Like the heike-biwa, it is played held on its side, similar to a guitar, with the player sitting cross-legged. The six fret type is tuned to B, E, B and b. Brian Grimm placed the contact mic pickup on the face of the pipa and wedged under the bridge so he is able to plug into pedalboards, live computer performance rigs, and direct input (DI) to an audio interface for studio tracking. The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889, Accession Number:
Among the major variants are the gakubiwa (used in court music), the msbiwa (used by Buddhist monks for the chanting of sutras), the heikebiwa (used to chant stories from the Heike monogatori), the chikuzenbiwa (used for an amalgam of narrative types), and the satsumabiwa (used for samurai narratives). Of the remaining post-war biwa traditions, only higo-biwa remains a style almost solely performed by blind persons. The first and second strings are generally tuned to the same note, with the 4th (or doubled 4th) string is tuned one octave higher. Though formerly popular, little was written about the performance and practice of the biwa from roughly the 16th century to the mid-19th century. Detail #2 shows the backside of the instrument; detail #3 is a side view revealing both the shallowness of the bowl-shaped resonator and the height of the frets that are glued onto the neck. Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item, Title:
Biwa players no longer enjoyed special privileges and were forced to support themselves. Its classification is a type of a Chordophone. Traditionally, the 2nd pitch either acts as a lower neighboring tone or a descending passing tone. This type of biwa, known as the gaku-biwa, was later used in gagaku ensembles and became the most commonly known type. It has the largest body and relatively short neck among biwas. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Hornbostel-Sach Classification of instruments is a means of sorting out instruments according to how it produces sound. It produces distinctive ichikotsuch () and hyj (). 2. [17][18] The pear-shaped pipa may have been introduced during the Han dynasty and was referred to as Han pipa. Different sized plectrums produced different textures; for example, the plectrum used on a ms-biwa was much larger than that used on a gaku-biwa, producing a harsher, more vigorous sound. A player holds it horizontally, and mostly plays rhythmic arpeggios in orchestra or ensemble. [14], Biwa usage in Japan has declined greatly since the Heian period. The nishiki-biwa (), a modern biwa with five strings and five frets, was popularised by the 20th-century biwa player and composer Suit Kinj (, 19111973). Different schools however can have sections added or removed, and may differ in the number of sections with free meter. 1800 Geography: Japan Culture: Japanese Medium: Wood, mother-of-pearl and ivory Dimensions: 35 12 1/8 11 1/2 in. By the Kamakura period (11851333), the heike-biwa had emerged as a more popular instrument, a cross between both the gaku-biwa and ms-biwa, retaining the rounded shape of the gaku-biwa and played with a large plectrum like the ms-biwa. [12][13] Yet another term used in ancient text was Qinhanzi (), perhaps similar to Qin pipa with a straight neck and a round body, but modern opinions differ on its precise form. This minute design detail gives rise to sawari, the distinctive raspy tone of a vibrating string. The biwa is a four stringed lute and it is approximately 106 cm long (42 inches). (92.7 20 12.7 cm), Classification:
The name "pipa" is made up of two Chinese syllables, "p" () and "p" (). [6] The strings were played using a large plectrum in the Tang dynasty, a technique still used now for the Japanese biwa. [14][15][16], The pear-shaped pipa is likely to have been introduced to China from Central Asia, Gandhara, and/or India. The biwa has a shallow, rounded back and silk strings (usually four or five) attached to slender lateral pegs. The biwa strings are plucked with large wooden pick called bachi () that requires a full-handed grip. It is an instrument in Japan, that is a two-stringed fiddle (violin). Mural from Kizil, estimated Five Dynasties to Yuan dynasty, 10th to 13th century. [21] The pipa underwent a number of changes over the centuries. [13] What the plectrum is made of also changes the texture, with ivory and plastic plectrums creating a more resilient texture to the wooden plectrum's twangy hum. The biwa is related to the Chinese pipa, an instrument that was introduced to Japan in the late 7th century. Pieces in the Wu style are generally more rhythmic and faster, and often depict scenes of battles and are played in a vigorous fashion employing a variety of techniques and sound effects. II, p. 30. 2. Most ms biwas have tear-shaped bodies, but this rustic fish-shaped example was probably used by a wandering Buddhist monk. Rubbing the strings: The plectrum is used to rub an open string. Type. Not to be confused with the five-stringed variants of modern biwa, such as chikuzen-biwa. [20], Garfias, Gradual Modifications of the Gagaku Tradition 16, Garfias, Gradual Modifications of the Gagaku Tradition 18, Ferranti, Relations between Music and Text in "Higo Biwa", The "Nagashi" Pattern as a Text-MusicSystem 150, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Biwa&oldid=1097578427, This page was last edited on 11 July 2022, at 14:28. In biwa, tuning is not fixed. The surface of the frets is constantly shaved down by the strings, and one of the most important points in the maintenance of the biwa is to keep the surfaces as flat as possible to get goodsawari, The narrative biwa music adopts a relative tuning; the pitch is decided to match with the players range of voice. 89.4.123. The tuning of the strings changes according to the pieces mode. We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. Techniques that produce vibrato, portamento, glissando, pizzicato, harmonics or artificial harmonics found in violin or guitar are also found in pipa. [51][52] Different schools have different repertoire in their music collection, and even though these schools share many of the same pieces in their repertoire, a same piece of music from the different schools may differ in their content. Notes played on the biwa usually begin slow and thin and progress through gradual accelerations, increasing and decreasing tempo throughout the performance. The heike-biwa (), a biwa with four strings and five frets, is used to play The Tale of the Heike. [34][57][58] Duan Anjie described the duel between the famous pipa player Kang Kunlun and the monk Duan Shanben () who was disguised as a girl, and told the story of Yang Zhi () who learned how to play the pipa secretly by listening to his aunt playing at night. [1] , one can make two or three notes for each fret and also in-between notes. Modern notation systems, new compositions as well as recordings are now widely available and it is no longer crucial for a pipa players to learn from the master of any particular school to know how to play a score. [44] The first volume contains 13 pieces from the Northern school, the second and third volumes contain 54 pieces from the Southern school. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen. 77-103. With the rounded edge of the resonator resting in the players lap and the peg box end of the instrument tilted to the left at about a 45-degree angle from vertical, the biwas soundboard faces forward. The 5-string specimen is larger (the vibrating length of its strings is 30.3 inches) and heavier than the 4-string specimen and also has some delicate decorative detail added that is carved out of mother-of-pearl (detail #8 and #9). (80 30 3.4 cm), Classification:
are crucial techniques to create the biwas subtle in-between notes that are unique for fretted instruments. It eventually became the favored instrument to accompany narrative singing, especially on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu where it was performed by blind Buddhist priests (ms). Examples of popular modern works composed after the 1950s are "Dance of the Yi People" and "Heroic Little Sisters of the Grassland" (). The biwa ( Japanese: ) is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. Tachibana sought to create a new narrative style that would appeal to a contemporary urban audience (de Ferranti p. 120) and that would be performed by sighted musicians. Popularly used by female biwa players such as Uehara Mari. Typically, the lowest notes of the arpeggios are open strings, while the highest ones can either be fingered pitches or an open string. In this case, the left hand fourth finger taps the string so that the un-attacked pitch or pitches can be somewhat heard. The musical narrative of The Tale of Heike, in The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music, edited by Alison McQueen Tokita and David W. Hughes. There are some confusions and disagreements about the origin of pipa. Australian dark rock band The Eternal use the pipa in their song "Blood" as played by singer/guitarist Mark Kelson on their album Kartika. to the present. This is due to the fact that the space between the strings on the first three frets is so short that a fingered 1st fret on the 3rd string, for example, would damp the following 4th string, as shown on Figure 7. It may be played as a solo instrument or as part of the imperial orchestra for use in productions such as daqu (, grand suites), an elaborate music and dance performance. Modern biwa music is based on that medieval narrative biwa music. For the left hand, as mentioned above under the Construction section, bending of the strings (oshikan ) and delicate control of it to create a vibrato effect (yuri ) are crucial techniques to create the biwas subtle in-between notes that are unique for fretted instruments. Reflecting its history as an instrument for samurai, its music is often described as dynamic and heroic. And thanks to the low tension of the strings, it is easy to bend the strings by adding pressure. A Sound Classification Musical instruments can be classified by the Western orchestral system into brass, percussion, strings, and woodwinds; but the S-H system allows non-western instruments to be classified as well. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. This is the original form of biwa that came to Japan in the 8. century. Like with the shamisen, a distinctive raspy tone quality called sawari is associated with the chikuzen biwa. On the plectrum, figure of a golden phoenix with flowers in its beak, These, according to the Han dynasty text by Liu Xi, refer to the way the instrument is played "p" is to strike outward with the right hand, and "p" is to pluck inward towards the palm of the hand. In all biwa styles, except for Gaku-biwa (, please refer to the section Types of Biwa), fingers are positioned between the frets, not on the frets. Several types of biwa, each with its own social setting and repertoire, have evolved in Japan over the past 1300 years, the specimens pictured here being called most accurately the chikuzen biwa. In the 20th century, two of the most prominent pipa players were Sun Yude (; 19041981) and Li Tingsong (; 19061976). This singing style is complemented by the biwa, which biwa players use to produce short glissandi throughout the performance. It had close association with Buddhism and often appeared in mural and sculptural representations of musicians in Buddhist contexts. Region: East Asia. Heike Biwa (), Medium:
Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted. The open strings are shown in the first measures, and the pitches assigned the left-hand fingered notes in the following four measures. In the early 20th century, twenty-five pieces were found amongst 10th-century manuscripts in the Mogao caves near Dunhuang, most of these pieces however may have originated from the Tang dynasty. The biwa is a relative of Western lutes and guitars, as well as of the Chinese pipa. There are a number of different traditions with different styles of playing pipa in various regions of China, some of which then developed into schools. Each type has different and unique tones, techniques, and musical styles. Multiple strings are often played in one pluck like an arpeggio. As one of the modern types of biwa that flourished in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, Satsuma-biwa is widely played today in various settings, including popular media. They recorded the critically acclaimed CD "Eagle Seizing Swan" together. [19] Pipa acquired a number of Chinese symbolisms during the Han dynasty - the instrument length of three feet five inches represents the three realms (heaven, earth, and man) and the five elements, while the four strings represent the four seasons.[7]. The biwa's twangy plucks were most commonly accompanied by a single voice during court performances, but its popularity spread the instrument made its way into religious sermons and oral history . Waribachi: This is a downward sweeping of the four strings, dividing the motion into two groups of two notes. As in shamisen music, vocal and instrumental parts are sometimes combined and played at the same time. For other uses, see, Illustrations from the 15th century Korean work, Xiansuo Shisan Tao (, later incorporated into Complete String Music ), Note that some people claimed Pei Xingnu to be the female player described in the poem, History of lute-family instruments Short-necked lutes, "The pipa: How a barbarian lute became a national symbol", "Avaye Shayda - Kishibe's diffusionism theory on the Iranian Barbat and Chino-Japanese Pi' Pa', "Chapter 1: A General history of the Pipa", "Bracket with two musicians 100s, Pakistan, Gandhara, probably Butkara in Swat, Kushan Period (1st century-320)", The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of T'ang Exotics, "Pipa - A Chinese lute or guitar, its brief history, photos and music samples", A report on Chinese research into the Dunhuang music manuscripts, "Chapter 3 Musical structure in the Hua Collection", "Comparison of Three Chinese Traditional Pipa Music Schools with the Aid of Sound Analysis", "Lui Pui-yuen, master of Chinese music, returns to perform once again", "Incubus - Mike Einziger Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment", "[search page, albums featuring Yang Jing]", "La scne musicale alternative pkinoise vue par Jean Sbastien Hry (Djang San)", "BC GRIMM Experimental Acoustic-Electric Music EPK", "Experimental Electric Pipa - , by Zhang Si'an (Djang San )", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pipa&oldid=1138787889, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2019, Articles with MusicBrainz instrument identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Flute and Drum at Sunset / Flowery Moonlit River in Spring, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 16:35. In 1956, after working for some years in Shanghai, Lin accepted a position at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. The Traditional Music of Japan. Because of this bending technique oshikan (), one can make two or three notes for each fret and also in-between notes. In 2015, pipa player Jiaju Shen () released a mini album composed and produced by Li Zong (),[73] with E-pa music that has a strong Chinese flavor within a modern Western pop music mould. [56], Texts from Tang dynasty mentioned many renowned pipa players such as He Huaizhi (), Lei Haiqing (), Li Guaner (), and Pei Xingnu (). The frets of the satsuma-biwa are raised 4 centimetres (1.6in) from the neck allowing notes to be bent several steps higher, each one producing the instrument's characteristic sawari, or buzzing drone. [31] The pipa is mentioned frequently in the Tang dynasty poetry, where it is often praised for its expressiveness, refinement and delicacy of tone, with poems dedicated to well-known players describing their performances. [citation needed]. biwa, Japanese short-necked lute, distinguished by its graceful, pear-shaped body. 2.2 in. The scores were written in tablature form with no information on tuning given, there are therefore uncertainties in the reconstruction of the music as well as deciphering other symbols in the score. Figure 4 introduces the biwas six traditional tunings. The body is often made of stretched snakeskin, and come in varying sizes. After having arrived in Japan via the Silk Road for purely instrumental music, the biwa evolved over time into a narrative musical instrument.