The leiqin (雷琴 or 擂琴, literally "thunderous instrument"; also called leihu) is a Chinese bowed string musical instrument.
Construction Made of brass and wood, the leiqin is covered with snakeskin and has a long fretless fingerboard. The two strings pass over a small bridge that is placed on the snakeskin, near the top edge. A mobile unit called a shankou holds the strings in place.
Playing technique The leiqin is played while the player is seated in a chair, with the instrument's body resting in his or her lap and held in a vertical or near-vertical position. Unlike the erhu and other instruments in the huqin family, the strings are touched against the fingerboard in the same technique as the sanxian. Players use a leg rest, typically made of solid wood with a smooth, flat bottom. Leg rests especially aid beginners who may not have exact control over their playing pressure.
History Wang Dianyu, a traditional folk musician from Shandong, created the leiqin in the late 1920s. It was adapted from an earlier traditional instrument called zhuihu.
See also Zhuihu Huqin Kokyū Music of China Traditional Chinese musical instruments String instruments
References
External links Leihu page Leiqin photo
Audio Leiqin MP3s (click on headphones to listen to individual tracks)
Video Leiqin video