) Fit the neck (shaft) into the hole on top of the sound box and through to the bottom.The top hole is usually oval or olive shaped, while the bottom hole is round (maybe 0.5″ in diameter) or square. Make sure the fit is snug.

2) Push the first tuning peg through the hole at the upper neck, then do the same for the second tuning peg. Make sure they fit securely. There are 2 pegs and just 2 holes, so you may have to play around to see which peg fits which holes the best. Make sure that both the small ends are approximately equally long after you have put the peg through the erhu peg hole.

3) Attach the base to the bottom of the sound box. In the video below, Patty demonstrated using a Dunhuang erhu made in the 80s with a thin base. Post 1990s, most erhus require a screw to hold the base to the resonator box securely.

Attaching the Strings

1) Take out your set of erhu strings. First take the inner string (内弦) and thread it (the end withoutthe loop) through the hole of the upper tuning peg until 1 inch of the string is through. Make sure the string lies over the lower tuning peg.

2) Loop this end through the hole again so that the sharp point is not exposed.

3) Turn the peg slowly (away from you) to tighten the string, making sure the string is wound closely together. As you are turning the peg, use your thumb to push the peg tightly into the instrument so that it does not loosen when you release it.

4) Tighten the string until the loop end of the string is close to the base of the erhu, where two pins are located.

5) At this point, put the loop over the pin and push it in until it is secure.

6) Tighten the string until the tension from the tuning peg and pin keeps the string secure.

7) Repeat steps 1 – 6 for the outer string (外弦). Note that at step 3, for the outer string, turn the lower tuning peg towards you.

Tying the Qianjin

Animated Looping Pattern of Tying the Qianjin The above is the best animation i saw on a clear way of tying the qianjin strings. Very stable and very secure. Though remember, you probably need about 60 Inches or 5 ft of Qianjin Strings. If you cannot find qianjin strings handy, go to hobby lobby or Michaels’ and look for Waxed Linen Thread. They work!

THERE YOU GO! Your Erhu is ALMOST READY TO PLAY!

 

 

Dizi Membrane – The Bamboo Grove Way!

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IF I had a dollar for every one who asked me how to PROPERLY attach the dizi membrane, I would probably make a couple more dollars everyday. It seems weird that with dizi being such a prevalent instrument, we ought to see that the skill to do dimo as commonplace as dizi itself. Sadly, thats not the case. Watched a few popular youtube videos, and seen quite a few posts on social media. They all say the same things.

Well, for 30 years, (thats as long as I have been playing dizi) I have been taught only 1 way of doing membrane. I am not saying that its the ONLY right way. Thats just how I have been taught, and thats how I teach my students.  Its not rocket science, but its not as simple as it seems online.

Firstly, we need to understand WHAT IS DIZI MEMBRANE? It is the inner tubing of the cattail reed. Stripped from the inside of the cattail reed and dried, and packed. Best times to buy dimo (for us in bulk) is early summer. The membrane lasts several years, but we get first pick somewhere in May/June. That is if you (like us) buy about 500-1000 packs in an order. Between, me, my students and my close associates (about 20 packs each), thats all the first picks that we get for the year. The usual run-of-the-mill dizi membranes are OK. I use them myself daily. For that special recording or special performance, we may use our picked dizi membrane. 🙂

Now that we know the membrane is a piece of inner tubing in a plant, 8 times thinner than paper, we need to understand its properties. First up : If you wet the membrane, the part where it is IN THE HOLE, the membrane is gone. The sweet buzzing sound of the membrane will no longer hold. Even if you manage to dry it, the membrane is about to disintegrate. Remember this, as it will really affect the process of attaching the membrane.

Step 1 

Dimo Stuff

Assemble all the stuff you need. In a perfect world, you have some bit of water, a piece of glue  (I prefer E-jiao) , a small pair of scissors, and some dimo in a pack. In the “real” world – and in concert halls, I  usually have my piece of glue and the membrane. Thats the bare minimum for me, though I know of people surviving with just the membrane.

 

 

 

 

Step 2

CLEAN THE DIMO HOLE. I cannot stress how important it is to wet the membrane hole and wipe it real clean. On your shirt, if  you are desperate enough and make it real clean. AND DRY.

 

Step 3

Cut one inch off the tube of dimo from the pack, and have it slit open. In a perfect world, you have a pair of scissors, so thats how it should look like.

Slitting the Dizi Membrane

Usually, you can use ANYTHING. I have used kebab sticks, pen nibs, the edge of the dimo pack, my glasses, my dizi tuning carving knives.

 

Step 4

This is a critical part which many others miss.

Opened membrane

Open up the slit membrane, and look at it closely. You may want to take it up to the light. this is what you see.  You want to see the NATURAL GRAINS on the dizi membrane. This is the natural lines on the membrane. These lines will have to go PARALLEL to the length of the dizi.

 

 

 

Next you need to make Artificial Lines. These lines are meant to be the stretch lines caused by you. These lines go perpendicular to the natural lines. You pick up the dimo up, and hold it with your thumbs, ensuring the the natural lines are vertical (facing you) if you hold the membrane up. Wiggle the membrane a bit with a gentle bit of horizontal tugging force.  Do this for maybe 5 secs. Set the membrane aside.

Stretching the Membrane

 

Step 6

Glue up. I prefer Ejiao as it is a solid piece, no mess, no bottles. For those of you squeamish about using boiled gelatin of donkey skin,  you can use any type of glue that cleans up easily with water. Starch glue, mod-podge even hair gel has been used by me. It was a concert tour, and seriously it was… desperate. Traditionally we used cut garlic as well. It works very well.

Dip the glue piece in a tiny bit of water. In a perfect world, we have nice little containers with clean water. On stage, in other situations, just wet the glue. I don’t care how we do it. After that, rub the wet glue piece around the hole, ensuring that you rub around the hole and about half an inch around the hole on the dizi. Use more glue if you ever feel there is not enough glue. There cannot be too much glue (if you use Ejiao), so just rub more, and rub it sparingly.

 

Step 7 

I stated right from the onset, the center of the membrane, that is over the membrane hole MUST NOT touch any wetness. SO, stick your pinky-finger into the membrane hole, and clean up any bit of glue that may have dripped in. This is VERY VERY IMPORTANT. Turn the finger around a few times to ensure no glue is INSIDE the edge of the hole.

Cleaning the inside edge of the dizi membrane hole

 

 

Step 8

The moment we have all been waiting for. Attaching the membrane. This takes a lot of practice (and wasted membrane) but do it, and you will thank yourself. for it.

Attaching the membrane

You hold one edge of the membrane down to the side of the hole with your thumb, and in ONE SWIFT MOTION, hold the other other side of the membrane across the hole and stretch it firmly, and at the same time, pressing it down. It needs to be stretched firmly at this point.

Keep in mind the natural grains, the artificial lines that we spoke about earlier.

After this, rub the (still) wet glue stick around the edges of the membrane, to ensure that the membrane stays down. Please ensure that its is just sticky and no very wet this time round. PLEASE do not wet the center of the membrane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 9

Play the dizi for a bit. If you feel that the membrane is too tight, gently press on the membrane (while playing the dizi. somehow this doesn’t loosen well when you are not playing it). If its too loose, wet the edges around the hole, and stretch the membrane out using your thumbs.

 

AFTERWORD

The above is basically what I do when I put on my dizi membrane. It is in no way definitive. I just felt that a lot of details were missing when most other people attach the membrane. you are most welcome to email me at ask@orientalmusic.org if you have any queries or have any other suggestions, which I will be happy to accept.

 

 

 

New Website Up! Finally! Happy July 4th!

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Happy July 4th! WE’RE FINALLY UP

After sending out a couple thousand pieces of instruments since our inception

in 2013, we are approaching our 5th year online. We are sincerely thankful for the love and support of all our friends all over the world. Without you guys, the Bamboo Grove would never have been a possibility.

We have had plenty of requests to “upgrade” ourselves onto a better platform. Better “chat” system, better “shopping cart” and better “blog”. We totally understood that the previous website was old technology. Hey, times change! WE FIGURED WE HAD BETTER KEEP UP with the times, even if we are doing traditional music.

So this is it! 

On the bottom right corner of the page, its the chat platform. We are on it almost 24/7. Get to us, ASK questions. We’ll certainly try our best to help.

Some products have been removed. Some, added. Some upgraded. Its all part of the ever changing landscape of luthiers, manufacturers. What doesn’t change is our commitment to provide the best service we can to our friends all over the world, and to promote Chinese music internationally.

 

 

 

 

Erhu Making – How NOT to make an Erhu!

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We came across a video recently. It actually states how to make an Erhu. Most parts were acceptable, except when it talks about the most important part of the making: The Affixing of the Membrane.

Proceeding to 22:50, there are so many flaws in which we see with this portion!

1. Whoever is sacriligeous enough to fix an entire piece of skin without even removing the flesh and fat layer from the top most layer, is asking for the erhu membrane to warp with changes to the weather. Flesh and skin are 2 distinct layers, which will will expand and contract at differing rates. When the weather gets moist, or air pressure drops, the flesh will sag first, causing the erhu’s tight skin to have a stage of muffled sounds, till  it sags sufficiently to have a softer tun usual mellow tone. The interim stage is when we say “the erhu got a flu”. Its not a bad way of foretelling the weather. When the air gets dry, the outer skin expands first, while the flesh behind stays intact. You get a muffled sound again, but this time, if the skin dries much faster than the flesh, guess what, the skin may tear.

2. No respectable maker will apply glue while the skin is still in a flimsy form. If you ask any respectable maker, Wang Geng Xin, Hu Han Rou, Wan Qi Xing, or even EcoErhu (yes, they make using traditional based methods as well) , the skin needs to be stretched and dried on a mold of the Erhu box or the box itself to give it the shape that is needed. At this stage, the maker can adjust the tension adjust the angles, tune all corners, making sure all sides are well stretched and dried at least 2 times. During this time, the maker must even out the skin. Think of it as TuiNa massage, when you release all knots of your muscles, its done on the skin as well, 2 times. It is only after the maker is happy that the skin is in its most balanced form when he will apply the glue.

3. Stretching. Using the screw down clamp, the hydraulic jack and such methods are akin to cooking everything together in a pressure cooker. You can’t control any side or corner. Whatever comes out is based on luck. True makers use this method, or a slight variation: