What is a biwa in music?
biwa, Japanese short-necked lute, distinguished by its graceful, pear-shaped body. The biwa has a shallow, rounded back and silk strings (usually four or five) attached to slender lateral pegs. The instrument is played with a large wedge-shaped plectrum called a bachi.
What kind of instrument is biwa?
teardrop lute
The Biwa is a Japanese teardrop lute, similar to the lute and the oud, with a short neck and frets. There are seven main types of Biwa, each distinguished by the number of strings, sound produced, and use.
What is the unique character of the timbre of biwa?
Along with the rich, percussive sounds of the wood striking these silk strings, the biwa is known for its distinctive buzz (sawari), which is produced when the string comes into contact with the hard wood of the neck.
Which European musical instrument is most like the biwa?
The Satsuma-Biwa is a Japanese lute, which traditionally accompanies the story-telling. The Biwa in general, is a distant cousin of the European lute and guitar, the Arabic ud and the Chinese pipa. It is a pear-shaped string instrument introduced to Japan from mainland Asia since the 7th – 8th century period.
Is biwa used in kabuki?
The tsuzumi – the hourglass drum – is used mainly in the Noh and Kabuki theatres. Traditional string instruments include variations of the sitar and long- or short-necked lutes. There are various types of biwa – a short-necked lute with four strings; and the long-necked shamisen with three strings.
What is the meaning of biwa?
biwa. The biwa is a Japanese short-necked fretted lute, often used in narrative storytelling. The biwa is the chosen instrument of Benten, goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in Japanese Shinto. It arrived in Japan in two forms.
What is the number of string shape of biwa?
four strings
Biwa construction and tuning Generally speaking, biwa have four strings, though modern satsuma- and chikuzen-biwa may have five strings.
How much does a biwa cost?
The price of an authentic biwa can be anywhere from $1,000 (if you’re lucky) to $12,000. If you have that kind of money to spend and still want one, there are several sites you may visit, Ebay, Taiko-shop, and Rakuten Global Market are a paradise for traditional music lovers.
What country is the biwa associated with?
Japan
In Japan, the biwa is generally played with a bachi instead of the fingers, and is often used to play gagaku. One of the biwa’s most famous uses is for reciting The Tale of the Heike, a war chronicle from the Kamakura period (1185-1333)….Biwa.
| Classification | Necked bowl lutes String instruments |
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