Pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26.

What is the history of Pipa?

The pipa appeared in the Qin Dynasty and came into use during the Han Dynasty. It is one of the most popular Chinese instruments and has been played for nearly two thousand years in China. Several related instruments in East and Southeast Asia are derived from the pipa; these include the Japanese biwa, the Vietnamese ?àn t? bà, and the Korean bipa.

How to play the pipa?

The name "pípá" is made up of two Chinese syllables, "pí" and "pá". 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, and then gradually

replaced by the fingernails of the right hand. 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.

Prototypes of the pipa already existed in China in the Qin Dynasty. At that time, there were two types of pipa. One was straight-necked, with a round sound box constructed from lacquered Paulownia wood, and two faces mounted with leather. The other was believed to be inspired by the primitive forms of zheng, konghou, and zou. It also has a straight neck, a round sound box, and also four strings, along with twelve standards of notes. Versions of the pipa have been popular in China since the 7th Century. The modern pipa is believed to be a combination of the Persian oud

and a native Chinese lute. The first six frets of pipa are made from ox horn or jade, and often have more than 20 additional bamboo frets to increase its range. The pipa has traveled throughout eastern Asia, different versions of it can be found in Korea, Vietnam and Japan.

What is the role of pipa?

The pipa is highly versatile, sharing with the qin an important historical role in the self-cultivation of the elite and the aristocracy of the imperial dynasties, yet it also features prominently in the earthy folk styles of, for example, the Silk-and-Bamboo ensembles of the Shanghai tea houses and the Nanguan narrative singing of Fujian on the southeastern coast. Pipa music is famed for its unique richness of expression.