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Partners in English: There is a great wealth of world music out there just waiting to be discovered by many newcomers to the English language and to enthusiasts of world instruments. One of the most unique world instruments is the internationalfiddleand in this section I am introducing theAmerican bluegrass fiddle. For example, there is the English fiddle and the Chinese fiddle.In addition to these fiddles there are the Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, Cajun, Mexican, Eastern European, Indian and a host of other forms of fiddle world instruments.The classic roots of many of the styles of the American bluegrass fiddles have originated from English, Irish, and Scottish settlers and can be heard in the featured American classic song from 1979,“The Devil Went Down toGeorgia.”(Click onto the link below for a really great cultural experience) http://xriffraffx.buzznet.com/user/video/96679/ In my last article I requested that you perform a “cultured English test”, specifically: a way to measure your aptitude for knowledge of authentic American culture. I labeled it,“100% Cowboy.” While you are busy testing your100% Cowboyhere is another classic Chinese bit of culture worth knowing as it relates to the American fiddle. It is the Chinese erhu fiddle.(Pronounced are-who).Of course the history of the erhu fiddle lends to the history of one of the most richly mystical sounds in Chinese music originating from a westward migration family of instruments collectively called the Hu-Qin.This ancient world instrument, the fiddle, is the great ancestor of both the violin and erhu and is thought to have appeared in Persia some 3,000 years ago.Incidentally, the first violins appeared in Europe and on a route eastalong the Silk Roadwith the erhu being first recognized during theSong Dynasty(AD 420-79). | 
