Pipa is commonly associated with Princess Liu Xijun and Wang Zhaojun of the Han dynasty, although the form of pipa they played in that period is unlikely to be pear-shaped as they are now usually depicted. 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 . Popular Japanese three-stringed lute. In order to boost the volume of its sound the biwa player rarely attacks a single string, and instead arpeggios 2, 3, or 4 pitches, with one note per string. Yoko Hiraoka, a member of the Yamato Komyoji ryu, presents a lecture/recital of Japanese Biwa music. Its purpose is to show in context how the biwa uses its various patterns to color some melodic tones. A rapid strum is called sao (), and strumming in the reverse direction is called fu (). (92.7 20 12.7 cm), The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889. [3] From roughly the Meiji period (18681912) until the Pacific War, the satsuma-biwa and chikuzen-biwa were popular across Japan, and, at the beginning of the Shwa period (19251989), the nishiki-biwa was created and gained popularity. Of particular fame were the family of pipa players founded by Cao Poluomen () and who were active for many generations from the Northern Wei to Tang dynasty. [6][7] According to Liu Xi's Eastern Han dynasty Dictionary of Names, the word pipa may have an onomatopoeic origin (the word being similar to the sounds the instrument makes),[6] although modern scholarship suggests a possible derivation from the Persian word "barbat", the two theories however are not necessarily mutually exclusive. In performance it was held sideways and played with a plectrum. Traditional Musical Instruments of Japan | TOKYO RESTAURANTS GUIDE 13 in. Further, the frets and the nut are wide, which provides a surface, not a point, for a string to touch. Of the remaining post-war biwa traditions, only higo-biwa remains a style almost solely performed by blind persons. The biwa is related to the Chinese pipa, an instrument that was introduced to Japan in the late 7th century. to the present. 36 1/2 7 7/8 5 in. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The pipa is held in a vertical or near-vertical position during performance, although in the early periods the instrument was held in the horizontal position or near-horizontal with the neck pointing slightly downwards, or upside down. The satsuma-biwa (), a biwa with four strings and four frets, was popularized during the Edo period in Satsuma Province (present-day Kagoshima) by Shimazu Tadayoshi. In this case, the left hand fourth finger taps the string so that the un-attacked pitch or pitches can be somewhat heard. 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. Typically, the lower strings of the arpeggio are open, as indicated with the '0' in Example 4, while the last string hit may either be open or fingered (numbers 1 to 4 refers to the left hand's fingers from the index to the 4th finger, respectively). Shakuhachi 2. A. Odaiko B. Taiko C. Tsuridaiko D. Tsuzumi 2. String-bending for example may be used to produce a glissando or portamento. Examples of popular modern works composed after the 1950s are "Dance of the Yi People" and "Heroic Little Sisters of the Grassland" (). Novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties such as Jin Ping Mei showed pipa performance to be a normal aspect of life in these periods at home (where the characters in the novels may be proficient in the instrument) as well as outside on the street or in pleasure houses.[24]. Its plectrum is much smaller than that of the satsuma-biwa, usually about 13cm (5.1in) in width, although its size, shape, and weight depends on the sex of the player. [54][55] (The heptatonic scale was used for a time afterwards in the imperial court due to Sujiva's influence until it was later abandoned). 2008. Over the centuries, several types of biwa were created, each having a certain size plectrum, a specialized purpose, a unique performance technique, and varying numbers of strings and frets. The narrative biwa music adopts a relative tuning; the pitch is decided to match with the players range of voice. The strings are depressed not directly against the frets, but between them, and by controlling the amount of applied pressure the performer can achieve a range of pitches and pitch inflections. 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). The biwa is a four stringed lute and it is approximately 106 cm long (42 inches). Continent: Asia. This is the original form of biwa that came to Japan in the 8th century. The biwa became known as an instrument commonly played at the Japanese Imperial court, where biwa players, known as biwa hshi, found employment and patronage. Most ms biwas have tear-shaped bodies, but this rustic fish-shaped example was probably used by a wandering Buddhist monk. [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 fish is an auspicious symbol of Buddhism signifying wakeful attention since most fish lack eyelids and remain alert. The fourth/fifth string G is an octave higher than the second string G. Again, note this is relative tuning; it could be AEAE, GDGD, etc, depending on the players range of voice. 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. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Influenced by the recitations of blind priests, the music of the heike biwa reflects the mood of the text. Though its origins are unclear, this thinner variant of the biwa was used in ceremonies and religious rites. Another Chinese four-string plucked lute is the liuqin, which looks like a smaller version of the pipa. 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. At the beginning of the Meiji period, it was estimated that there were at least one hundred traditional court musicians in Tokyo; however, by the 1930s, this number had reduced to just 46 in Tokyo, and a quarter of these musicians later died in World War II. The biwa developed into five different types in its long history: Gaku, Heike, Ms, Satsuma, and Chikuzen. Biwa hshi performances overlapped with performances by other biwa players many years before heikyoku (, The Tale of the Heike),[further explanation needed] and continues to this day. Biwa | musical instrument | Britannica Ms Biwa () Japanese. The earliest-known piece in the collection may be "Eagle Seizing a Crane" () which was mentioned in a Yuan dynasty text. In the narrative traditions where the pipa is used as an accompaniment to narrative singing, there are the Suzhou tanci (), Sichuan qingyin (), and Northern quyi () genres. The biwa developed into five different types in its long history: . Ye Xuran (), a student of Lin Shicheng and Wei Zhongle, was the Pipa Professor at the first Musical Conservatory of China, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. [2] Pear-shaped lutes have been depicted in Kusana sculptures from the 1st century AD. Like the heike-biwa, it is played held on its side, similar to a guitar, with the player sitting cross-legged. The artist Yang Jing plays pipa with a variety of groups. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 11.7 in. In the Meiji period (1868-1912), sighted musicians created new styles of secular biwa narrative singing inspired by Kyushu ms traditions and introduced them to Tokyo. There are some types of traditional string instrument. The biwa is a plucked lute chordophone of Japan. The Met Fifth Avenue 1000 Fifth Avenue Reflecting its history as an instrument for samurai, its music is often described as dynamic and heroic. The pipa pieces in the common repertoire can be categorized as wen (, civil) or wu (, martial), and da (, large or suite) or xiao (, small). Even the biwa hshi transitioned to other instruments such as the shamisen (a three-stringed lute).[15]. [27] The traditional 16-fret pipa became less common, although it is still used in some regional styles such as the pipa in the southern genre of nanguan/nanyin. Hornbostel-Sachs - Wikipedia However, following the collapse of the Ritsury state, biwa hshi employed at the court were faced with the court's reconstruction and sought asylum in Buddhist temples. Sanxian | musical instrument | Britannica It is assumed that the performance traditions died out by the 10th or 11th century (William P. Malm). II, p. 30. [2][29] Wang Zhaojun in particular is frequently referenced with pipa in later literary works and lyrics, for example Ma Zhiyuan's play Autumn in the Palace of Han (), especially since the Song dynasty (although her story is often conflated with other women including Liu Xijun),[30][29] as well as in music pieces such as Zhaojun's Lament (, also the title of a poem), and in paintings where she is often depicted holding a pipa. This music was cherished and protected by the authorities and particularly flourished in the 14th-15th centuries. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/500681, Mary Elizabeth Adams Brown ; James L. Amerman, The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can now connect to the most up-to-date data and images for more than 470,000 artworks in The Met collection. With turned wrist, he gathered the strings to pluck and strum faster. greatest width of resonator Each group can include either two open strings or one open and one fingered string. The body is narrower and smaller than the other types of biwa. The plectrum is usually made from rosewood with boxwood or ivory tips for plucking the strings. It was those blind monks who fell outside of governmental protection who, during the 17. century, creatively modified the biwa to introduce a shamisen flavor, such as making frets higher to play in-between notes. The Edo period proved to be one of the most prolific and artistically creative periods for the biwa in its long history in Japan. The biwa is a pear-shaped instrument with four or five strings. There are three small soundholes on the soundboard: two visible ones (hangetsu) partially covered with moon-shaped caps made of ivory and a hidden one (ingetsu) beneath the string holder. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. [17][18] The pear-shaped pipa may have been introduced during the Han dynasty and was referred to as Han pipa. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The ms-biwa (), a biwa with four strings, is used to play Buddhist mantras and songs. This biwa often has five strings (although it is essentially a 4-string instrument as the 5th string is a doubled 4th that are always played together) and five or more frets, and the construction of the tuning head and frets vary slightly. It always starts from the 4th string and stops on either the 3rd, 2nd, or 1st string depending if the arpeggio contains 2, 3, or 4 pitches, respectively. Biwa traditions began with blind priests who traveled from village to village singing sutras. The biwa sounds as written, and it is tuned to an A-430Hz. Further, the frets and the nut are wide, which provides a surface, not a point, for a string to touch. In Japan, the biwa is generally played with a bachi instead of the fingers, and is often used to play gagaku. It has the largest body and relatively short neck among biwas. The most eminent 20th century satsuma-biwa performer was Tsuruta Kinshi, who developed her own version of the instrument, which she called the tsuruta-biwa. In the 20th century, two of the most prominent pipa players were Sun Yude (; 19041981) and Li Tingsong (; 19061976). In Satsuma-biwa classical pieces, the thickest string (the first) is in principle. The biwa (Japanese: ) is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. All rights reserved. Played with a large wooden plectrum, the instrument has four or five strings of twisted silk stretched over four or more . The two-headed tacked drum hung in an elaborate circular frame in court music is a gaku-daiko or tsuri-daiko. This seeming shortcoming is compensated for by the frets height and the low tension of the strings. Male players typically play biwa that are slightly wider and/or longer than those used by women or children. Due to the slow growth of the Japanese mulberry, the wood must be taken from a tree at least 120 years old and dried for 10 years before construction can begin. These players had considerable influence on the development of pipa playing in China. [67] It is very much the same as the modern pipa in construction save for being a bit wider to allow for the extra string and the reintroduction of the soundholes at the front. After almost dying out post-World War II, the tradition was revived in part due to interest shown in the instrument by the internationally known contemporary composer Tru Takemitsu, who wrote instrumental compositions for the instrument. The 4 wedge-shaped frets on the neck became 6 during the 20th century. The strings are usually tuned to A2 D3 E3 A3 , although there are various other ways of tuning. A new way to classify the acoustical properties of woods and clearly separate these two groups is proposed in this paper. While the modern satsuma-biwa and chikuzen-biwa both originated from the ms-biwa, the satsuma-biwa was used for moral and mental training by samurai of the Satsuma Domain during the Warring States period, and later for general performances. Upon its arrival, the biwa was used in purely instrumental music in the court culture the instrument appears in various works of literature and art in the 10th -12th centuries, depicting nobles enjoying it in rituals as well as in their private lives. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. [12] The plectrum is also critical to creating the sawari sound, which is particularly utilized with satsuma-biwa. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The transmission parameter (product of propagation speed and Q value of the longitudinal wave along the wood grain . The Biwa is a four-stringed Japanese lute with a short neck that was commonly used in Japanese court music in the seventh and eighth centuries. The instrument is plucked with a pick made out of animal horn. The main part of the music is vocal and the biwa part mostly plays short interludes. 3 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. She lives in San Diego, California and works extensively with Chinese, cross-cultural, new music, and jazz groups. greatest width of resonator 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. Lin Shicheng (; 19222006), born in Shanghai, began learning music under his father and was taught by Shen Haochu (; 18991953), a leading player in the Pudong school style of pipa playing. Taiko Related Articles on Traditional Japanese Instruments 1. In gagaku, it is known as the gaku-biwa (). The instrument initially used for this practice was the four-stringed chikuzen biwa (gallery #1), which was produced and sold cheaply--a fact attested to by the numbers of such instruments taken overseas by working-class emigrants. (de Ferranti, p. 122) [The instrument pictured in gallery #1 is very likely one of those many biwas taken overseas--it was purchased in a Honolulu shop specializing in Japanese antiques many of which were brought to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants in the early 20th century.] Biwa Four frets Figure 1 NAKAMURA Kahoru Biwa's back is flat Biwa's plectrum Figure 2 Although shaped like a Western lute, the Biwa 's back is flat and it has a shallower body. Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item, Title: However, the biwas cultural significance is due to its evolution during the medieval era into a narrative musical instrument. As in shamisen music, vocal and instrumental parts are sometimes combined and played at the same time. During the 1950s, the use of metal strings in place of the traditional silk ones also resulted in a change in the sound of the pipa which became brighter and stronger. Although shaped like a Western lute, the Biwa's back is flat and it has a shallower body. Notes played on the biwa usually begin slow and thin and progress through gradual accelerations, increasing and decreasing tempo throughout the performance. Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item, Title: In previous centuries, the predominant biwa musicians would have been blind monks (, biwa hshi), who used the biwa as musical accompaniment when reading scriptural texts. These cookies do not store any personal information. The number of frets is considerably fewer than other fretted instruments. [21] During this time, Persian and Kuchan performers and teachers were in demand in the capital, Chang'an (which had a large Persian community). Pipa is also an important component of regional chamber ensemble traditions such as Jiangnan sizhu, Teochew string music and Nanguan ensemble. [8][9] Liu Xi also stated that the instrument called pipa, though written differently (; pp or ; pb) in the earliest texts, originated from amongst the Hu people (a general term for non-Han people living to the north and west of ancient China). Loquat - Wikipedia The fourth/fifth string G is an octave higher than the second string G. Again, note this is relative tuning; it could be AEAE, GDGD, etc, depending on the players range of voice. The biwa is a plucked string instrument that first gained popularity in China before spreading throughout East Asia, eventually reaching Japan sometime during the Nara period (710-794). As the biwa does not play in tempered tuning, pitches are approximated to the nearest note. During the 1910s a five-string model was developed that, since the 1920s, has been the most common form of the instrument (gallery #2). Formation: Japanese. Rubbing the strings: The plectrum is used to rub an open string. PDF A Comparison of String Instruments Based on Wood Properties In 1956, after working for some years in Shanghai, Lin accepted a position at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12 to 31. Through the next several centuries, players of both traditions intersected frequently and developed new music styles and new instruments. Western performers of pipa include French musician Djang San, who integrated jazz and rock concepts to the instrument such as power chords and walking bass.[70]. Another new style called Chikuzen-biwa () was created in the 19th century in northern Kyushu Island, based off of the blind monks biwa music, and adopting shamisen, Satsuma-biwa, and other contemporary musical styles. The peg box is angled about 90 degrees from the neck, and the back of the body is flat, unlike the western lute. It is a big percussion instrument of Japanese that plays integral part of many Japanese Matsuri (festival). They included Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, and Su Shi. Type. This next instrument seems to have some spiritual meaning behind it. Updates? NAKAMURA Kahoru, the biwa player with whom we worked, mentioned that for a concert including pieces in two different modes, she tunes two biwas before the concert. [68] The Shanghai progressive/folk-rock band Cold Fairyland, which was formed in 2001, also use pipa (played by Lin Di), sometimes multi-tracking it in their recordings. ________. Depictions of the pear-shaped pipas appeared in abundance from the Southern and Northern dynasties onwards, and pipas from this time to the Tang dynasty were given various names, such as Hu pipa (), bent-neck pipa (, quxiang pipa), some of these terms however may refer to the same pipa. Example 4 also shows the biwa's standard one-measure motive. The first and second strings are generally tuned to the same note, with the 4th (or doubled 4th) string is tuned one octave higher. It helps illustrate the neglible amount of resonance the biwa produces, because already after 1 second most of its sound energy is below the threshold of hearing. The four-string specimen is tuned to a shamisen tuning called honchshi (interval structure, from the lowest string upwards, of P4 - P5, with the top two strings tuned in unison): approximately B2 E3 B3 B3; a typical tuning for the 5-string instrument has the intervallic sequence of P4 (down) P4 (up) M2 (up) P4 (up), approximately E3 B2 E3 F-sharp3 B3. It is an arpeggio that is always starting from the first string (the lowest) and swepping upwards to either the second, third or fourth string. Biwa playing has a long history on Kyushu, and for centuries the art was practiced within the institution of ms, blind Buddhist priests who performed sacred and secular texts for agrarian and other rituals. Non-traditional themes may be used in these new compositions and some may reflect the political landscape and demands at the time of composition, for example "Dance of the Yi People" which is based on traditional melodies of the Yi people, may be seen as part of the drive for national unity, while "Heroic Little Sisters of the Grassland" extols the virtue of those who served as model of exemplary behaviour in the People's commune.[48]. Shanghai-born Liu Guilian graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and became the director of the Shanghai Pipa Society, and a member of the Chinese Musicians Association and Chinese National Orchestral Society, before immigrating to Canada. chikuzen biwa Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments. Several related instruments are derived from the pipa, including the Japanese biwa and Korean bipa in East Asia, and the Vietnamese n t b in Southeast Asia. This type of biwa music has been preserved until now in gagaku (), or the court orchestra. [10] An instrument called xiantao (), made by stretching strings over a small drum with handle, was said to have been played by labourers who constructed the Great Wall of China during the late Qin dynasty. Players hold the instrument vertically. In the performers right hand the bachi (plectrum) is held, its upward-pointing tip used to pluck the strings near the string holder. [69] The instrument is also played by musician Min Xiaofen in "I See Who You Are", a song from Bjrk's album Volta. This 5-stringed lute with a powerful. When two strings are plucked at the same time with the index finger and thumb (i.e. Ieyasu favored biwa music and became a major patron, helping to strengthen biwa guilds (called Todo) by financing them and allowing them special privileges. The gogen-biwa (, lit. Members of these schools are sighted and include both females and males. It is an instrument in China, its mouth-blown free reed instrument consisting of vertical pipes. Koizumi, Fumio. Northern Wei dynasty (386534 AD). What is the hornbostelsachs classification of biwa instrument - 9005546 Liu Dehai (19372020), also born in Shanghai, was a student of Lin Shicheng and in 1961 graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. In biwa, tuning is not fixed. Biwa 6. Guilds supporting biwa players, particularly the biwa hshi, helped proliferate biwa musical development for hundreds of years. Biwa. NGDMI v.1: 234-237. used to strike the hard soundboard sharply to create percussive effects, adding a more dynamic flavor to the music. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It was in the late 20th century that this instrument started to be re-discovered and re-evaluated in various musical settings, such as soundtrack for movies and ensemble and orchestra music, culminating in Toru Takemitsus signature piece November Steps, which premiered in New York City in 1967. One of the biwa's most famous uses is for reciting The Tale of the Heike, a war chronicle from the Kamakura period (11851333). During the Song dynasty, many of the literati and poets wrote ci verses, a form of poetry meant to be sung and accompanied by instruments such as pipa. 592 AD, Sui dynasty. The four fret type is tuned to E, B, E and A, and the five fret type is tuned to B, e, f and f. This minute design detail gives rise to sawari, the distinctive raspy tone of a vibrating string. From these styles also emerged the two principal survivors of the biwa tradition: satsuma-biwa and chikuzen-biwa. The basic technique is to pluck down and up with the sharp corner. The stroking motion always starts from the 1st string, sequentially sweeping toward the others until it reaches the arpeggios last string. It has not caught on in China but in Korea (where she also did some of her research) the bipa was revived since then and the current versions are based on Chinese pipa, including one with five-strings. [16], While many styles of biwa flourished in the early 1900s (such as kindai-biwa between 1900 and the 1930s), the cycle of tutelage was broken yet again by the war. This music was cherished and protected by the authorities and particularly flourished in the 14th-15th centuries. Most prominent among these are Minoru Miki, Thring Brm, YANG Jing, Terry Riley, Donald Reid Womack, Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, Tan Dun, Bright Sheng, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Bun-Ching Lam, and Carl Stone. What is known is that three main streams of biwa practice emerged during this time: zato (the lowest level of the state-controlled guild of blind biwa players), shifu (samurai style), and chofu (urban style). The instrument is played with a large wedge-shaped plectrum called a bachi. Gao Hong graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and was the first to do a joint tour with Lin Shicheng in North America. These parts can be seen in detail #1: peg box (hanju) with lobster tail-shaped finial (kairbi) [upper left]; four laterally mounted friction tuning pegs (tenju) [lower left]; neck (shikakubi) [right] with a tenon cut at each end (one fitting into a mortise cut into the peg box, the other into a mortise in the narrow end of the resonator) and five high frets (j); and a resonator made of a shallow, teardrop-shaped hollowed out wood shell (k) covered with a flat, thinly-shaven wood soundboard (fukuban) to which is glued a string holder tension bridge (fukuju) just above its rounded end [center]. The instrument's rounded rectangular resonator has a snakeskin front and back, and the curved-back pegbox at the end of the neck has lateral, or side, tuning pegs that adjust three silk or nylon strings. Although no longer as popular as it once was, several chikuzen biwa schools have survived to the present day in Japan and to a lesser extent in Japanese communities abroad (such as in Hawaii). The piece is in Hy-j mode (E Dorian) and the basic melody is centered on the pitches: E, B, and A, three of the four fundamental pitches of the Japanese modes. The sound can be totally different depending on where the instrument is hit, how the plectrum is held, and which part of the plectrum hits the surface. The design and construction of the 5-string Chikuzen biwa pictured in gallery #2 is basically the same as for the 4-string model described above except accommodations need to be made to the pegbox (detail #7) and bridge (detail #8) for the additional string.

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