Hi all,
I recently discovered the world of Chinese instruments and really want to learn to play at least one, but I've been having a hard time deciding what I'll enjoy most and what will be the most practical. Specifically I really love the sound of the sanxian and the ruan, especially for more folk/American bluegrass-y songs.
The sanxian I'm absolutely in love with but I can't any resources for learning in English, and my Mandarin is still not great. Currently I don't live in a major city where there are an abundance of music teachers, but I'll be moving soon to a larger city for university and there's a small chance of finding a teacher there.
The ruan is a bit less appealing (the recordings I've found tend to have a higher pitch than the sanxian, and I'm unsure about how portable a zhongruan really is) but I do enjoy the sound. There are more resources available in English for learning and it seems a more accessible entry point, even if I'm not as excited to learn it. I'm also not entirely certain if the size difference of xiaoruan and zhongruan are impactful to learning either version or if it's just a matter of portability and range
I don't have any experience with instruments or reading music. Any tips on choosing one of these? Or would I be better off learning a more Western instrument like a banjo to gain more musical knowledge, and then try the ruan or sanxian after?
Submitted February 03, 2024 at 12:02AM by ConfusedCuddlefish https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/1ahlzp2/advice_on_learning_chinese_instruments_sanxian_or/?utm_source=ifttt