Pipa "Ruan" (PP-2)
Product Description
The Chinese Pipa, also known as the Ruan after Ruan Xian, a famous scholar and musician, is a form of lute. Lutes are described as a plucked instrument with a neck and deep, round back. This round back or belly is designed with precise mathematical calculations; the bridge, traditionally made of fruitwood, is attached at 1/5-1/7 the length of the belly. The bridge is bored with holes for the strings and decorated with inscribed ornamentation. The sound hole (also called a rose), too, is ornamented; it is not open, but instead is covered with a grilled carved directly out of the soundboard. They type of wood used in constructing these instruments is traditionally spruce, as well as maple or cherry. The frets and strings were traditionally made of gut, but modern models are designed with nylon string.
The Chinese lute differs slightly from the European lute on a few points. To begin with, the Chinese Pipa features only four strings which are combined in two courses. The original design of the Asian Pipa featured silk strings, but modern Chinese lutes are made with steel strings. The frets for this plucked Chinese instrument are made of ivory or metal on wood with metal frets having a brighter tone; there are 24 frets for most models of the Chinese Pipa. The Asian lute is traditionally played with a plectrum or a set of two to five acrylic nails, although some musicians choose to use just their fingernails to pluck the strings. The sound is similar to a cello or viola, and may replace those instruments in a Chinese orchestra.