The pipa is one of the most important and most ancient instruments of China, a plucked lute with a pear-shaped wooden body, four strings, and high frets. It is played vertically, held on the lap, and the sound is produced with the nails (often false ones) of all the fingers of the right hand.
The pipa has an extraordinarily wide expressive range — from tender lyricism to turbulent “battle” pieces with astonishing tremolo technique and rapid passages (the famous “Ambush from All Sides”). Its history spans over two thousand years; it holds a central place in Chinese classical music as a solo, ensemble, and accompanying instrument. The pipa's ringing, flexible voice, able both to sing and to “speak,” makes it one of the brightest symbols of the musical culture of East Asia.
