Web Composer: 
City Chinese Orchestra
Wong Chin Loon
E-mail:
chinloon@pacific.net.sg
Updated:
28 Jun 1997
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The Cello Section of the modern Chinese Orchestra originally consisted of more traditional instruments such as Dihu, Gehu, or Ma Tou Qin. However, due to being cumbersome and difficult in mastering the art of performing, Cellos are used in most of the modern Chinese Orchestra.
Dihu is know as "Low Pitch Erhu". It was developed to complement Erhu for its low pitch which was found absence in the string section at that time. Its structure is similar Erhu. It has a large snake skin wooden drum. The only difference is that it has four stings rather than two, tuned to the usual perfect fifth (C, G, D, A), there is a fingering board to facilitate easy fingering among the four string.
Gehu is a hybrid between Dihu and Cello. It was invented by Yang Yu Ling (1926~1980). The skin used for the wooden drum are python skin, horse skin or lamb skin. It has four strings tuned to perfect fifth (C, G, D, A). It has a fingering board similar to that of a cello. The bow is detached from the string, which allows easy interchange between bowing and plucking the strings. Yang Yu Ling succeeded in finalising its structure in 1979 after more than 560 experiments on different structures.
Ma Tou Qin is a Mongolian String Instrument. It is called "Ma Tou" because at the top of the instrument, is a beautifully carved horse head. Ma Tou Qin is famous for its unique, low and mellow tone. Its structure is one of a trapezium-shaped drum, and a long fingering board which connects the strings from the drum to the wooden pegs below the horse head. There are two wooden pegs and two strings. Art of performing is very difficult to master, especially the fingering of the strings. Index finger tip, middle finger nail, fourth finger tip and the last finger nail are used to vary the tensions of the two strings. This is different from the normal way where all four finger tips are used to press the strings.