biwa instrument classificationheart 1980 tour dates
'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. Popularly used by female biwa players such as Uehara Mari. This instrument was also used many times as an accompanying instrument in larger ensembles. Written by Nobuko Fukatsu Like with the shamisen, a distinctive raspy tone quality called sawari is associated with the chikuzen biwa. The traditional Satsuma-biwa has 4 strings and 4 frets (Sei-ha and Kinshin-ryu schools), and newer styles have 5 strings and 5 frets (Nishiki and Tsuruta-ryu schools). The biwa sounds as written, and it is tuned to an A-430Hz. 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. Sanshin 4. Continent: Asia. are crucial techniques to create the biwas subtle in-between notes that are unique for fretted instruments. The biwas shallow body is a bouncing board that sharply projects its sound forward. In more recent times, many pipa players, especially the younger ones, no longer identify themselves with any specific school. Example 4 shows that the biwa's melodic pitch doubles the basic melodic tone on the downbeat of almost every measure, except in measure 4 where the melodic tone 'E' is supported with a 'D' in the biwa's part. The sanxian is made in several sizes. It is one of the more popular Chinese folk music, often paired with singing. The narrative biwa music adopts a relative tuning; the pitch is decided to match with the players range of voice. The loquat is in the family Rosaceae, and is native to the cooler hill regions of south-central China. 36 1/2 7 7/8 5 in. Chikuzen biwa music is narrative music much beholding to narrative shamisen music. When Yamashika died in 1996, the era of the biwa hshi tutelage died with him, but the music and genius of that era continues thanks to his recordings. The full vibrating lengths of the strings, the distance between their bend over the nut and the knots that secure their lower ends to the string holder, are all 27.7 inches. By the Ming dynasty, fingers replaced plectrum as the popular technique for playing pipa, although finger-playing techniques existed as early as Tang. In gagaku, it is known as the gaku-biwa (). HornbostelSachs 1 Hornbostel - Sachs Hornbostel - Sachs (or Sachs - Hornbostel) is a system of musical instrument classification devised by Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs, and first published in the Zeitschrift fr Ethnologie in 1914. The six fret type is tuned to B, E, B and b. Omissions? 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. Each type has different and unique tones, techniques, and musical styles. [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. Since the biwas pegs do not move smoothly, tuning the instrument to a different mode requires time. Pei Luoer was known for pioneering finger-playing techniques,[25] while Sujiva was noted for the "Seven modes and seven tones", a musical modal theory from India. Like pearls, big and small, falling on a platter of jade. Type. Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API. In Satsuma-biwa classical pieces, the thickest string (the first) is in principle used only as a drone, and usually tuned to the same note as the third string, making the second the lowest. 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]. 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. The biwa is related to the Chinese pipa, an instrument that was introduced to Japan in the late 7th century. 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. The biwa developed into five different types in its long history: Gaku, Heike, Ms, Satsuma, and Chikuzen. Because of this bending technique oshikan (), one can make two or three notes for each fret and also in-between notes. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 89.4.123. This scale sometimes includes supplementary notes, but the core remains pentatonic. Clara H. Rose (d. 1914) Catalogue of the Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments: Asia, Gallery 27. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. [24], In the subsequent periods, the number of frets gradually increased,[26] from around 10 to 14 or 16 during the Qing dynasty, then to 19, 24, 29, and 30 in the 20th century. [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. 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]. 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). 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. In 2015, pipa player Jiaju Shen () released a mini album composed and produced by Li Zong (),[73] with E-pa music that has a strong Chinese flavor within a modern Western pop music mould. CLASSIFICATION DIAGRAM OF WOOD A fundamental structure of string instruments in the Asia and Western is a box-sound hole structure [4,5] as seen in the harpsichord, guitar, violin, and biwa . The biwa strings are plucked with large wooden pick called bachi () that requires a full-handed grip. Other prominent students of Lin Shicheng at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing include Liu Guilian (, born 1961), Gao Hong and Wu Man. The left hand techniques are important for the expressiveness of pipa music. 1. By the middle of the Meiji period, improvements had been made to the instruments and easily understandable songs were composed in quantity. Taiko Related Articles on Traditional Japanese Instruments 1. The biwa is a relative of Western lutes and guitars, as well as of the Chinese pipa. The short neck of the Tang pipa also became more elongated. 1984. 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. [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). In performance it was held sideways and played with a plectrum. This type of biwa is used for court music called gagaku (), which has been protected by the government until today. In the late 20th century, largely through the efforts of Wu Man (in USA), Min Xiao-Fen (in USA), composer Yang Jing (in Europe) 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). Japanese lute with 4-5 strings and frets. With the end of the wars, unsurprisingly, the biwa music became less popular, and the number of biwa musicians dropped significantly. Biwa is a 4-stringed lute played with a large spectrum. This is the original form of biwa that came to Japan in the 8. century. This music called heikyoku () was, cherished and protected by the authorities and particularly flourished in the 14-15. greatest width of resonator II, p. 30. Each type has different and unique tones, techniques, and musical styles. [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. In spite of its popularity, the nin War and subsequent Warring States Period disrupted biwa teaching and decreased the number of proficient users. Typically 60 centimetres (24 in) to 106 centimetres (42 in) in length, the instrument is . As part of, Metalwork by Goto Teijo, 9th generation Goto master, Japan (16031673). In this case, the left hand fourth finger taps the string so that the un-attacked pitch or pitches can be somewhat heard. In the early 20th century, twenty-five pieces were found amongst 10th-century manuscripts in the Mogao caves near Dunhuang, most of these pieces however may have originated from the Tang dynasty. This singing style is complemented by the biwa, which biwa players use to produce short glissandi throughout the performance. The biwa (Japanese: ) is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. A. Odaiko B. Taiko C. Tsuridaiko D. Tsuzumi 2. Chikuzen-biwa is another major type of biwa that is widely played today. The main part of the music is vocal and the biwa part mostly plays short interludes. The biwa developed into five different types in its long history: . The pipa reached a height of popularity during the Tang dynasty, and was a principal musical instrument in the imperial court. Players hold the instrument vertically. 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. Shamisen. Corrections? 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. Its classification is a type of an Aerophone. The sole stroke motion used in this example is kakubachi, but it also includes examples of hazusu and tataku. After having arrived in Japan via the Silk Road for purely instrumental music, the biwa evolved over time into a narrative musical instrument. And thanks to the low tension of the strings, it is easy to bend the strings by adding pressure. 38.5 in. It is however possible to produce the tremolo with just one or more fingers. 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. 2008. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681. Its tuning is C, G, c, g, g. Gaku-biwa, chikuzen-biwa, heike-biwa, ms-biwa, satsuma-biwa and their plectra. Hornbostel-Sach Classification of instruments is a means of sorting out instruments according to how it produces sound. There are more than seven types of biwa, characterised by number of strings, sounds it could produce, the type of plectrum, and their use. 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). 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. [56], Texts from Tang dynasty mentioned many renowned pipa players such as He Huaizhi (), Lei Haiqing (), Li Guaner (), and Pei Xingnu (). 105-126. There, they assumed the role of Buddhist monks and encountered the ms-biwa. The strings are made of wound silk. 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. In Japan the loquat is known as biwa (, ) and has been grown for over . This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. Played with a large wooden plectrum, the instrument has four or five strings of twisted silk stretched over four or more . This music called heikyoku () was cherished and protected by the authorities and particularly flourished in the 14-15th centuries. Another often-used technique is rubbing the long side of the bachi on the strings to get wind-like sounds. [21] For example, masses of pipa-playing Buddhist semi-deities are depicted in the wall paintings of the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang. 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. As part of, Mamoru Ohashi (Japanese, active Ogasa, Shizouka Prefecture 1953). The pear-shaped instrument may have existed in China as early as the Han dynasty, and although historically the term pipa was once used to refer to a variety of plucked chordophones, its usage since the Song dynasty refers exclusively to the pear-shaped instrument. The same piece of music can therefore differ significantly when performed by students of different schools, with striking differences in interpretation, phrasing, tempo, dynamics, playing techniques, and ornamentations. 1969. It is not used to accompany singing. A distinctive sound of pipa is the tremolo produced by the lunzhi () technique which involves all the fingers and thumb of the right hand. [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. greatest depth of resonator Moreover, it always starts from the 1st string and stops on either the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th string depending if the arpeggio contains 2, 3, or 4 pitches, respectively. A. Biwa B. Koto C. Shakuhachi D. Shamisen 3. The pear-shaped biwa lute has enchanted listeners in Japan for centuries. The strings are sounded with a large, thick, fan-shaped plectrum called a bachi (detail #6), traditionally made of wood (the practice bachi pictured here is made from resin). Blind priests would play them in order to tell stories and tales of ancient war. A Sound Classification Musical instruments can be classified by the Western orchestral system into brass, percussion, strings, and woodwinds; but the S-H system allows non-western instruments to be classified as well. [29], There are many references to pipa in Tang literary works, for example, in A Music Conservatory Miscellany Duan Anjie related many anecdotes associated with pipa. The scores were written in tablature form with no information on tuning given, there are therefore uncertainties in the reconstruction of the music as well as deciphering other symbols in the score. The peg box is angled about 90 degrees from the neck, and the back of the body is flat, unlike the western lute. [1] An English translation was published in the Galpin Society Journal in 1961. Options are limited when considering that a fingered string between two open strings must be fingered on the 4th fret to avoid damping. Cheng Yu researched the old Tang dynasty five-stringed pipa in the early 2000s and developed a modern version of it for contemporary use. In the 9th century the Ms (blind monks') biwa began to be used by blind musicians as an accompaniment to chanted religious texts and sutras. The performer sings while playing the biwa, and the instrumental part is modular in structure in that there are dozens of named or numbered phrases that the player must internalize and that are used as the building blocks of the instrument part that supports the vocal part. As one of the modern types of biwa that flourished in the late 19, centuries, Satsuma-biwa is widely played today in various settings, including popular media. 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. Chikuzen was an historic northern province on Kyushu, the southern-most main island of Japan. Koto 3. 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. 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. The . 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. 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. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12 to 31. Its size and construction influences the sound of the instrument as the curved body is often struck percussively with the plectrum during play. Even though the system has been criticized and revised over the years, it is the most widely accepted system of musical instrument classification used by organologists and . 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. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen. Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted, Credit Line: 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. The flowers fluttered, and from Heaven the phoenix trilled, With the abolition of Todo in the Meiji period, biwa players lost their patronage. The body is narrower and smaller than the other types of biwa. 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 was originally used by traveling biwa minstrels, and its small size lent it to indoor play and improved portability. Guilds supporting biwa players, particularly the biwa hshi, helped proliferate biwa musical development for hundreds of years. 13 in. 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. The instrument is tuned to match the key of the singer. 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. 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. These tunings are relative, the actual pitches a given biwa is tuned to being determined by the vocal range of the singer/player. Carlo Forlivesi's compositions Boethius () and Nuove Musiche per Biwa () were both written for performance on the satsuma-biwa designed by Tsuruta and Tanaka. The biwa is a stringed instrument used in Japan as a sort of story telling method. The pipa has also been used in rock music; the California-based band Incubus featured one, borrowed from guitarist Steve Vai, in their 2001 song "Aqueous Transmission," as played by the group's guitarist, Mike Einziger. It is an important instrument in the Peking opera orchestra, often taking the role of main melodic instrument in lieu of the bowed string section. Most ms biwas have tear-shaped bodies, but this rustic fish-shaped example was probably used by a wandering Buddhist monk. The heike-biwa (), a biwa with four strings and five frets, is used to play The Tale of the Heike. Other early known players of pipa include General Xie Shang from the Jin dynasty who was described to have performed it with his leg raised. Different schools however can have sections added or removed, and may differ in the number of sections with free meter. Rubbing the strings: The plectrum is used to rub an open string. This minute design detail gives rise to sawari, the distinctive raspy tone of a vibrating string. 3 (Winter, 19771978). 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. Another excerpt of figurative descriptions of a pipa music may be found in a eulogy for a pipa player, Lament for Shancai by Li Shen:[33]. Beginning in the late 1960s, these musicians and composers began to incorporate Japanese music and Japanese instruments into their compositions; for example, one composer, Tru Takemitsu, collaborated with Western composers and compositions to include the distinctly Asian biwa. Kishibe, Shigeo. Instruments are classified using 5 different categories depending on the manner in which the instrument creates the sound: Idiophones, Membranophones, Chordophones, Aerophones, & Electrophones. The heike-biwa, smaller than the ms-biwa, was used for similar purposes. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 89.4.2088. Generally speaking, biwa have four strings, though modern satsuma- and chikuzen-biwa may have five strings. 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 body is often made of stretched snakeskin, and come in varying sizes. During the Qing dynasty, scores for pipa were collected in Thirteen Pieces for Strings. Famous solo pieces now performed include: Most of the above are traditional compositions dating to the Qing dynasty or early 20th century, new pieces however are constantly being composed, and most of them follow a more Western structure. The encounter also inspired a poem by Yuan Zhen, Song of Pipa (). [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. An early depiction of pipa player in a group of musicians. [2], Early literary tradition in China, for example in a 3rd-century description by Fu Xuan, Ode to Pipa,[1][28] associates the Han pipa with the northern frontier, Wang Zhaojun and other princesses who were married to nomad rulers of the Wusun and Xiongnu peoples in what is now Mongolia, northern Xinjiang and Kazakhstan. 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. The instrument is also held vertically while playing. 592 AD, Sui dynasty. [citation needed]. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It is an instrument in Japan, that is a two-stringed fiddle (violin). Biwa players no longer enjoyed special privileges and were forced to support themselves. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments. Few pieces for pipa survived from the early periods, some, however, are preserved in Japan as part of togaku (Tang music) tradition. [citation needed], In 2014, an industrial designer residing in the United States Xi Zheng () designed and crafted an electric pipa "E-pa" in New York. Traditionally they are lashed with heavier rope, though some modern instruments are tightened with large screws. 1. 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. The musical narrative of The Tale of Heike, in The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music, edited by Alison McQueen Tokita and David W. Hughes. The electric pipa was first developed in the late 20th century by adding electric guitarstyle magnetic pickups to a regular acoustic pipa, allowing the instrument to be amplified through an instrument amplifier or PA system. [6] The strings were played using a large plectrum in the Tang dynasty, a technique still used now for the Japanese biwa. 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. The main part of the music is vocal and the biwa part mostly plays short interludes. Performers on the instrument frequently pluck two notes simultaneously, producing a variety of intervals, especially when the singer is silent. Of the remaining post-war biwa traditions, only higo-biwa remains a style almost solely performed by blind persons. The 5-string specimen is larger (the vibrating length of its strings is 30.3 inches) and heavier than the 4-string specimen and also has some delicate decorative detail added that is carved out of mother-of-pearl (detail #8 and #9). Typically, the second pitch is fingered on the same string one or two frets lower than the first one, and the note is attacked and then lifted off into the second fret position. He also qualified as a doctor of Chinese medicine. Biwa performers also vary the volume of their voice between barely audible to very loud. Multiple strings are often played in one pluck like an arpeggio. It is a big percussion instrument of Japanese that plays integral part of many Japanese Matsuri (festival). Two basic types of wood are used to make stringed musical instruments: woods for soundboards (top plates) and those for frame boards (back and side plates). Shamisen 5. [17][14] Starting about the 10th century, players began to hold the instrument "more upright", as the fingernail style became more important. For a long time, the biwa tradition was carried on by wandering blind monks who used the instrument to tell stories such as the Tale of Heike (). [6] Another Han dynasty text, Fengsu Tongyi, also indicates that, at that time, pipa was a recent arrival,[7] although later 3rd-century texts from the Jin dynasty suggest that pipa existed in China as early as the Qin dynasty (221206 BC). Multiple strings are often played in one pluck like an arpeggio. The Kyushu biwa traditions, in The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music, edited by Alison McQueen Tokita and David W. Hughes. Popular Japanese three-stringed lute. The biwa may be used to accompany various types of narrative, as part of a gagaku (court music) ensemble, or as a solo instrument. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Most contemporary performers use the five string version. Ieyasu favored biwa music and became a major patron, helping to strengthen biwa guilds (called Todo) by financing them and allowing them special privileges. This overlap resulted in a rapid evolution of the biwa and its usage and made it one of the most popular instruments in Japan. Figure 6 shows a spectral analysis of the arpeggio read at the attack and one second later. Figure 5 shows examples of harmonic structures of, 2, 3, and 4 pitches in Ichikotsu-ch. Although shaped like a Western lute, the Biwa's back is flat and it has a shallower body. Both were pupils of Wang Yuting (18721951), and both were active in establishing and promoting Guoyue ("national music"), which is a combination of traditional regional music and Western musical practices. Influenced by the recitations of blind priests, the music of the heike biwa reflects the mood of the text. Four or five frets are attached to the body, and it is played with a large wooden plectrum (bachi). The transmission parameter (product of propagation speed and Q value of the longitudinal wave along the wood grain . 11.7 in. The Koto came from the Chinese zither "Gu Zheng" during the Nara period in Japan. Resonator design, chordophone: bowl with wood soundboard, Vibrational length: tension bridge to ridge-nut, Pitches per string course: multiple (by pressure stopping against fretted fingerboard), 4-string biwa (gallery #1): Bodmin, Cornwall, Great Britain: MPG Books, pp. to the present. 4. Sandstone carving, showing the typical way a pipa was held when played with plectrum in the early period. Biwa. Interest in the biwa was revived during the Edo period (16001868), when Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan and established the Tokugawa shogunate.
