Pipa
Chinese short-necked lute with a pear-shaped body and four strings.
What it means
The pipa is a Chinese short-necked lute with a pear-shaped body and four strings. It is held upright and plucked with the fingers of the right hand, which have long fingernails or attached finger picks for the purpose. Raised frets sit on the broad neck and the body, so that notes can be produced precisely with a finger press.
Musical use
The pipa has been documented in China for about two thousand years and was an important instrument of court music. Its playing technique is versatile: fast tremolo runs, glissandi, chord strokes and imitated sounds such as wind or the noise of battle. The well-known programmatic piece Ambush from All Sides shows this effect. The player Wu Man has also made the pipa known internationally.
The pipa should be distinguished from the oud and the European lute, which have different constructions and usually more strings, and from the guitar, which has a flat body.
Performance practice
If you play the pipa, first practise the basic posture and even plucking with the fingers. The tremolo demands a loose, fast movement; work on making the notes sound evenly and on not tensing up.