This type of biwa, known as the gaku-biwa, was later used in gagaku ensembles and became the most commonly known type. However, another variant of the biwa – known as the mōsō-biwa or the kōjin -biwa – also found its way to Japan, first appearing in the Kyushu region.

Gaku-biwa (楽琵琶) This is the original form of biwa that came to Japan in the 8 th century. This type of biwa is used for court music called “gagaku” (雅楽), which has been protected by the government until today.

2008年9月25日 · A master biwa craftsman from Kyoto strumming one of his creations. He makes and repairs all kinds of biwa, including replicas of the famous gogenbiwa. His ...

The Biwa, Japan's plucked lute, is descended from the Chinese pipa in the 7th century. In Japan it was first used in court music (gaku-biwa), then in a smaller version by Buddhist monks (moso-biwa). Later the heike-biwa, used to recite the epic Tale of Heike, combined elements of most and by the 12th century the most popular instrument.

2024年11月26日 · The gaku-biwa is used in Gagaku, Japan’s oldest form of classical music, where it provides rhythmic support alongside instruments like the shō and koto. In these performances, the biwa is played horizontally, and its role is to mark the beat of the music, adding a layer of complexity to the orchestration.

The gaku biwa is the oldest type and dates from the 7 th century when it was used for Gagaku court music, where it supports the rhythm of a piece. The gaku biwa of the court music was a large instrument laid with the neck horizontally and played with a small plectrum.

Many tales later developed about his exploits and the biwa tradition, and it became well known in cultural circles. The biwa used in gagaku is called the gaku-biwa. It is a pear-shaped 4-stringed lute with a bent neck.

The biwa is a long-necked, 4 or 5-stringed instrument, plucked with a large pick called a bachi. It is a relative of Western lutes and guitars, as well as of the Chinese pipa: both originated in Middle East and were delivered to the West and East via the Silk road.

In Japan, it was an indispensable instrument in gagaku, an orchestral music associated with Buddhist temple and imperial court culture, this association leading it to be referred as gaku biwa. The instrument was also used to accompany the recitation and chanting of Buddhist sutras.

The biwa (琵琶) is a 4-string lute (sometimes with a 5th string), originally imported from India and China (as the pipa) and then incorporated into the Gagaku orchestra as the Gaku-biwa (雅楽琵琶). Its first incarnation as a solo instrument was the thinner Moso-biwa (盲僧琵琶), used by blind priests (biwa-hoshi) to accompany their ...