- See also Electric pipa
The pipa (Chinese: 琵琶; pinyin: pípá) is a plucked Chinese string instrument. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The angélique (French from Italian angelica) is a plucked string instrument of the Lute family of the baroque era The archlute (Italian arciliuto, German Erzlaute, Russian Архилютня) is a European plucked String instrument developed around 1600 The balalaika (балала́йка) (also Balabaika балаба́йка - is a stringed instrument of Russian origin with a characteristic triangular body and The barbat is a Lute of ancient Persian origin History The barbat originated in Persia in ancient times and was refined during the The bağlama is a stringed Musical instrument shared by various Cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central The biwa ( 琵琶) is a Japanese short-necked fretted Lute, and a close variant of the Chinese Pipa. The bouzouki ( gr το μπουζούκι pl. τα μπουζούκια (plural sometimes transliterated as bouzoukia) is the mainstay of modern This article is about an instrument For the album by British Trip-Hop band Morcheeba, see Charango. Chitarra Italiana is a Lute -shaped plucked instrument with 4 or 5 single (sometimes double strings in a tuning similar to that of guitar The daguangxian ( literally "large wide string " is a Chinese bowed string instrument in the Huqin family of instruments The đàn tỳ bà is a Vietnamese traditional plucked String instrument. The dombra is a long-necked Stringed instrument possessing a wooden resonating chamber somewhat similar to a Banjo Not to be confused with Dombra The domra (Russian language домра is a long-necked Russian String instrument The dutar ( Persian: دو تار, Uzbek: dutor (also dotar or doutar) is a traditional long-necked two-stringed Lute The erhu ( also called nanhu ( 南[[wikt 胡|胡]] "southern fiddle" and sometimes known in the West as the "Chinese The Irish bouzouki (colloquially the "zouk" is a derivative of the Greek Bouzouki. The liuqin ( 柳琴; Pinyin: liǔqín) is a four-stringed Chinese Lute with a pear-shaped body Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from The mandocello (mandoloncello, liuto cantabile or liuto moderno is a Plucked string instrument of the Mandolin family The mandola (US and Canada or tenor mandola (Europe Ireland and UK is a fretted stringed Musical instrument. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The oud ( عود ʿūd, plural أعواد, a‘wād; kaban; Persian: بربط barbat; ud The pandura is an ancient String instrument from the Mediterranian basin Rubab or Robab ( Rūbāb, Hindi: रुबाब is a Lute -like musical instrument from Afghanistan. Setar ( Persian: سه تار, from seh, meaning "three" and tār, meaning "string" is a Persian musical instrument The sitar ( Hindi: सितार Urdu: ستار Persian: سی تار) is a Plucked stringed instrument. The Surbahar ( Hindi: सुर बहार also known as bass sitar) is a Plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music The term tanbūr ( Persian: تنبور) can refer to various long-necked Fretted Lutes originating in the Middle East Tanbur (spelled Tambur in keeping with TDK conventions is a fretted string instrument of Turkey and the former lands of the Ottoman Empire The tembûr, a Fretted String instrument, is a form of tanbūr. A theorbo (tiorba also tuorbe; tiorba Theorbe is a plucked string instrument A tiorbino, a little Theorbo ( tiorbo in Italian is a rare stringed instrument a type of long-necked Lute resembling a Theorbo but significantly The tiqin ( is a name applied to several two-stringed Chinese bowed string instruments in the Huqin family of instruments Topshur (Топшур in the Cyrillic alphabet of the Altayans) is a two-stringed plucked or strummed lute played by the Altayans. Veena (also spelled 'vina' Kannada: ವೀಣ Malayalam: വീണ Tamil: வீணா Telugu: వీణ is a Plucked stringed The zhonghu (中胡 Pinyin: zhōnghú) is a low-pitched Chinese bowed String instrument. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body. Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from It has been played for nearly two thousand years in China, and belongs to the plucked category of instruments (弹拨乐器/彈撥樂器). Several related instruments in East and Southeast Asia are derived from the pipa; these include the Japanese biwa, the Vietnamese đàn tỳ bà, and the Korean bipa. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The biwa ( 琵琶) is a Japanese short-necked fretted Lute, and a close variant of the Chinese Pipa. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The đàn tỳ bà is a Vietnamese traditional plucked String instrument. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. The bipa is a pear-shape Lute that is a Traditional Korean musical instrument which is related to the Chinese Pipa, the The Korean instrument is the only one of the three that is no longer used. Attempts to revive the instrument have failed, although examples survive in museums.
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Playing and performance
The name "pípá" is made up of two Chinese syllables, "pí" (琵) and "pá" (琶). These are the two most common ways of playing this instrument. "Pí" is to push the fingers of the right hand from right to left, thus more than one finger can be used at a time striking multiple notes, and "pá" is to pull the thumb of the right hand from left to right, in the opposite direction. The strings were originally played using a large plectrum in the Tang Dynasty, then gradually replaced by the fingernails of the right hand. Often called a pick or plec, a plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Since the revolutions in Chinese instrument making during the 20th century, the softer twisted silk strings of earlier times have been exchanged for nylon-wound steel strings, which are far too strong for human fingernails, so false nails are now used, constructed of plastic or tortoise-shell, and affixed to the fingertips with the player's choice of elastic tape.
Evolution and construction
Prototypes of the pipa already existed in China in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC). Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China Events By place Carthage The Carthaginian general Hasdrubal is murdered by a Celtic assassin while campaigning to increase Events By place Roman Republic In the Battle of Ilipa ( Alcalá del Río, near Seville) in Spain, the At that time, there were two types of pipa. One was straight-necked, with a round sound box, and two faces mounted with leather. A sound box or sounding box, (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a Musical instrument which alters the instrument's tone quality The other was believed to be inspired by the primitive forms of zheng, konghou, and zou. The guzheng, also spelled gu zheng or gu-zheng ( or zheng (箏 ( gu-, 古 means "ancient" The konghou ( is an ancient Chinese Harp. The konghou, also known as kanhou It also has a straight neck, a round sound box, and also four strings, along with twelve standards of notes. A sound box or sounding box, (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a Musical instrument which alters the instrument's tone quality This model was later developed into the instrument known today as the ruan. For the town in Ireland Ruan County Clare. The ruan ( 阮, Pinyin: ruǎn) is a Chinese plucked The modern pipa is closer to the instrument which originated in Persia/Middle-East (where it was called barbat) and was introduced into China beginning in the late Jin Dynasty (265-420 A. The barbat is a Lute of ancient Persian origin History The barbat originated in Persia in ancient times and was refined during the The Jìn Dynasty ( 265 – 420) one of the Six Dynasties, followed the Three Kingdoms period and preceded the Southern and Northern Dynasties D. ).
By the Tang era, the pipa had become popular in the imperial court. It had a crooked neck, 4 or 5 silk strings, and 5 or 6 frets, and was played with a plectrum in a horizontal position. As the ages went by, the crooked neck was replaced by a straight one, the number of frets increased to between 14 or 16, and to 17, 24, 29, or 30 in the 20th century. The 14- or 16-fret pipa had frets arranged in approximately equivalent to the western tone and semitone, starting at the nut, the intervals were T-S-S-S-T-S-S-S-T-T-3/4-3/4-T-T-3/4-3/4, (some frets produced a 3/4 tone or "neutral tone"). In the 1920s and 1930s, the number of frets was increased to 24, based on the 12 tone equal temperament scale, with all the intervals being semitones. Equal temperament is a Musical temperament, or a system of tuning in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical Frequency ratio. Since then the number of frets has been extended to 29 or 30. The traditional 16-fret pipa is becoming less common, although it is still used in some regional styles such as the pipa in the southern genre of nanguan/nanyin. Nanguan ( 南[[wiktionary 管|管]] pinyin nánguǎn literally "southern pipe" also called nanyin (南音 nanyue The plectrum was replaced by fingernails and the horizontal playing position was replaced by the vertical (or near-vertical) position. During this time, the five-stringed pipa became lost, although in the early 21st century it was revived by the Beijing-born, London-resident pipa performer Cheng Yu, who performs on a modernized five-string pipa modeled on the Tang dynasty instrument, which she researched and commissioned to be made. Cheng Yu is a Chinese Musician. She is internationally renowned in Pipa, the Chinese four-stringed pear-shaped lute but also plays the Guqin
The pipa became a favourite in the Tang Dynasty, during which time Persian and Kuchan performers and teachers were in demand in the capital, Chang'an (which had a large Persian community). The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Persian traditional music (also known as Iranian traditional music, Musiqi-e Sonati-e Irani, also Persian classical music or Iranian classical music Kucha or Kuche (also Kuçar, Kuchar) Uyghur ( كۇچار) Chinese Simplified 库车; Traditional 庫車 Chang'an ( is an ancient Capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history. [1] Many delicately carved pipas with beautiful inlaid patterns date from this period. Masses of pipa-playing Buddhist semi-deities are depicted in the wall paintings of the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes ( (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25km (15 Dunhuang ( also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; is a City (pop
The pipa is referred to frequently in Tang Dynasty poetry, where it is often praised for its refinement and delicacy of tone. Bai Juyi's famous "Pipa Xing" (Pipa Play) describes a chance encounter with a female pipa player on the Yangtze River:
- 大絃嘈嘈如急雨 : The bold strings rattled like splatters of sudden rain,
- 小絃切切如私語 : The fine strings hummed like lovers' whispers. Life Bai Juyi was born in Xinzheng to a poor but scholarly family
- 嘈嘈切切錯雜彈 : Chattering and pattering, pattering and chattering,
- 大珠小珠落玉盤 : As pearls, large and small, on a jade plate fall.
The instrument was imported into Japan during the Tang Dynasty as well as into other regions such as Korea and Vietnam.
Repertoire
There are numerous pipa pieces in the common repertoire which can be split into four distinctive styles: 「文」 wen (civil), 「武」 wu (martial), 「大」 da (suite), and 「小」 xiao (solo).
Famous pieces include
- Ambushed from Ten Sides (simplified Chinese: 《十面埋伏》; pinyin: Shí Mìan Maí Fú)
- Flute and Drum at Sunset (simplified Chinese: 《夕陽簫鼓》; pinyin: Xī Yáng Xīao Gǔ")
- White Snow in Spring Sunlight (simplified Chinese: 《陽春白雪》; pinyin: Yáng Chūn Baí Xuě")
- Dragon Boat (simplified Chinese: 《龍船》; pinyin: Lóng Chuán")
- Dance of the Yi People (simplified Chinese: 《彝族舞曲》; pinyin: Yì Zú Wú Qǔ")
- Big Waves Pushing the Sand (simplified Chinese: 《大浪淘沙》; pinyin: Dà Làng Táo Shā)
- Zhaojun Outside the Frontier (simplified Chinese: 《昭君出塞》; pinyin: Zhào Jūn Chū Saì)
- King Takes Off His Armour (simplified Chinese: 《霸王卸甲》; pinyin: Bà Wáng Xiè Jiǎ)
- Green Waist (simplified Chinese: 《绿腰》; pinyin: Lǜ Yāo). Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use A dragon boat or "dragonboat" is a very long and narrow human-powered Boat now used in the team Paddling sport of dragon boat Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Dance of the Yi People (simplified 彝[[wikt 族|族]] 舞[[wikt 曲|曲]] traditional 彞[[wikt 族|族]] 舞[[wikt 曲|曲]] pinyin Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use
- Moonlit River in Spring (simplified Chinese: 《春江花月夜》; pinyin: Chūn Jiāng Huā Yuè Yè). Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use
On top of these traditional melodies, new pieces are constantly being composed, most of which follow a more Western structure.
Use in contemporary classical music
In the late 20th century, largely through the efforts of Wu Man, Min Xiao-Fen, and other performers, Chinese and Western contemporary composers began to create new works for the pipa (both solo and in combination with chamber ensembles and orchestra). Wu Man ( born 1963 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China) is a Chinese Pipa and Ruan player and composer Min Xiao-Fen ( is a Chinese Pipa player and vocalist known for her work in traditional Chinese music Contemporary classical music, Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to a period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. Most prominent among these are Terry Riley, Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, Tan Dun, Bright Sheng, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Bun-Ching Lam, and Carl Stone. Terry Riley (born June 24 1935) is an American composer associated with the minimalist school WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Philip Glass (born January 31 Lou Silver Harrison ( May 14, 1917 &ndash February 2, 2003) was an American WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Tan Dun (pinyin Tán Dùn 譚盾 谭盾 born August 18 in Changsha Bright Sheng (surname Sheng, born Shèng Zōngliàng, 盛[[wiktionary 宗|宗]] 亮, in Shanghai Chen Yi ( 陈[[wikt 怡|怡]] b Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, April 4, 1953) is a Chinese composer of Contemporary Zhou Long ( 周[[wikt 龙|龙]] b Beijing, China, July 8, 1953) is a Chinese composer of Contemporary classical music. Bun-Ching Lam (Chinese 林[[wikt 品|品]] 晶; Cantonese Lam4 Ban2 Jing1 b Carl Stone (born Carl Joseph Stone, February 10, 1953) is an American Composer, primarily working in the field of live Electronic music [1]
Performers
In the 20th century, two of the most prominent pipa players were Sun Yude (孙裕德; 1904-1981) and Li Tingsong (李庭松; 1906-1976). Both were pupils of Wang Yuting (1872–1951), and both were active in establishing and promoting guoyue (国乐; literally "national music"), a combination of traditional regional musics and Western musical practices. Sun performed in the United States, Asia, and Europe, and in 1956 became deputy director of the Shanghai minzu yuetuan (上海民族乐团; Shanghai Folk Orchestra). As well as being one of the leading pipa players of his generation, Li held many academic positions and also carried out research on pipa scales and temperament. Wei Zhongle (卫仲乐; 1908 or 1909-1998) played many instruments, including the guqin. The (simplified/traditional 古琴; Pinyin: gǔqín In the early 1950s, he founded the traditional instruments department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The Shanghai Conservatory of Music (上海音乐学院 is a public University in Shanghai, China.
Lin Shicheng (林石城; 1922-2006), born in Shanghai, began learning music under his father and was taught by Shen Haochu (沈浩初; 1899–1953), a leading player in the Pudong (浦东) school style of pipa playing. He also qualified as a doctor of Chinese medicine. In 1956, after working for some years in Shanghai, Lin accepted a position at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. The Central Conservatory of Music ( is the national leading musical institution in Beijing, China. Liu Dehai (刘德海; b. 1937) also born in Shanghai, was a student of Lin Shicheng and in 1961 graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Liu also studied with other musicians and has developed a style that combines elements from several different schools.
Prominent students of Lin Shicheng include Liu Guilian (刘桂莲, b. 1961), Wu Man (吴蛮, b. Wu Man ( born 1963 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China) is a Chinese Pipa and Ruan player and composer 1963) and Gao Hong (高虹, b. Gao Hong (surname Gao; b Luoyang, Henan, China, 1964 is a performer of the Chinese Pipa (pear-shaped lute 1964). Wu, who is probably the best known pipa player internationally, received the first-ever master's degree in pipa and won China's first National Academic Competition for Chinese Instruments. She lives in San Diego, California and works extensively with Chinese, cross-cultural, new music, and jazz groups. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. 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. She now performs with Red Chamber and the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble. Gao Hong graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and was the first to do a joint tour with Lin Shicheng in North America. They recorded the critically-acclaimed CD Hunting Eagles Catching Swans together.
Other contemporary players who have introduced the pipa to North America, Europe, or Japan include Min Xiao-Fen, Zhou Yi (周懿), Yang Wei (楊惟), [2], Tang Liangxing (湯良興), Jiang Ting, Qiu Xia He, Liu Fang, Yang Jing, Ting Ting (Zong Tingting), Cheng Yu, and Ma Jie (马捷). The Sui Dynasty ( 581 - 618 AD and in the undertaking of other construction projects including the reconstruction of the Great Wall. Terra cotta ( Italian: "baked earth" is a Ceramic. Its uses include vessels water & waste water pipes and surface embellishment in Building construction China has a long history of Armour and Weapons development China has many varieties of armour but the most were of the lamellar, Coat of plates Min Xiao-Fen ( is a Chinese Pipa player and vocalist known for her work in traditional Chinese music Contemporary classical music, Zhou Yi (Chinese 周[[wikt 懿|懿]] pinyin Zhōu Yì is a Chinese Pipa player Qiu Xia He ( is a Chinese Pipa player Qiu Xia was born in Baoji, Shaanxi, China and she studied Liu Fang ( (born 1974 is a Pipa player Born in Kunming in the Chinese province of Yunnan, she began playing the pipa at the age Cheng Yu is a Chinese Musician. She is internationally renowned in Pipa, the Chinese four-stringed pear-shaped lute but also plays the Guqin
Prominent pipa players in China include Yu Jia (俞嘉), Wu Yu Xia (吳玉霞), Zhang Qiang (張強), Fang JinLung (方錦龍), and Fan Wei (樊薇).
Use in other genres
The pipa has also been used in rock music; the California-based band Incubus featured it in their 2001 song "Aqueous Transmission," as played by the group's guitarist, Mike Einziger. Incubus is a Grammy -nominated Alternative rock band based out of Calabasas, California. "Aqueous Transmission" is the final song from Incubus 's 2001 album Morning View. Mike Einziger (born June 21, 1976 in Los Angeles California) is the multi-instrumentalist co-writer and Guitarist of the alternative rock [3][4] 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. Cold Fairyland, (冷酷仙境 Lěngkù Xiānjìng is a music group based in Shanghai, China. Lin Di ( 林[[wikt 笛|笛]] pinyin Lín Dí is a Chinese musician composer and vocalist [5]
Interesting facts
The loquat tree and fruit, called pipa (枇杷) in Mandarin Chinese, are named after the instrument, likely due to the distinctive shape of the tree's fruit and leaves, both of which resemble the body of the pipa. The loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica) is a fruit tree in the subfamily Maloideae of the family Rosaceae, indigenous to southeastern China.
Recordings
- Lin, Shicheng, and Gao, Hong (1996). Hunting Eagles Catching Swans. IFTPA (International Friendship Through the Performing Arts).
Footnotes
- ^ See also The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of T'ang Exotics, by Edward H. Schafer; University of California Press, 1963.
References
- New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001).
External links
- "Kishibe's diffusionism theory on the Iranian Barbat and Chino-Japanese Pi' Pa'," from The Shayda Institute-Iranian Classical Music site
- Yang Jing
- Zhou Yi
- Gao Hong official site
- Cheng Yu and the UK Chinese Ensemble
- Pipa - Chinese Lute page from Philmultic Management & Productions Inc. site
- Ting Ting site
- Wu Man official site
- ORCHID / SHAO RONG
- Ma Jie's Pipa World
- Min Xiao-Fen official site
Video
- Liu Fang pipa videos
- Liu Fang pipa videos
- Ting Ting plays and sings "Moon Prayer"
- Ting Ting Plays Mozart Video
- Ting Ting plays and sings "Meadows Love Song"
- Ting Ting plays "HOURAI"
- Zhao Cong plays "Moonlight over Spring River" by Beijing Drum Tower
See also
Traditional Chinese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string wind and percussion instrumentsDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic