How the biwa makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the biwa belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The biwa (Japanese: 琵琶) is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. The biwa 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 60 centimetres (24 in) to 106 centimetres (42 in) in length, the instrument is constructed of a water drop–shaped body with a short neck, typically with four (though sometimes five) strings.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a biwa sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the biwa?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.321).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q829729 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Biwa – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Frank Kovalchek from Anchorage, Alaska, USA – CC BY 2.0