Beijing Olympics 2008 Closing Ceremony

Did any of you catch the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics?

The part with hordes of young pretty Chinese girls playing the Erhu together is quite lovely.

They really look like they can play. Their hand motions are very fluid. But I doubt they are playing live.

Their Erhus look very interesting. The headstock is something like this Erhu that I have (Click here).

I can't figure out how they support the Erhu to play standing up. It looks nothing like the Erhu belt clip I have. The base looks thick and heavy. I'll see if I can get my hands on one of these just for the fun of it.

The golfing attire is charming, but I would prefer a more traditional attire though. I think that's because the closing ceremony is suppose to portray a modern China, contrary to the opening ceremony.

Here's a video link for those who have missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt-ptMfsaK8

Catch it before it gets taken down!

The First and Only Online Erhu Classes in the World

These are exciting times.

We've been working very hard to develop this program.

So that anyone in the world can learn how to play the Erhu, whenever and wherever you are.

All you need is an internet connection and a pair of computer speakers.

Most important of all, you learn to play the Erhu CORRECTLY.

The knowledge that we share is going to blow you away and we guarantee you will be sounding much better than before with our systematic approach to learning.

The program will be launched on 16 September 2008.

Watch this space.

How to Slice Open a Dimo

I thought I was clear enough when I added subtitles to the video "How to fix dimo on the flute".

I added the line, "slice the dimo open....", but I am still getting emails from customers overseas telling me I sent them the wrong size Dimo.

I tried to explain that Dimo comes in tubes but they thought I meant I packaged the Dimo in a tube, which of course they did not receive.

A video speaks louder than words so this is what I meant by, "slice open a tube of Dimo":

Introductory Video of the Dizi, Chinese Bamboo Flute

We've just finished an introductory video on some of the basics of the Dizi.

This video shows you the different parts of the Dizi. It also shows you how to hold the Dizi, the fingerings and the posture.

So with the how to fix the dimo video and this video, you should be able to get a good sound out of the Dizi and look good doing it!

If you haven't got a Dizi, head over to our store here to purchase one.

It's great fun!

(Special thanks to Joyce Poh for her help in the videos)

It's Been 1 Year Already?

Today (or yesterday depending on where you are) is a significant day.

Yes, 2 August 2008 is exactly one year after I started this blog.

I have so far made a total of 114 entries, which surprised myself because I never liked writing diaries when I was young.

The most common entries my teacher saw from my diary assignments were "Today nothing much happened" or "Today was an uninteresting day".

So happy birthday/ creation day to my blog.

I hope I'll still be at for many years to come.

And thank you for reading my blog, whoever you are.

Update on Video on How to Fix the Dimo on the Dizi

I've done an update to my video on How to Fix the Dimo on the Dizi.

From the emails that I have received, quite a number of beginners don't know that the tubes of Dimo that they bought needs to be sliced open before use.

Some of them paste 2 pieces of Dimo (before cutting them open) together because they find that 1 piece is not big enough to cover the hole. Of course the result is disastrous.

The new version comes with English subtitles with some additional information.

Here it is:

Tips On How to Maintain Your Erhu Bow

Wang Xiao Di is an Erhu bow maker from Beijing. Her bows are very good quality and I carry one of her mid-range bows in my online store. Being an Erhu player herself, she also came up with a pack of 6 bridges for the Erhu.

She's very passionate about Erhu bow making. Everytime I meet her at music fairs in China she'll go on and on about her blog and her bows.

And everytime I order her bows she'll pack in a stack of cards with information on how to take care of your Erhu bow.

So for the benefit of those who do not understand Chinese, here it is in English:

1. Keep the bow away from oily substance. Do not touch the bow hair with your hand. The oil on your hand will reduce the grab your bow has on the Erhu strings.

2. Apply enough rosin on the bow hair before use. After playing for 1-2 hours, reapply rosin again to prevent damage to the microscopic scales on the bow hair.

3. Loosen the bow hair after use. This is to preserve the natural curvature of the bamboo rod as well as the elasticity of the bow hair.

4. If you are not going to use the bow for a long time, clean off the rosin from the bow rod and bow hair and store it in a plastic cover.

5. When fixing the bow to the Erhu, it is advisable to detach the frog from the bow first. After fixing the strings, attach the frog back to the bow. This will prevent the pointed tip on the frog of the bow from breaking (applicable for Beijing styled bow only).

6. A professional player changes their bow every 6 months to stay on top of their game. A non-professional player should change their bow at least once a year. When you feel that the bow does not grab the strings as well as before despite rosining, it could mean that the scales on the bow hair have been eroded through constant playing. It is thus time to change a new bow.

New Stocks of Shakuhachi in D and G Key

Our new stocks of Shakuhachi just came in. We have them in both G and D keys.

Here are their individual root shots:

D key Shakuhachis:



Purchase them here:
http://www.eason.com.sg/products/shakuhachi/wsk1.jsp

------------------------------------------------------------------

G key Shakuhachis:



Purchase them here:
http://www.eason.com.sg/products/shakuhachi/wsk2.jsp

-----------------------------------------------------------

I'm working on some free instructional videos for the Dizi, like what I did for the Erhu. I hope you're as excited as I am.

1st Chinese Orchestra Education Convention (COEC) 2008

The Co-Curricular activities branch of our Ministry of Education will be organizing the 1st Chinese Orchestra Education Convention (COEC) 2008 on the 25th and 26th of August this year.

They've done education conventions in previous years for symphonic bands and but this year they are doing one for the Chinese Orchestra.

If the band convention is a yardstick to go by, there'll be talks by keynote speakers, workshops, and a mini exhibition all relating Chinese Orchestra music.

For more information, please refer to the official letter below by one of the officers in charged:

---------------------------------------------------------

Dear CO teachers-in-charge. CCA administrators, educators and musicians,

MOE,CCA Branch will be organising the 1st Chinese Orchestra Education Convention (COEC) 2008 on 25 and 26 of August at the Singapore Conference Hall. You can visit the COEC website at http://www3.moe.edu.sg/ccab/coec.htm (please bookmark the website URL as more info will be updated in July) for the programme information on this event.

Registration forms can also be downloaded from the above website. Alternatively, you can also come to CCAB reception counter (2nd level) to obtain the registration forms. Participation fee is $50/pax for 2 days including lunch, tea, one convention kit, admission to keynote, concurrent and plenary sessions. For the concurrent sessions, participants will be informed at a later date to sign up for those topics of their interest.

Attached herein are the documents on COEC brief and publicity brochure. Please be informed that registration closes on 8 Aug 2008. So sign up now!

We look forward to your participation at this inaugural COEC 2008.

Thank you.
Lim Seng Yuen
--------------------------------------------------

We'll be having an exhibition booth there as well. I've submitted a proposal to have bikini clad girls playing the erhu, pipa and guzheng at my booth but that was rejected by the organizers. I think they're afraid people might stay at the exhibition area all day.

In any case, please give them your support.

Erhu Bridge Made From Very Very Very Old Wood

A while ago I talked to about a 4300 year old bridge that does wonders to the tone of the Erhu.


I've finally got some audios and videos to show.

I did a test using a Wan Qi Xing Ming Qing Aged Rosewood Erhu. I switched between
a blackwood bridge to the 4300 year old bridge, to a whitewood bridge and back to
the 4300 year old bridge.

The tone of the Erhu using the blackwood and whitewood bridge sounds more restrained and muted, while tone of the Erhu using the new bridge opens up and sounds more liberated!

You can view the video of the whole process here:



In addition to the video I also made a audio recording so that you can listen more clearly the difference in the tone here: http://www.eason.com.sg/documents/4300yearbridge.wav

So instead of spending hundreds or thousands buying a new Erhu, you can have a marked improvement in the tone of your Erhu for just a fraction! We are offering it at an introductory price of US$40.

Yes, yes, I know some of you might be thinking that not all Erhus are created equal. So what if the 4300 year old bridge does not work for me?

Well, just mail the bridge back to us and we will refund you the US$40, plus the shipping you incurred in shipping back the Erhu bridge. (For people in Singapore, feel free to bring your Erhu to our shop to test the bridge before you decide to order)

You have zero risk and absolutely nothing to lose!

We will be ordering limited number of bridges which will come in 6-8 weeks time.

So to avoid disappointment, click here to pre-order your 4300 year old bridge now!

Remember, you have nothing to lose but a whole new sparkling tone to gain!
http://www.eason.com.sg/products/string_access/meh66.jsp