I just got mine in the mail today... the instructions are in chinese and I only speak English. I luckily didn't cut it, but I did untie it. Now I have no clue how to re-tie it 😆
Hi this might come a little late, but in case you guys are wondering on how to tie the Qianjin: ua-cam.com/video/hKFq80lgp3U/v-deo.html Check this video out! We hope this helps!
how is it going? did you start learning it? ARe you learning on your own or do you take classes? I am thinking of learning Erhu as well but I am having doubts so I would appreciate any feed back of your experience! Thank you.
@@woowayinvs1736 bro I just got mine 4 days ago. Here’s my experience though. I open it up, I take the erhu out, you can watch open package videos somewhere, and the bow was already inside of the erhu, un rosined. It didn’t make a sound, not matter how tight the bow and strings were, it was nothing. I called the Erhu place from China and they said I had to put a lot of rosin on it. Took me 2 days to rosin the whole thing, 4 hours total. It played a lot better and made sounds but what you do is put rosin on it, make it into powder with a nail polish thingy, play it for 4 minutes and repeat the process until it sounds better. But the complicated part is taking the erhu bow out, and putting it back in. Along with keeping everything stood up while at it. It’s very complicated but you get used to it after a while, like we do with a lot of things. Hope you consider buying one! It’s awesome to mess with
I made the mistake of thinking I could learn how to play an instrument and then deciding to buy one of these even though I've never even held a bowed instrument before. Cut the string off the top because I thought it was part of the packaging was my first mistake. then after a very frustrating time I managed to tie another string around by watching UA-cam videos. Then I couldn't get it to make any sound and I found out it's because I didn't resin the bow enough. Scuffed the top of the resin so I could resin the bow properly and resin until it was white like the internet said. It was catching now but it sounded like s*** it sounded like two banshees trying to f*** each other. Now I don't understand if the strings are too tight or too loose because I've never actually had to tune an instrument before. No matter what I do it sounds like two pigs are fighting to the death inside of a giant wooden drum. I couldn't loosen the strings too much because of the way I tied the string on the neck, so I thought maybe I should try it tighter and snap there goes one of the strings. You know my dad always wanted me to learn guitar when I was a kid and I always turned him down because my dad was an a****** and I didn't want to be anything like him... and when I decided to pick an instrument I decided to go with something like this because I thought the kind of music I can play with this isn't anything like the kind of music my dad played... but it turns out I'm apparently to f****** inept to work a delicate instrument like this. Now I'm posting this comment hoping that someone can learn from my mistakes and either get an instrument you're more familiar with have a teacher or do a hell of a lot of research before you try actually attempting something like this.
Thank you for the comment, I just received me instrument. The quality of the sounds also might be because you bought this instrument from an unknown brand. You might have bought it for cheap. Quality of the strings and bow is very important in order to make a decent sound. I am a pianist and never tried a string instrument before, they said it was going to be a bit difficult to adjust yourself but when you know the fundamentals of a string instrument, you’ll be able to play it decently. I suggest you take 1 online Erhu class(webcam) as it ain’t cheap. If you think those classes are worth your money then take more classes. But these people can help you with your instrument as they know what could be wrong. Also, you shouldn’t associate music with your dad. Music has got nothing to do with your dad. Everybody loves music. And also, your dad might be a huge jerk, but there is a reason for it. Find that reason and you can solve the problem by making him a loving dad. Some people just don’t know how to behave around their children or other people. Your dad also might right now be having too much ego in order to change himself at first. But once he realizes he only got 1 life and 1 son, he will change. Lets begin with you, change your attitude towards him. This way his heart will open up more.
@Dude McGuy, no need to be so dejected and discouraging to aspiring musicians. Anyone can learn an instrument, but it’s important to realize that it is not going to be something you can just be amazing at right away. I play 8 different instruments and all it takes is practice and patience. Indubitably some instruments are harder than others, but that doesn’t make them impossible. Just persevere and you’ll get it :)
And as for your dad, don’t let him discourage you. Music is a beautiful thing and regardless of what instrument you choose, and it’s an amazing release of emotion that could definitely help you 🙂
I was hoping you'd show us how tight the bow needs to be to play. I feel like mine isn't tight enough, when I use my fingers to tighten (as I play) it still feels too slack, but I don't want to stretch the bow! Please help!!
Does it hurt to play erhu? How tight is the resistance between sliding the bow against the strings when playing? I have certain wrist weakness and I wonder if I could still learn it. ANy feed back will be appreciated! thanks
i have a question, can i use any rosin or is for the erhu some special rosin required i have no idea about it i have just get today my erhu so far it is fine but i have to buy rosin i think thats why i ask
hi eason music!! thank you for all your videos and dedication to chinese instruments and teaching how to play them, its a wonderful and appreciated mission! i was wondering, how tight should my erhu bow be? all ive heard is it should be "relatively loose", but im worried im playing it too loose, and conversely im worried ill tighten it too far. what kind of tightness should i be looking for? thank you so much!
@@leif1075 Violin Rosin is basically identical to erhu rosin, the main difference being the label, so it would work just fine. also D'addario makes Erhu strings which as of writing are $16 USD on amazon
Hi there! We're terribly sorry to hear the news, is it possible to send us a video via our whatsapp, facebook or email? Whatsapp: +65 9754 3879 Facebook: facebook.com/easonmusic email: support@easonmusicstore.com We'll be looking forward to helping you soon!
Depending on the types of fine tuners, they are fitted on the strings between the pegs and qianjin. You can refer to photos here: www.easonmusicstore.com/collections/erhu-accessories-dampers-qianjins-mute-etc/products/wittner-fine-string-adjustor-for-erhu-4pcs
Is it possible to buy a quanjin, bridge and damper from you? I also have an older style bow with no horsehair. Someone told me that the bow style was impossible to find now. Do you re-hair those or recommend someone in the United States that can do that? The erhu was a gift.
Hi there! Yes you may visit our webstore for the accessories: www.easonmusicstore.com/collections/erhu-accessories-dampers-qianjins-mute-etc For the Erhu bows, we do not re-hair them here, usually customers will get a new bow as replacement once the hair runs out.
I have an erhu, bought in Beijing several years ago. it's an intermediate / basic model. I am a very beginner but I can manage it. I also play several other instruments and i have a quite good music knowledge. My erhu has a very strange problem: if I bow the D strings in one way, it produces a note of a certain tune. if I bow the D strings in the opposite direction, the note slightly increases its pitch. This is always happening, and i simply cannot understand why. do you have any suggestion? moreover, the problem does not exist with the A string.
I recently bought an Erhu for fun but haven't quite yet started messing around with it. I grew up playing violin and guitar, though, so have a little bit of knowledge. From my understanding, the bow is placed between the strings, are you possibly slightly bending the D string when bowing one way vs the other? Like I said, I haven't started to play my Erhu yet, but just from the sound of how it's set up, it seems like an odd set up that I won't be use to. My thought is that you are slightly bending the string, similar to how a guitarist might bend a note to change the pitch. The bow is creating pressure/friction when you move, plus depending on how you are bowing, the angle you are moving your arm might be bending the string a bit. Just my thoughts. :)
viviendo bonito Hi, sorry we can’t help you find a teacher in argentina. However, we do conduct online skype lessons (subjected to availability). You can sign up through our music school website and we can follow up from there.
My erhu has a wolf tone, every time I play E note it buzz and sound very bad, even if I low the tune on the string E note is always hard to make it sound right, can I do something to avoid the wolf on my erhu?
chablemon Hi, it might be due to the bridge and damper. Imperfections in the bridge could cause wolf tones. A slightly thicker damper could help in reducing wolf tones as well. Do drop us an email for more assistance.
Do you currently have the Erhu with you? It'll be better if you send us a picture of it so we can answer you better. You can email us at: admin@easonmusicstore.com Hope to hear from you soon!
I just purchased my first Erhu and can't get the D-string in tune … I am using a chromatic tuner and had no issues with the A-string. I have no teacher to help me, so I would be really appreciate your help 💦 (not sure you even get notice from an old video though)
@@lunchbox1553 its not about tuning, it's about wearing out the peg box in the arm. You dint want to do that. You want to use fine tuners for smaller adjustments.
@@EasonMusic not with you soemone else but can you help? Is tje bridge really small? There are 2 small roundish black things with 2 holes in them each..are those the bridges? They look different to the ones in the videos ive seen.
@@leif1075 Hi! Not to worry, we're here to help everyone, not just our customers. You can send the pictures in to our email admin@easonmusicstore.com and we can assist you from there :)
@@EasonMusic wait you mean facing the right as in my right when I am looking at the erhu, the side with the strings should be on my right?? Thanks for answering .
@@EasonMusic and for the damper cant i use the sponge?? And mynerhu came with a big black square sponge and a smaller white sponge..which should I use as the damper? Thanks very much.
@@EasonMusic Hooe you can respond again when you can to my question about the dampers and also should you rosin before or after you attach the bow or it doesnt matter?
@@GuitarUniverse2013 definitely if it works too it’s even more rewarding to play because you didn’t just press a button and unbox the instrument you actually built it and if you are anything like me got a few new cuts and scraps in the process
I just received my first erhu today, and followed this guide, yet I cannot get a clean sound out of my erhu. What do I do? Note: There is what seems to be ..wood? where the snake skin should be. This might be the problem. If not, I also intend to swap my damper out for a piece of felt since it's a sponge.
It really depends on individual's preference. A loser bow allows the player to exert more force and allows the bamboo to have more flexibility, hence giving the player more comfort and a wider range of strength to play with. While a tighter bow allows player to not exert too much pressure to get a tight sounding tone. Tip: Sung Wah personally prefers looser bow, it's loose to a degree where if you let you bow rest while mounted between the Erhu strings, there's a slight V angle.
I was one of those people that cut the string tie that keeps the strings on the neck....
TheToader same
oof.
I just got mine in the mail today... the instructions are in chinese and I only speak English. I luckily didn't cut it, but I did untie it. Now I have no clue how to re-tie it 😆
Hi this might come a little late, but in case you guys are wondering on how to tie the Qianjin:
ua-cam.com/video/hKFq80lgp3U/v-deo.html
Check this video out! We hope this helps!
Just ordered my first Erhu and am SO excited for it to arrive!! great videos, learning a lot to prepare in advance :)
how is it going? did you start learning it? ARe you learning on your own or do you take classes? I am thinking of learning Erhu as well but I am having doubts so I would appreciate any feed back of your experience! Thank you.
@@woowayinvs1736 bro I just got mine 4 days ago. Here’s my experience though. I open it up, I take the erhu out, you can watch open package videos somewhere, and the bow was already inside of the erhu, un rosined. It didn’t make a sound, not matter how tight the bow and strings were, it was nothing. I called the Erhu place from China and they said I had to put a lot of rosin on it. Took me 2 days to rosin the whole thing, 4 hours total. It played a lot better and made sounds but what you do is put rosin on it, make it into powder with a nail polish thingy, play it for 4 minutes and repeat the process until it sounds better. But the complicated part is taking the erhu bow out, and putting it back in. Along with keeping everything stood up while at it. It’s very complicated but you get used to it after a while, like we do with a lot of things. Hope you consider buying one! It’s awesome to mess with
@@woowayinvs1736 but I’m from the U.S so I have to teach myself over UA-cam
Bought one for $500 a year ago. Sounded like a dying horse, I threw it the closet and it’s been in there since. Piece of shit instrument. 🤣🤣🤣
@@mkxiong6427 Uh. You do have to learn how to play it.
I made the mistake of thinking I could learn how to play an instrument and then deciding to buy one of these even though I've never even held a bowed instrument before.
Cut the string off the top because I thought it was part of the packaging was my first mistake.
then after a very frustrating time I managed to tie another string around by watching UA-cam videos.
Then I couldn't get it to make any sound and I found out it's because I didn't resin the bow enough.
Scuffed the top of the resin so I could resin the bow properly and resin until it was white like the internet said.
It was catching now but it sounded like s*** it sounded like two banshees trying to f*** each other.
Now I don't understand if the strings are too tight or too loose because I've never actually had to tune an instrument before.
No matter what I do it sounds like two pigs are fighting to the death inside of a giant wooden drum.
I couldn't loosen the strings too much because of the way I tied the string on the neck, so I thought maybe I should try it tighter and snap there goes one of the strings.
You know my dad always wanted me to learn guitar when I was a kid and I always turned him down because my dad was an a****** and I didn't want to be anything like him...
and when I decided to pick an instrument I decided to go with something like this because I thought the kind of music I can play with this isn't anything like the kind of music my dad played...
but it turns out I'm apparently to f****** inept to work a delicate instrument like this.
Now I'm posting this comment hoping that someone can learn from my mistakes and either get an instrument you're more familiar with have a teacher or do a hell of a lot of research before you try actually attempting something like this.
Were you able to do better and you are playinf now?
Thank you for the comment, I just received me instrument. The quality of the sounds also might be because you bought this instrument from an unknown brand. You might have bought it for cheap. Quality of the strings and bow is very important in order to make a decent sound. I am a pianist and never tried a string instrument before, they said it was going to be a bit difficult to adjust yourself but when you know the fundamentals of a string instrument, you’ll be able to play it decently. I suggest you take 1 online Erhu class(webcam) as it ain’t cheap. If you think those classes are worth your money then take more classes. But these people can help you with your instrument as they know what could be wrong. Also, you shouldn’t associate music with your dad. Music has got nothing to do with your dad. Everybody loves music. And also, your dad might be a huge jerk, but there is a reason for it. Find that reason and you can solve the problem by making him a loving dad. Some people just don’t know how to behave around their children or other people. Your dad also might right now be having too much ego in order to change himself at first. But once he realizes he only got 1 life and 1 son, he will change. Lets begin with you, change your attitude towards him. This way his heart will open up more.
@Dude McGuy, no need to be so dejected and discouraging to aspiring musicians. Anyone can learn an instrument, but it’s important to realize that it is not going to be something you can just be amazing at right away. I play 8 different instruments and all it takes is practice and patience. Indubitably some instruments are harder than others, but that doesn’t make them impossible. Just persevere and you’ll get it :)
And as for your dad, don’t let him discourage you. Music is a beautiful thing and regardless of what instrument you choose, and it’s an amazing release of emotion that could definitely help you 🙂
I was hoping you'd show us how tight the bow needs to be to play. I feel like mine isn't tight enough, when I use my fingers to tighten (as I play) it still feels too slack, but I don't want to stretch the bow! Please help!!
Does it hurt to play erhu? How tight is the resistance between sliding the bow against the strings when playing? I have certain wrist weakness and I wonder if I could still learn it. ANy feed back will be appreciated! thanks
@@woowayinvs1736 if you have enough rosin on bow it doesn't take much pressure at all
Great information, really enjoying your videos. Regards from Georgia, USA.
Can anyone help...My erhu string broke...and I can’t make my other string in tune..I’m scared
How can we help you?
i have a question, can i use any rosin or is for the erhu some special rosin required i have no idea about it i have just get today my erhu so far it is fine but i have to buy rosin i think thats why i ask
You can use any violin rosin.
hi eason music!! thank you for all your videos and dedication to chinese instruments and teaching how to play them, its a wonderful and appreciated mission! i was wondering, how tight should my erhu bow be? all ive heard is it should be "relatively loose", but im worried im playing it too loose, and conversely im worried ill tighten it too far. what kind of tightness should i be looking for? thank you so much!
I learned a lot that I didn’t know , is there any music stores in the US that carries strings, bridges, for erhu and pipa ?
Hi! I'm sure you can find one with a google search. Thanks!
@@EasonMusic do you know any ir any tips on how to make practice more enjoyable and easier?
@@EasonMusic And what's a good substitute for rosin if you need one? And will the rosin used for violin work as well?
@@leif1075 Violin Rosin is basically identical to erhu rosin, the main difference being the label, so it would work just fine. also D'addario makes Erhu strings which as of writing are $16 USD on amazon
My erhu came today and when I tried to set it up I broke it. Mine is broken and unplayable. Can someone help me fix it please?
Hi there! We're terribly sorry to hear the news, is it possible to send us a video via our whatsapp, facebook or email?
Whatsapp: +65 9754 3879
Facebook: facebook.com/easonmusic
email: support@easonmusicstore.com
We'll be looking forward to helping you soon!
Excellent ! Clear, detailed and slow enough to easily grasp the details ...THANK YOU !!!!!
I've fine tuners in my new erhu..where exactly do I fit them on the erh
Depending on the types of fine tuners, they are fitted on the strings between the pegs and qianjin. You can refer to photos here: www.easonmusicstore.com/collections/erhu-accessories-dampers-qianjins-mute-etc/products/wittner-fine-string-adjustor-for-erhu-4pcs
100th Comment
Thank I could never have done it without you!
Is it possible to buy a quanjin, bridge and damper from you? I also have an older style bow with no horsehair. Someone told me that the bow style was impossible to find now. Do you re-hair those or recommend someone in the United States that can do that? The erhu was a gift.
Hi there! Yes you may visit our webstore for the accessories:
www.easonmusicstore.com/collections/erhu-accessories-dampers-qianjins-mute-etc
For the Erhu bows, we do not re-hair them here, usually customers will get a new bow as replacement once the hair runs out.
You are the best! Thank you so much for these videos.
What a a good substitute for the rosin if you need one?
Hey, I don’t know how it works. I did everything, but I destroyed one string while I was tuning it
felt and flanel same or diferent ?....
Thank you for this video!
I want to buy mine
How do i do it
And how much is it
I am in Nigeria
I have an erhu, bought in Beijing several years ago. it's an intermediate / basic model. I am a very beginner but I can manage it. I also play several other instruments and i have a quite good music knowledge.
My erhu has a very strange problem: if I bow the D strings in one way, it produces a note of a certain tune. if I bow the D strings in the opposite direction, the note slightly increases its pitch. This is always happening, and i simply cannot understand why. do you have any suggestion?
moreover, the problem does not exist with the A string.
I recently bought an Erhu for fun but haven't quite yet started messing around with it. I grew up playing violin and guitar, though, so have a little bit of knowledge. From my understanding, the bow is placed between the strings, are you possibly slightly bending the D string when bowing one way vs the other? Like I said, I haven't started to play my Erhu yet, but just from the sound of how it's set up, it seems like an odd set up that I won't be use to. My thought is that you are slightly bending the string, similar to how a guitarist might bend a note to change the pitch. The bow is creating pressure/friction when you move, plus depending on how you are bowing, the angle you are moving your arm might be bending the string a bit. Just my thoughts. :)
Excellent explanation! Thanks a lot for share and spread the knowledge associated to the Erhu and your culture.
very helpful video thank you so much!
สั่ง ซื้อได้ทางใหน หาไม่เจอ ชอบมากๆ
Thanks very much Sir..am setting off my erhu for to begin lessons..lots of love from Uganda
An Erhu learner all the way in Uganda! That's really amazing! We wish you all the very best!
i want to learn to play this instrument but i live at argentina , do you know if i have any chance to get a teacher here at my country?
viviendo bonito Hi, sorry we can’t help you find a teacher in argentina. However, we do conduct online skype lessons (subjected to availability). You can sign up through our music school website and we can follow up from there.
Youre wrong sungwah! The outer string is turned to counterclockwise direction.. Not anti-clockwise. - Recommended
Anti-clockwise is the same as counter clockwise
I not feel shame to admit I took much longer to setup my erhu. Especially to tune it took 5 minutes. Thanks for the video.
Thankyou for this video :)
i have some problem of my erhu snake skin,its get bridge mark (erhu bridge that pressing much to snake skin)
Kangji Woon Hi, it might be due to a loose snake skin. It will help if you could email us a picture of it and we can assist you further.
thank you for this video this is very easy to follow except my erhu is not making any noise can someone help please
Hi Karen! Most likely there is not enough rosin on the bow. You need to rosin it for long periods for the first time.
My erhu has a wolf tone, every time I play E note it buzz and sound very bad, even if I low the tune on the string E note is always hard to make it sound right, can I do something to avoid the wolf on my erhu?
chablemon Hi, it might be due to the bridge and damper. Imperfections in the bridge could cause wolf tones. A slightly thicker damper could help in reducing wolf tones as well. Do drop us an email for more assistance.
Please HELP at the top of the erhu should the 2 strings overlap completely or they should form a criss cross pattern?
Do you currently have the Erhu with you? It'll be better if you send us a picture of it so we can answer you better.
You can email us at: admin@easonmusicstore.com
Hope to hear from you soon!
Thank you very much
Nice, thanks!
Is he Chinese Singaporean? I hear that funny accent. ^^
Hi there! We’re all Singaporeans, we’re a store based here in the little red dot :)
How tight must the qianjin be between the strings and the neck?
Its good to be as tight as possible, so that there is enough tension. If not your pull and push will have different pitches.
Where can I find sheet music?
Thank so much
I just purchased my first Erhu and can't get the D-string in tune … I am using a chromatic tuner and had no issues with the A-string. I have no teacher to help me, so I would be really appreciate your help 💦 (not sure you even get notice from an old video though)
Hi. You sent me 2 different bridges, why? I also need a second fine tuner, where can I get it? I only had one in my erhu package. Thank you!!
You should be able to get fine tuners at any music store that sells/rents violins...
@@hurdygurdyguy1these tuners are different. They have 2 polar entrances for lengthened strings. Violin tuners will not work.
@@lunchbox1553 its not about tuning, it's about wearing out the peg box in the arm. You dint want to do that. You want to use fine tuners for smaller adjustments.
WHERE THE HELL IS THE BRIDGE?? I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE IN THE PACKAGING PLEASE HELP
Hi there! Do not fret, did you recently make a purchase with us?
@@EasonMusic not with you soemone else but can you help? Is tje bridge really small? There are 2 small roundish black things with 2 holes in them each..are those the bridges? They look different to the ones in the videos ive seen.
@@leif1075 Hi! Not to worry, we're here to help everyone, not just our customers. You can send the pictures in to our email admin@easonmusicstore.com and we can assist you from there :)
@@EasonMusic ok thanks very much ill send soon
@@EasonMusic Thank tou sorry fpr thendelay..i sent pictures now tell me please if i attached the bow correctly as well as the bridge and damper..
ขอเบอรโทร สั่งซื้อ ได้ที่ใหน
Wait how do you know which side of the erhu is the one facing you..you can turn it either way..why didnt they clarify?
The snakeskin should be facing the right side
@@EasonMusic wait you mean facing the right as in my right when I am looking at the erhu, the side with the strings should be on my right?? Thanks for answering
.
@@EasonMusic and for the damper cant i use the sponge?? And mynerhu came with a big black square sponge and a smaller white sponge..which should I use as the damper? Thanks very much.
@@EasonMusic Hooe you can respond again when you can to my question about the dampers and also should you rosin before or after you attach the bow or it doesnt matter?
So on christmas our online shoppings are in sale tht means i can by my erhu on christmas for a cheaper price im so excited for it
Anyone else get fed up with prices and attempt to make one with a soupcan
Lol, you can get a decent one for $200.
These instruments can be purchased for under $120 on Amazon… Hardly expensive… But there’s nothing wrong with trying to make a DIY version.
@@GuitarUniverse2013 definitely if it works too it’s even more rewarding to play because you didn’t just press a button and unbox the instrument you actually built it and if you are anything like me got a few new cuts and scraps in the process
I just received my first erhu today, and followed this guide, yet I cannot get a clean sound out of my erhu. What do I do?
Note: There is what seems to be ..wood? where the snake skin should be. This might be the problem. If not, I also intend to swap my damper out for a piece of felt since it's a sponge.
Hi Kemae! If we could trouble you, could you send a picture of your instrument to our Facebook messenger for us to inspect it? Thanks!
Thanks for you explain 👌
oh thank you very much, i had bad loop for strings
Thanks, very practical
Amazing!
Thanks!
How tight does the bow need to be?
It really depends on individual's preference. A loser bow allows the player to exert more force and allows the bamboo to have more flexibility, hence giving the player more comfort and a wider range of strength to play with.
While a tighter bow allows player to not exert too much pressure to get a tight sounding tone.
Tip: Sung Wah personally prefers looser bow, it's loose to a degree where if you let you bow rest while mounted between the Erhu strings, there's a slight V angle.
@@EasonMusic okay perfect thank you very much
I mean Tao Nan School
You teach tns?
Thank you! Спасибо!
not so clear
asmr
I have an question touch the bamboo bow the instrument
Tan Sung Wah I mean touch the bamboo part the white plastic at the snake skin wen I play the A-string
Can I use my violin rosin on this bow?
Yes you may! The rosins we use here are the Pirastro brand rosins too :)
I just recveived my erhu and I'm verye xcited about it. But how and where do I access the "How to Play" instruction booklet?
If you have purchased the erhu from us, please drop us an email at admin@easonmusicschool.com
There are a few books on Amazon.
A very good tutorial .🔥👍
Glad you think so!
very helpful
Thank you! Glad it helped!
Hey buster, are there any erhu teacher in the philippines?
If not, ill find an online lesso