Quick Answer: What Is a Jinghu?
The jinghu (京胡, jīnghú) is a small, high-pitched two-string fiddle. Its short bamboo resonator and focused sound are closely associated with Peking opera. The player follows the singer’s melody and can give it a bright bowed outline.[1][2][3]
- Body: The short bamboo cylinder can have a skin or fabric face.[1][2]
- Bow: Horsehair passes between the two strings.[1][2]
- Role: The fiddle helps carry the vocal line in Peking opera accompaniment.[3][4]
Its sound is easier to pick out when you compare it with the lower jing erhu and the brief sounds of percussion.[1][3]
When a singer holds a syllable or turns into the next pitch, listen for the thin bowed sound moving near it. A jinghu can follow the same contour while keeping a distinct instrumental tone.[2][3]
How the Bamboo Fiddle Is Built
The China National Peking Opera Company describes a bamboo soundbox about five centimeters across. The guide describes stretched snake skin at the playing end and notes that some examples use synthetic fabric. Grinnell College describes a lacquered bamboo example with silk strings and a small bridge resting on the face.[1][2]
The bow hair passes between the strings. In a close view, look for the two side pegs, the bridge and the small cylinder at the bottom. The body can be hard to see behind a stand. The bamboo tube and slim neck are clearer if the player turns or the instrument is shown on its own.[1][2]
Making the instrument also involves skills passed on between makers. ChinaCulture documents Xu Yidong learning jinghu making from his grandfather. The report describes a long period of learning the work from a maker in the same family.[5]
How the Jinghu Follows a Singer
Shanghai Conservatory’s instrument account describes tuning practices for xipi (西皮, xīpí) and erhuang (二黄, èrhuáng), two singing systems in Peking opera. The strings are typically tuned a fifth apart, while the starting pitch can vary with the passage and setup. The conservatory also describes the importance of coordinating the bowed line with the singer.[1][3]
The Shanghai Theatre Academy’s 2023 entry requirements offer a concrete example of how the skill is assessed. Applicants for certain opera instruments had to perform a sung passage in one of several named styles, including xipi or erhuang. The audition asked for an aria passage rather than a standalone instrumental piece. For a learner, that is a practical clue to how closely the role is tied to vocal music.[4]
What to Listen for in the Opera Ensemble
The lower jing erhu can move alongside the jinghu. The small higher fiddle can be easiest to hear at the beginning of a new phrase. A plucked string can give a brief attack under the two bows.[1][3] In a leiqin solo, the bow can take over the shape of an opera aria even when no singer is present.
The drum, clapper and gongs have other ways of marking the scene. The guide to Peking opera percussion describes their cues. During a performance, follow one sung phrase to hear the fiddle, then look and listen for the percussion that marks the next entrance or gesture.[1][3]
FAQs About the Jinghu
Is the jinghu the same as the jing erhu?
The jinghu is usually the smaller, higher bamboo fiddle. The jing erhu has a larger resonator and can provide a lower bowed sound in the same ensemble.[1][3]
Does the jinghu use one fixed tuning?
The two strings commonly sound a fifth apart. Their pitch level can vary with the singing system and the performance.[1][3]
Fuentes
[1] China National Peking Opera Company. The Instruments of Peking Opera
[2] Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection. Jinghu
[3] Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Museum of Oriental Musical Instruments. Chinese Modern Musical Instruments Exhibition
[4] Shanghai Theatre Academy. 2023 Opera Music Performance Entrance Requirements
[5] ChinaCulture. Jinghu Maker Xu Yidong