Biva varieties

Like the whole culture of Japan, the music of the Land of the Rising Sun is original and unusual for a foreigner. And this statement is especially true for folk instruments that were used by ancient Zen masters during their meditations. However, among the Japanese themselves, ethnic brass, percussion or strings are very popular not only because the inhabitants honor their history and culture, but also because such instruments are used in the traditional Kabuki theater and some performances and concerts of contemporary art. A special place in such performances is occupied by the sounds of the beaver.

Biwa is a traditional Japanese plucked musical instrument of the lute family. It got its name from the Chinese lute pipa, introduced to Japan in the 8th century. The very same pipa got its name from the words "pi" and "pa", which translate as moving along the strings with your fingers up and down, respectively.

The biva design can be divided into three main parts.

The pear-shaped body with a small neck consists of a back, front and sidewalls. The front wall has a pair of resonator holes, which resemble a crescent in their shape, and one hidden by the tailpiece. The back of the biva is straight and the sides are narrow enough to make the instrument look quite flat. The bivy head is tilted back from the body at an angle of 90 degrees.

Depending on the type, there can be 5 or 6 frets. A characteristic feature of the Japanese lute is the high frets, which are noticeably protruding above the neck, which become higher over time.

The strings, in comparison with European instruments, are stretched rather weakly, which gives the characteristic "ringing" timbre of the music. There can be 4 or 5. Another important feature is that the instrument is not tuned, and this makes the Japanese lute even more difficult to learn. The musician controls the pitch only with the force of pressing the string.

Biwa has a history of several hundred years and follows two main directions. Firstly, during the Middle Ages it was believed that any aristocrat or his vassal must be able to play this instrument. Biwa necessarily included the court orchestra. She was not held in her hands, but laid on the floor and struck on the strings with a small wooden or bone pick. Secondly, until the beginning of the 20th century, the Japanese lute was a traditional accompaniment for bivahoshi - blind musicians who recited epic legends about heroes or even Buddhist hymns and sutras to the sound of music.

Over time, the tradition of heroic bivahoshi chanting faded into the past, having survived several attempts at revival, and the modern biwa bears little resemblance to the humble lutes of blind Buddhist monks. She sounds more masculine and sonorous due to the hardwoods from which her body is now made. The melody of classical gagaku music has become more solid and vibrant.

Today there are 5 different biva variations known.

The first type of lute to be used in Japan. By its design, it is the closest to the Chinese pipa: a massive body, a short neck with a bent head and only 4 frets. The fretboard has 4 tuning pegs that tune 4 silk strings. The length of the gaku-biva reaches 1 m, and the width is up to 41 cm.

This biwa gagaku was played only until the 9th century, and today it is practically not used. The main and only difference from the gaku-biwa is the 5 strings and the flat headstock that does not tilt back.

It originated in the south of Kyushu at the end of the 7th century to accompany Buddhist chants and parables. It is distinguished by its small size and lack of a uniform body shape. It has 4 strings and 5-6 frets, which were often detachable so that the moso-biwa could fit in a bag over the shoulders.

A separate type of moso-biwa for carrying out the ritual of cleansing the hearth by ancient Japanese peasants. This is the smallest biva, made in such a way that it is convenient to carry it with you from one house to another.

It arose at the end of the 10th century and replaced the moso-biwa. The special music created for this lute is called heikyoku. It was performed by itinerant Buddhist monks who told about military exploits and heroes of ancient Japan.

Biwa with an extra high string. Due to its soft sound, it is considered the female model of the instrument.

Over the centuries of biwa development, musicians have created many schools of playing and singing. But the basic techniques of playing the lute, which make it possible to obtain a beautiful sound, remain unchanged today.

• Pizzicato. Plucking the strings to produce an abrupt, quiet sound. Usually performed with the fingers of the right hand, it allows you to create clear rhythmic patterns.
• Arpeggio. Plays chords sequentially from low to high on strings using a brute-force method.
• Play with a plectrum. Plucking the strings with a bone, wood, or plastic wide plate, also called a pick.
• Blows. A sharp blow to the biva strings, followed by an abrupt stop.
• Pressing behind the frets. In order to raise the tone, the string is pressed with one or more fingers behind the fret. The harder the pressure, the higher and thinner the sound is.

The Japanese lute assumes a slightly different attitude to the rhythmic pattern, tone, general impression. So the traditional way of recording such music is somewhat different from the generally accepted one, is characterized by greater freedom and may even seem very approximate.