Another traditional Chinese musical instrument-Pipa (Eastern Lute) is now at your fingertips!!! This time a full-capacity iPad specialized version!!!
What is Pipa?
The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese 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.
The pipa appeared in the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BCE) and was developed during the Han Dynasty. It is one of the most popular Chinese instruments and has been played for nearly two thousand years in China.
How to play?
The pipa , a combination of pi and pa, originally referred to two right-hand techniques: pi meant "to play forward" and pa "to play backward".
Features:
1. Tutorial
2. Changeable background
3. Free play
4. Record and Replay
More stories of Pipa
The pipa is referred to frequently in Tang Dynasty poetry, where it is often praised for its refinement and delicacy of tone. Bai Juyis 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 as well as into other regions such as Korea and Vietnam.
Future update:
1.More tutorials, even video tutorials demonstrated by real world musician
2.Peer-to-Peer and online play
3.Composing-to-play function
If youre interested in traditional Chinese musical instruments, please email to us: [email protected]