Instruments in the Silk Road Ensemble

Running head: INSTRUMENTS IN THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE 1
a) Choose three musical instruments (table, pipa, and shakuhachi) in this concert which represent
different Far East countries. Be sure you have chosen Far East instruments which are table, pipa, and
shakuhachi , such as the ones representing India, China, or Japan.
(b) Identify the instruments (table, pipa, and shakuhachi) and the countries which they represent.
(c) For each, briefly discuss (1) history of the instrument (2) how the instrument is played (3) how it
functions in performance. (For (3), does it only play solo or is it part of a group?)

Instruments in the Silk Road Ensemble

Pipa from China

Chinese pipa is an ancient 4-string plucked lute. It was derived out of Central as well as West Asian prototypes and was first discovered within China at the time of the Northern Wei dynasty. The instrument traveled across old trade routes, bringing along with it sounds and music theories, and new repertoires. As per Shete and Deshmukh (2021) the instrument was first played horizontally, similar to the guitar. It features twisting silk strings and an enormous triangular plectrum that was that was designed to be held with one’s right. Pipa is the plectrum’s plicking stroke in which pa means to play backwards, while pi is the ability to play forward. Fingernails were used by musicians to pluck and keep the instrument in a straight position. As per Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.) the late 7th century ensemble of women musicians made the instrument out of clay to depict the guitar’s style. While at first the many believed that it was unnatural and an unsuitable instrument, it soon was a favorite among court groups. It is now well-known in contemporary society for its solo performance, whose repertoire is a virtuosic, programmatic style that evokes pictures of combat or the natural world (Musixcool.com 2022). Shahachi originates from Japan

Shakuhachi is a type of flute that originated in Shakuhachi was first discovered in Japan as well as ancient China. As per Silkroad Artists (n.d.), Shakuhachi and other end-blown Reed flutes have been found to date back to the time of the time of ancient Egypt. It is believed that they be traveling across India in addition to China before settling in Japan.