Pipa

A standard modern pipa with white ox horn for neck and pegs

See also Electric pipa

The pipa (Chinese: 琵琶; pinyin: pípá) is a plucked Chinese string instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body. It has been played for nearly two thousand years of history 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. 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.

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. 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.

File:Tang Pipa.jpg

A Tang Dynasty five-stringed pipa

Evolution and construction

Prototypes of the pipa already existed in China in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC). At that time, there were two types of pipa. One was straight-necked, with a round sound box, 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. This model was later developed into the instrument known today as the ruan. 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.D.).

File:Gogenbiwa.jpg

Back of the Tang dynasty five-stringed pipa

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. 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. 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.

The pipa became a favourite in the Tang Dynasty, during which time Persian performers and teachers were in demand in the capital, Chang'an (which had a large Persian community). 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.

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.

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 were it underwent a different development from the Chinese pipa, remaining similar to what it originally looked like. The pipa that was imported to Korea and Vietnam happened later when the pipa was already developed into its near modern Chinese form.

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 《十面埋伏》 Shimian Maifu [Ambushed from Ten Sides], 《夕陽簫鼓》 Xiyang Xiaogu [Flute and Drum at Sunset], 《陽春白雪》 Yangchun Baixue [White Snow in Spring Sunlight], 《龍船》 Long Chuan [Dragon Boat], 《彝族舞曲》 Yizu Wuqu [Dance of the Yi People], 《大浪淘沙》 Dalang Taosha [Big Waves Pushing the Sand], 《昭君出塞》 Zhaojun Chusai [Zhaojun Outside the Frontier],《霸王卸甲》 Bawang Xiejia [King Chu Takes Off his Armour] and 《绿腰》Lv Yao.

On top of these traditional melodies, new pieces are constantly being composed, most of which follow a more Western structure.

New compositions

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). 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. [1]

The pipa has also been used in rock music; the California-based band Incubus featured it in their song "Aqueous Transmission," as played by the group's guitarist, Mike Einziger. [2][3] The Shanghai progressive/folk-rock band Cold Fairyland also use pipa (played by Lin Di), sometimes multi-tracking it in their recordings. [4]

Performers

File:Pipa play.jpg

Actress from the Yangzhou State Guest House playing pipa.

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. In the early 1950s, he founded the traditional instruments department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

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. 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.

Probably the best known pipa player internationally is Wu Man (吴蛮, b. 1963), a virtuoso performer and former student of Lin Shicheng. Wu 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.

Other prominent students of Lin Shicheng are the Shanghai-born Liu Guilian (刘桂莲, b. 1961) and Gao Hong (高虹，b. 1964). Liu Guillan 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 Yang Wei (楊惟), [5] Min Xiao-Fen, Tang Liangxing, Jiang Ting, Gao Hong, Qiu Xia He, Liu Fang, Yang Jing, Ting Ting (Zong Tingting), and Zhou Yi.

Beijing-born, London-resident pipa performer Cheng Yu (程玉) performs on a five-string pipa, a modernised version of the instrument that formerly existed in China before the eighth century A.D. which she reserached and commissioned to be made. She hopes that the new instrument would be accepted by the pipa community.

Prominent pipa players in China include Yu Jia (俞嘉), Wu Yu Xia (吳玉霞), Zhang Qiang (張強), and Fan Wei (樊薇).

Twelve Girls Band is a contemporary Chinese instrumental group that features the pipa as well as other traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu. They perform traditional Chinese music as well as Western popular and classical music.

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.

Recordings

Lin, Shicheng, and Gao, Hong (1996). Hunting Eagles Catching Swans. IFTPA (International Friendship Through the Performing Arts).

References

New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001).