A pipa virtuoso explains some fundamentals about the lute-like instrument

The pipa, a four-stringed, lute-like instrument, was introduced 2,000 years ago in China. With the rise of cross-genre groups such as the Silk Road Ensemble has become better known to contemporary audiences. 

The instrument is featured in composer Tan Dun’s score for the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won Oscars for best cinematography, set decoration and foreign-language film, as well as for best score. The score will be showcased in the CSO at the Movies presentation of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” — the Film with Orchestra on Jan. 10-11.

Leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in these concerts will be conductor Sarah Hicks. Featured soloists will be John Sharp, the CSO’s principal cello, and pipa virtuoso Yang Wel. 

But it was another pipa virtuoso, Yu Man, who discussed the basics of the instrument ahead of a Silk Road concert a few years ago.

Here is Yu Man on five facts that listeners might not know about the pipa:

How many pipa concertos have been written?

Though the pipa was invented in China about 200 B.C., the pipa concerto is not a Chinese musical tradition. It is an innovation of Western culture. There have been more than a dozen pipa concertos written since the late 1980s and early ’90s. The first pipa concerto, Little Sisters of the Grassland, by Wu Tsu-Chiang, was played by the Boston Symphony and conducted by Seiji Ozawa in 1979 in Beijing. Lou Harrison’s Pipa Concerto with String Orchestra, which he composed for me in 1997, is the first pipa concerto written by a Western composer. But I have now commissioned and premiered more than 10 pipa concertos with both Western orchestras and Chinese traditional orchestras.

Does the pipa have to be amplified during a concerto? Or can it produce enough volume on its own?

Yes, just like guitar, it does need amplification when performing with an orchestra, but it produces enough volume when it is played solo in a room or in small concert hall.

For people unfamiliar with the pipa, what would surprise them about the instrument?

Its colorful sound; the pipa can produce a multitude of different colors and sounds. Also, here is the wide range of musical styles and the left-hand playing style of bending notes and creating vibrato.

How hard is it to tune the pipa?

The pipa has four strings, A-D-E-A, and it’s no more difficult than tuning a guitar.

What’s the most difficult aspect of performing on the instrument?

I must physically keep both hands, all 10 fingers, in good shape to be able to play well. Technically, the most difficult part is using a right-hand tremolo that has all five fingers continually strumming. Musically, it is important to have a deep understanding of the traditional “lyrical” and “martial” playing styles. Also, there is quite a bit of improvisation in the pipa repertoire, and learning and understanding the elements of improvisation come with longtime musical experience.