Biwa Traditions

The gagaku biwa , also called gaku biwa (figures 1 and 2), is one of the stringed instruments originally imported from China around the eighth century as part of the gagaku ensemble. Unlike another stringed instrument, the long zither or gakusô , which adds short melodic figures to the main melody played by the winds, the gagaku biwa primarily accentuates strong beats with slow arpeggios. The player sits cross-legged and holds the instrument horizontally. When choosing a...