Erhu Lessons in Athens, GA
Learn the two-string Chinese violin — the instrument whose voice sounds almost human. One-on-one erhu lessons at Rabbit Hole Studios, at your home, or live on Zoom.
Taught by Nick Bradfield
The erhu has two strings, no fingerboard, and no frets, and its bow is threaded between the strings rather than resting on top of them. That makes it unlike anything else you may have played: pitch comes entirely from how you press the string, and tone comes from the bow. It's also why the erhu can slide, cry, and sing the way few instruments can.
Lessons build the fundamentals properly — holding the instrument, bow control, finding pitch by ear, and the vibrato and slides that give the erhu its character — and then the music: traditional Chinese pieces, folk melodies, and the film and pop music the erhu turns up in today.
Built from the ground up
Posture, bowing, and intonation set up properly from the first lesson, so the erhu's famous tone comes naturally.
Traditional and modern
Classic Chinese repertoire and folk songs, plus the film, pop, and crossover music the erhu is heard in now.
Face to face in Athens
In-person erhu teaching is hard to find in this part of Georgia. Here you can learn it at the studio or at home.
Or on Zoom
Not near Athens? Erhu lessons work well over live video, with the same one-on-one attention.
What erhu lessons can cover
- Holding the erhu and setting up your posture
- Bow control: push and pull strokes, and changing strings
- Intonation without frets — finding pitch by ear
- Vibrato, slides, and the ornaments that give the erhu its voice
- Reading jianpu (Chinese number notation) and staff notation
- Traditional pieces, folk melodies, and modern music
At the studio, at home, or on Zoom
At Rabbit Hole Studios
One-on-one lessons in a working recording studio in Athens, with microphones and playback on hand.
1001 Winterville RdAthens, GA 30605
At your home
Lessons come to you anywhere within 50 miles of Athens — the practical choice for drums and piano, where the instrument stays put.
Within 50 miles of AthensLive on Zoom
The same private lesson from anywhere, on Zoom in its musician mode — full-range audio with the usual call filtering switched off, so held notes come through the way they were played.
How online lessons work →Frequently asked questions
How much are erhu lessons?
Where do I get an erhu?
Do I need to read music or speak Chinese?
I play violin. Will that help?
Can I learn erhu on Zoom?
Other lessons
Singing Lessons
Sing with more control, more range, and a lot less fear. Private voice lessons that develop the voice you have — at Rabbit Hole Studios, at your home, or live on Zoom.
Guitar Lessons
Acoustic or electric, first chord or first gig. One-on-one guitar lessons built around the music you want to play — at Rabbit Hole Studios, at your home, or live on Zoom.
Songwriting & Production
Write the song. Then record it, arrange it, and make it sound finished. Songwriting and production lessons taught inside a working recording studio in Athens — or on Zoom.