Pipa

 The pipa is a traditional plucked stringed instrument in East Asia, and it has a history of more than two thousand years. It appeared around the Qin dynasty. The Chinese pipa spread to other parts of East Asia and developed into the current Japanese pipa, Korean pipa and Vietnamese pipa.

East Asia. by United States. Central Intelligence Agency, Public Domain via Library of Congress

The pipa appeared around the Qin dynasty and was not invented by an individual. However, it was continuously improved by folk artists and manufacturers for thousands of years! It was a traditional plucked stringed instrument in East Asia.

Pipa being played
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pipa (琵琶) by Ken Neoh, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr
Pipa (琵琶) by Ken Neoh, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr
Musical performance on the traditional Chinese musical instrument Pipa by UNIS Vienna, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Pipa Video

Let’s enjoy the sound of this instrument through this wonderful performance by Gao Hong, Pipa Star.

Learn more about Gao Hong

Gao Hong, a pipa player and composer, graduated with honors from the Folk Music Department of the Central Conservatory of Music in 1990. She studied under the famous pipa player and educator Professor Lin Shicheng of Pudong School. In 1994, she started performed in US.