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biwa
EntityQ829729· pop 33· linked from 213 articles

The is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. The is a plucked string instrument that first gained popularity in China before spreading throughout East Asia, eventually reaching Japan sometime during the Nara period (710–794).

Key facts

Instrument.image
File:Gifujyou5848.JPG
Instrument.caption
A selection of in a Japanese museum
Instrument.classification
Necked bowl lutes String instruments
Instrument.related
Archlute Banjo Bipa Charango Electric pipa Irish bouzouki Lute Mandola Mandolin (Turkish) Theorbo Veena

via Wikipedia infobox

~20 min read

Encyclopedic overview

21 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Types
  • Classic {{transliteration|ja|biwa}}
  • {{transliteration|ja|Gagaku-biwa}}
  • {{transliteration|ja|Gogen-biwa}}
  • {{transliteration|ja|Mōso-biwa}}
  • Middle and Edo {{transliteration|ja|biwa}}
  • {{transliteration|ja|Heike-biwa}}
  • {{transliteration|ja|Satsuma-biwa}}
  • Modern {{Transliteration|ja|biwa}}
  • {{Transliteration|ja|Chikuzen-biwa}}
  • {{transliteration|ja|Nishiki-biwa}}
  • Styles of {{transliteration|ja|biwa}} music
  • {{transliteration|ja|Biwa}} construction and tuning
  • Use in modern music
  • In popular culture
  • Recordings
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

The is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. The is a plucked string instrument that first gained popularity in China before spreading throughout East Asia, eventually reaching Japan sometime during the Nara period (710–794).

Typically to in length, the instrument is constructed of a water drop–shaped body with a short neck, typically with four (though sometimes five) strings.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “biwa” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (8)