During the past few weeks, weekend visitors to the Seattle Chinese Garden have sometimes enjoyed a surprise treat of music. One of our volunteer, Michael, has been playing his Erhu occasionally at the garden in the afternoons. You can usually find him playing at the fishing pavilion or at Song Mei Ting.
The instrument he plays is a traditional Chinese string instrument called the Erhu (mandarin), Yeewu (Cantonese), 二胡. It is made up of a wood sound box, a long neck and two wire strings. It is played with a horsehair bow, sometimes referred to as the Chinese violin or Chinese fiddle. The Erhu is frequently used in folk music from Peking opera, Cantonese opera to the many regional music forms. The sounds the erhu makes is very complex despite the simplicity of the instrument. It can play very happy, boisterous melodies or it can play melancholy songs that street singers would sing along the streets in old China!
Michael is usually at the garden on the weekends but not on a set schedule. Another unique point about Michael's playing is that he includes lots of Western tunes in his repertoire, he plays traditional Chinese, Canto-pop, modern Chinese as well as Western pieces from pops, show tunes to classical. He plays whatever comes to mind! So, do stop by, have a listen and talk story with us, we love to see you at the garden!