BIWA

a short-necked Japanese lute that is related to the Chinese p'i-p'a (pipa), an instrument known for about 2,000 years. The biwa has a graceful, pear-shaped body, with a shallow, rounded back and silken strings attached to slender lateral pegs. The usual number of strings is four, and they are tuned in fourths, with the melody almost solely appearing on the highest string. Performers on the instrument frequently pluck two notes simultaneously, producing a variety of intervals, especially when the singer is silent. All biwa are played with a large wedge-shaped plectrum.