Biwa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A biwa (琵琶) is a Japanese short-necked fretted lute, and a close variant of the Chinese pipa. The biwa is the chosen instrument of Benten, Goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in Japanese Buddhism.
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[edit] History
The biwa is derived from the ud (or oud) from the Middle East and is one of the oldest instruments. Originally the ud had 4 strings. It was known in Europe as the "lute" and in China as the "pipa." Later it travelled to Japan and was named "biwa." The biwa reached Japan from China during the Nara Period (710-759 AD), and five instruments from that time are kept in the Shōsōin, the national treasure house of Japan. One of them, a rare, five-stringed gogenbiwa (五玄琵琶), is decorated with Central Asian themes, including a camel. This instrument is literally one of its kind in Asia. Wandering biwa players, similar to minstrels, were known as biwa hoshi (琵琶法師).
The playing of the biwa nearly became extinct during the Meiji period as Western musics and instruments became popular.
[edit] Types of biwa
There are six types of biwa, chacterized by number of strings, sounds it could produce, type of plectrum, and their use. As the biwa does not play in tempered tuning, pitches are approximated to the nearest note.
[edit] Classic biwa
- Gagaku biwa (雅楽琵琶) - A biwa with four strings and four frets used exclusively for gagaku. It produces distinctive Ichikotsuchō (壱越調) and Hyōjō (平調). Its plectrum is small and thin, and made from a hard material such as boxwood or ivory. It is not used to accompany singing. In gagaku, it is called gakubiwa (楽琵琶).
- Mōsō biwa (盲僧琵琶) - A biwa with four strings used to play Buddhist mantra and songs. Its plectrum varies in both size and materials. The four fret type is tuned to E, B, E, A, and the five fret type is tuned to B, e, f-sharp, and f-sharp. The six fret type is tuned to B-flat, E-flat, B-flat, and b-flat.
[edit] Middle and Edo biwa
- Heike biwa (平家琵琶) - A biwa with four strings and five frets used to play Heike Monogatari. Its plectrum is slightly larger than that of the gagaku biwa. Its tuning is A, c, e, a or A, c-sharp, e, a.
- Satsuma biwa (薩摩琵琶) - A biwa with four strings and four frets popularized during the Edo Period in Satsuma Province (present day Kagoshima) by Shimazu Nisshinsai. Its plectrum is wider than others. According to popular belief, this was due to its popularity among samurai - the plectrum having to double as a weapon. (William P. Malm, Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments) Notes are adjusted to the player's voice and its tuning is A, E, A, B. The most eminent 20th century Satsuma biwa performer was Tsuruta Kinshi, who developed her own version of the instrument, which she called the Tsuruta biwa. Ueda Junko (see above image), one of Tsuruta's best students, continues the tradition of this instrument.
[edit] Modern biwa
- Chikuzen biwa (筑前琵琶) - A biwa with four strings and four frets or five strings and five frets popularized in the Meiji Period by Tachibana Satosada. Its plectrum is slightly smaller than that of the Satsuma biwa. The tuning of the four string version is B, e, f-sharp, b and the five string instrument is tuned e, B, e, f-sharp, b. Asahikai and Tachibanakai are two schools of chikuzen biwa. Popularly used by female biwa players.
- Nishiki biwa (錦琵琶) - A modern biwa with five strings and five frets popularized by Suitō Kinjō. Its plectrum is the same as that used for the Satsuma biwa. Its tuning is c, G, c, g, g.
[edit] Teachers
- Suda Seishu (須田誠舟)
