The Pipa - “The Chinese Lute” - is a pear-shaped traditional Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. It is one of the most popular Chinese instruments, and has a history of almost 2,000 years in China. The pipa has 4 strings and bamboo frets ranging from 12-31. It is played sitting vertically on the lap, and produces sounds by “flicking” the string outward with attachable finger picks on the player’s nail. The pipa has many unique techniques such as tremelo, pitch-bending, string-twisting, percussive sound, and striking the board. The pipa is common used in opera and storytelling ensembles, as well as highly virtuosic solo repertoire.