The pipa is a plucked 4-string Chinese musical instrument that is easily identifiable by its pear-shaped wooden body. Often called the Chinese lute, the frets on a pipa range from 12 to 26. A video by Shen Yun explores this instrument in detail.
The pipa instrument
Some people make the mistake of a pipa being similar to a guitar since they are plucked instruments. However, both are very different from one another. For instance, it is usually held vertically while playing, in contrast to a guitar, which is often held at an angle. While a guitar is played with guitar picks, a pipa is played with finger picks. The name comes from the Chinese words “pi” and “pa,” where “pi” stands for forward plucking while “pa” stands for backward plucking.
Hence, the name essentially means an instrument that can be plucked both forward and backward. In fact, these two movements are the foundational knowledge when one starts to learn to play a pipa. Traditionally, the instrument is made completely from wood, with the front part made from Chinese parasol trees and the back portion made from sandalwood or mahogany. Players typically use all 10 fingers to play the instrument, and as such, they have a wide range of techniques for playing it.
One uses finger picks to play. (Image: Screenshot via YouTube)
Once a person masters forward and backward plucking, they move to learn to strum the instrument. Next, the player learns about tremolo. When performing tremolo on a pipa, the player can use the thumb to play the accompaniment. A player can also bend notes in both directions. Though it looks like an instrument used to play gentle, feminine music, it can also be used in dramatic, forceful, masculine music. One famous work, Ambushed On All Sides, narrates the story of a general on a battlefield.
Wu Man is a Grammy-nominated pipa player who feels that the instrument is not appreciated much among modern audiences. “We have to open doors to keep this instrument alive… You want to keep the traditional form but you can also push the envelope to see how we can do other things for the next generation. I think this instrument is such a treasure for all cultures… It’s just a cool instrument, and I want people to know that… a pipa can play not only the traditional Chinese repertoire, but it fits into so many genres… I’ve worked with so many musicians, from Mexican guitarists to banjo players. Music is music — the instrument is just the way you can express,” she said to WFMT.
Interesting facts
The pipa is believed to have been introduced into China from India in about 346 to 356 CE. The instrument is thought to have originated in Persia. A smaller pipa-like instrument from India was popular in China around the 4th century BCE. This one had 5 strings. However, it disappeared after the Tang Dynasty ended.
The pipa was introduced to China in the 4th century CE. (Image: Screenshot via YouTube)
Initially, a pipa only had about four frets. This increased to around 14 to 16 frets during the Tang period. In the 1920s and 30s, several musicians experimented with 24 frets, which is the version that is popular in modern times. A higher number of frets allows the player to have better control over the instrument’s pitch. The traditional pipa had a range of about 3 octaves. Some of Southeast and East Asian instruments are derived from the Chinese pipa. This includes Korea’s bipa and Japan’s biwa instruments.
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