The biwa, an instrument that feels the connection between Japanese instruments and instruments from around the world

Have you ever heard of a Japanese musical instrument named “biwa”?

The biwa is a wooden instrument with an oval, flat body and usually four strings.
The biwa is a musical instrument played by plucking with a plectrum, and is especially characterized by the arpeggio technique in which multiple strings are sounded.
The most commonly used technique is called kakibachi, in which all three or four strings are plucked down at once.

In fact, the biwa is said to be related to the lute, which also appears in Western paintings.
The lute is said to be an Arabic instrument called “oud” that was introduced to the West and transformed.
The origin of the oud can be traced back to the ancient Persian instrument “barbat.
The “barbat” was transformed into the “biwa” in China via the Silk Road.

It can be said that the biwa and the lute are distant relatives.

How was it?
I hope this blog will interest you in the biwa.
By the way, Japanese musical instruments are very deep.
We will continue to post blogs about Japanese instruments in the future, so please look forward to them!