Morin Khuur: An Epic on Strings of Grassland Civilization

The Morin Khuur derives its name from its horse-head-shaped scroll. Its tone is deep, distant, desolate and stirring, embodying the Mongolian people's awe for nature and love for life, as well as recording the millennia-long migration and reproduction of grassland civilization.

The history of the Morin Khuur can be traced back to the Mongolian Plateau a thousand years ago, with its name originating from the horse-head carving on the instrument's scroll. This design is not only aesthetically pleasing but also embodies the Mongolians' reverence for horses.

The main components of the Morin Khuur include the scroll and neck, sound box, strings and bow. The scroll is the most iconic part of the instrument, usually carved into the pattern of a horse's head held high and neighing, with smooth lines and lifelike details, symbolizing the Mongolian people's affection for horses. The neck is equipped with tuning pegs for adjusting the tension of the strings; these pegs are mostly made of wood, with anti-slip patterns engraved on the surface, featuring a simple and practical design. The sound box serves as the resonance chamber of the Morin Khuur. Modern Morin Khuur sound boxes are mostly made of high-quality paulownia wood, with thin yet sturdy soundboards and thick backboards, which enhance resonance and produce a brighter, more transparent tone. Modern Morin Khuur instruments typically adopt a four-string design, with steel strings that offer greater tension, a wider range and stronger expressive power.

The tone of the Morin Khuur is one of its most captivating features. Deep, distant, desolate, stirring yet delicate and gentle, it can accurately convey the complex emotions of the Mongolian people and the vast artistic conception of the grasslands, earning it the reputation of "the song of the grasslands". The performing art of the Morin Khuur is a core component of Mongolian musical culture, boasting rich and varied playing techniques that focus on emotional expression and artistic conception construction, emphasizing the realm of "unity of the musician and the instrument". The playing techniques of the Morin Khuur mainly fall into two categories: left-hand fingering techniques and right-hand bowing techniques. Fingering techniques include vibrato, glissando, harmonics, hammer-on, vibrato and others, among which vibrato is one of the most distinctive techniques; by rapidly oscillating the left-hand fingers on the strings, it endows the tone with greater expressiveness. Bowing techniques include long bow, short bow, marcato, spiccato and so on; the long bow is used for playing slow-tempo pieces, capable of producing a lingering and coherent tone.

The Morin Khuur is more than just a musical instrument; it is a cultural symbol that carries the historical memories, cultural traditions and national emotions of the Mongolian people, serving as an important bond for maintaining national identity and enhancing national cohesion. With its unique structure, distinctive tone and exquisite performing techniques, the Morin Khuur has become a highly distinctive art form in the treasure trove of Chinese music.