Songs are not always metered, although more modern collaborations are metered. This causes a sustained, buzzing noise called, which adds a unique flavor to the biwa sound. The instrument is played with a large wedge-shaped plectrum called a bachi. The flowers fluttered, and from Heaven the phoenix trilled, Figure 5 shows examples of harmonic structures of, 2, 3, and 4 pitches in Ichikotsu-ch. [12] The plectrum is also critical to creating the sawari sound, which is particularly utilized with satsuma-biwa. It is a big percussion instrument of Japanese that plays integral part of many Japanese Matsuri (festival). 2008. Sheng. The stroking motion always starts from the 1st string, sequentially sweeping toward the others until it reaches the arpeggios last string. [3][4][5], The earliest mention of pipa in Chinese texts appeared late in the Han dynasty around the 2nd century AD. Written by Nobuko Fukatsu It is similar in shape to the chikuzen-biwa, but with a much more narrow body. They included Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, and Su Shi. 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 . [53] The introduction of pipa from Central Asia also brought with it virtuoso performers from that region, for example Sujiva (, Sujipo) from the Kingdom of Kucha during the Northern Zhou dynasty, Kang Kunlun () from Kangju, and Pei Luoer () from Shule. 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. Chikuzen biwa music is narrative music much beholding to narrative shamisen music. February 20, 2008. 13 in. 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). We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. Outside influence, internal pressures, and socio-political turmoil redefined biwa patronage and the image of the biwa; for example, the nin War of the Muromachi period (13381573) and the subsequent Warring States period (15th17th centuries) disrupted the cycle of tutelage for heikyoku[citation needed][a] performers. The narrative biwa music adopts a relative tuning; the pitch is decided to match with the players range of voice. 3 (Winter, 19771978). This music called heikyoku () was, cherished and protected by the authorities and particularly flourished in the 14-15. The excerpt is performed by the ensemble Reigakusha. However, the playing of the biwa nearly became extinct during the Meiji period following the introduction of Western music and instruments, until players such as Tsuruta Kinshi and others revitalized the genre with modern playing styles and collaborations with Western composers. 2. In the early 1950s, he founded the traditional instruments department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Kakisukashi: This is a three or four-note arpeggio with two strings in unison. 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. The instrument is plucked with a pick made out of animal horn. [18], As biwa music declined in post-Pacific War Japan, many Japanese composers and musicians found ways to revitalize interest in it. These players had considerable influence on the development of pipa playing in China. Note however that the frets on all Chinese lutes are high so that the fingers and strings never touch the fingerboard in between the frets, this is different from many Western fretted instruments and allows for dramatic vibrato and other pitch changing effects. It is however possible to produce the tremolo with just one or more fingers. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute ", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12 to 31. Since the revolutions in Chinese instrument-making during the 20thcentury, 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. Thought to be of Persian origin, the biwa was brought to Japan in the 8th century via Central Asia, China and the Korean Peninsula. Kishibe, Shigeo. greatest width of resonator Typically, the lowest notes of the arpeggios are open strings, while the highest ones can either be fingered pitches or an open string. Koto 3. 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. During the Qing dynasty, apart from those of the various schools previously mentioned, there was Chen Zijing (), a student of Ju Shilin and known as a noted player during the late Qing dynasty. 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. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 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. Techniques that produce vibrato, portamento, glissando, pizzicato, harmonics or artificial harmonics found in violin or guitar are also found in pipa. https://japanese-music.com/profile/nobuko-fukatsu/. With the abolition of Todo in the Meiji period, biwa players lost their patronage. 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. 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. Its tuning is A, E, A, B, for traditional biwa, G, G, c, g, or G, G, d, g for contemporary compositions, among other tunings, but these are only examples as the instrument is tuned to match the key of the player's voice. Popular Japanese three-stringed lute. Wu Man 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. [8] The varying string thickness creates different timbres when stroked from different directions. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The name "pipa" is made up of two Chinese syllables, "p" () and "p" (). biwa, Japanese short-necked lute, distinguished by its graceful, pear-shaped body. 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). A pipa player playing with the pipa behind his back. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. A player holds it horizontally, and mostly plays rhythmic arpeggios in orchestra or ensemble. This scale sometimes includes supplementary notes, but the core remains pentatonic. [56], Texts from Tang dynasty mentioned many renowned pipa players such as He Huaizhi (), Lei Haiqing (), Li Guaner (), and Pei Xingnu (). The exception for these methods is for when hazusu or tataku are performed on the 4th string. All rights reserved. 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. The artist Yang Jing plays pipa with a variety of groups. Cheng Yu researched the old Tang dynasty five-stringed pipa in the early 2000s and developed a modern version of it for contemporary use. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Each type has different and unique tones, techniques, and musical styles. However, another variant of the biwa known as the ms-biwa or the kjin-biwa also found its way to Japan, first appearing in the Kyushu region. The fourth and fifth strings, if 5-stringed, are tuned to the same note. Other prominent students of Lin Shicheng at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing include Liu Guilian (, born 1961), Gao Hong and Wu Man. With the end of the wars, unsurprisingly, the biwa music became less popular, and the number of biwa musicians dropped significantly. 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. 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. In biwa, tuning is not fixed. This article is about the Chinese instrument. 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 (710794). [21] The pipa underwent a number of changes over the centuries. Thick strings clatter like splattering rain, Telling stories and holding religious practices with biwa accompaniment became a profession for blind monks, and it was these wandering blind monks who carried on the tradition. 105-126. Notes played on the biwa usually begin slow and thin and progress through gradual accelerations, increasing and decreasing tempo throughout the performance. With turned wrist, he gathered the strings to pluck and strum faster. The strings are numbered from the lowest (first string) to the highest (fourth string). [38] It has however been suggested that the long plectrum depicted in ancient paintings may have been used as a friction stick like a bow. 3 in. The instrument is tuned to match the key of the singer. The body is narrower and smaller than the other types of biwa. Hornbostel-Sach Classification of instruments is a means of sorting out instruments according to how it produces sound. It is made out of wood, with a teardrop-shaped body and a long neck with four or five high frets, and is stringed with four or five silk strings that are plucked by a big pick called bachi. They recorded the critically acclaimed CD "Eagle Seizing Swan" together. 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. 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]. [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. Dunhuang, Mogao Caves. length Japanese Musical Instruments. The sole stroke motion used in this example is kakubachi, but it also includes examples of hazusu and tataku. 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. [17][18] The pear-shaped pipa may have been introduced during the Han dynasty and was referred to as Han pipa. The biwa, originally an instrument of high society, gradually spread among wandering blind monks who used this instrument to tell stories. The chikuzen-biwa was used by Buddhist monks visiting private residences to perform memorial services, not only for Buddhist rites, but also to accompany the telling of stories and news. We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. The method of holding the plectrum is different when performing kaeshibachi or kakubachi, and consequently composers need to allow a few seconds for the repositioning of the hand when using the two techniques in sequence. The four and five-stringed pipas were especially popular during the Tang dynasty, and these instruments were introduced into Japan during the Tang dynasty as well as into other regions such as Korea and Vietnam. Its purpose is to show in context how the biwa uses its various patterns to color some melodic tones. An English translation was published in the Galpin Society Journal in 1961. Chikuzen was an historic northern province on Kyushu, the southern-most main island of Japan. Sort by. (92.7 20 12.7 cm), Classification: The heike-biwa (), a biwa with four strings and five frets, is used to play The Tale of the Heike. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 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. [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. In the 20th century, two of the most prominent pipa players were Sun Yude (; 19041981) and Li Tingsong (; 19061976). [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. Further important collections were published in the 20th century. Corrections? String-bending for example may be used to produce a glissando or portamento. Hazusu: This is a sequence of two pitches, where the first one is attacked, and leades to a second one which is not attacked. 'five-stringed biwa'), a Tang variant of biwa, can be seen in paintings of court orchestras and was used in the context of gagaku; however, it was removed with the reforms and standardization made to the court orchestra during the late 10th century. The tuning of the strings changes according to the pieces mode. Shakuhachi One of the most popular traditional Japanese wind instruments is the shakuhachi. There are seven main types of Biwa, each distinguished by the number of strings, sound produced, and use. In this case, the left hand fourth finger taps the string so that the un-attacked pitch or pitches can be somewhat heard. Not to be confused with the five-stringed variants of modern biwa, such as chikuzen-biwa. Members of these schools are sighted and include both females and males. Tataku: This is similar to hazusu, except that this time, two non-struck pitches follow the struck one. And thanks to the low tension of the strings, it is easy to bend the strings by adding pressure. 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. 5-string: biwa (gallery #2): Chikuzen was an historic northern province on Kyushu, the southern-most main island of Japan. This overlap resulted in a rapid evolution of the biwa and its usage and made it one of the most popular instruments in Japan. The peg box is angled about 90 degrees from the neck, and the back of the body is flat, unlike the western lute. Its plectrum is slightly larger than that of the gagaku-biwa, but the instrument itself is much smaller, comparable to a chikuzen-biwa in size. One of these, the new chikuzen biwa tradition, became popular amongst many thousands of amateurs between c.1900 and 1920. [40] Through time, the neck was raised and by the Qing dynasty the instrument was mostly played upright. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. One of the biwa's most famous uses is for reciting The Tale of the Heike, a war chronicle from the Kamakura period (11851333). The biwas shallow body is a bouncing board that sharply projects its sound forward. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Museum's collection of musical instruments includes approximately 5,000 examples from six continents and the Pacific Islands, dating from about 300 B.C. Each school is associated with one or more collections of pipa music and named after its place of origin: These schools of the solo tradition emerged by students learning playing the pipa from a master, and each school has its own style, performance aesthetics, notation system, and may differ in their playing techniques. The Korean instrument is the only one of the three that is no longer widely used. 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. A. Biwa B. Koto C. Shakuhachi D. Shamisen 3. 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. Wei Zhongle (; 19031997) played many instruments, including the guqin. The biwa is a pear-shaped instrument with four or five strings. In modern biwa, particularly in Satsuma-biwa, one sometimes strikes the soundboard sharply to get percussive effects. The rhythm in biwa performances allows for a broad flexibility of pulse. Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted, Credit Line: The gagaku biwa (), a large and heavy biwa with four strings and four frets, is used exclusively for gagaku. 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. The five-stringed pipa however had fallen from use by the Song dynasty, although attempts have been made to revive this instrument in the early 21st century with a modernized five-string pipa modeled on the Tang dynasty instrument. 2.2 in. 77-103. [61][33], During the Song dynasty, players mentioned in literary texts include Du Bin (). L 31 1/2 W. 11 13/16 D. 1 5/16 in. 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. The archlute ( Spanish: archilad, Italian: arciliuto, German: Erzlaute) is a European plucked string instrument developed around 1600 as a compromise between the very large theorbo, the size and re-entrant tuning of which made for difficulties in the performance of solo music, and the Renaissance tenor lute, which lacked the bass range of the By the Song dynasty, the word pipa was used to refer exclusively to the four-stringed pear-shaped instrument. Waribachi: This is a downward sweeping of the four strings, dividing the motion into two groups of two notes. [44] The first volume contains 13 pieces from the Northern school, the second and third volumes contain 54 pieces from the Southern school. [11] The style of singing accompanying biwa tends to be nasal, particularly when singing vowels, the consonant , and syllables beginning with "g", such as ga () and gi (). Biwa (Japanese instrument) - MIT Global Shakespeares Biwa (Japanese instrument) The Biwa is a Japanese teardrop lute, similar to the lute and the oud, with a short neck and frets. [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. Northern Wei dynasty (386534 AD). The gogen-biwa (, lit. Malm, William P. 1959. Figure 4 introduces the biwas six traditional tunings. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681. 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. Different schools however can have sections added or removed, and may differ in the number of sections with free meter. At the beginning of the 13th century, Heike biwa players began telling of tales of the rise and fall of the Taira . L 31 1/2 W. 11 13/16 D. 1 5/16 in. 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). Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection . The typical 5-stringed Satsuma-biwa classical tuning is: CGCG, from first string to fourth/fifth string, respectively. Multiple strings are often played in one pluck like an arpeggio. Gao Hong graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and was the first to do a joint tour with Lin Shicheng in North America. In the 18th century, samurai in the Satsuma area (southern part of Kyushu island) adopted the blind monks biwa music into their musical practices. [39] The plectrum has now been largely replaced by the fingernails of the right hand. From the 3rd century onwards, through the Sui and Tang dynasty, the pear-shaped pipas became increasingly popular in China. Through the next several centuries, players of both traditions intersected frequently and developed new music styles and new instruments. 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. This music called heikyoku () was cherished and protected by the authorities and particularly flourished in the 14-15th centuries. 89.4.123. Bodmin, Cornwall, Great Britain: MPG Books, pp. And thanks to the low tension of the strings, it is easy to bend the strings by adding pressure. [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. (88.9 30.8 29.2 cm) Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1968 Accession Number: 68.62.1 Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings Title: Satsuma Biwa () Date: ca. In both cases, the sound of the non-struck pitches is not hearable when performed with the orchestra, but the gesture itself might help the biwa player keep time. Although this instrument is quite large and a very substantial plectrum is used to excite its strings, its sound is surprisingly soft and meant more for intimate settings rather than concert halls.

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