Research On The Shape And Playing Form Of Pipa In Tang Dynasty

The development of music in the Tang Dynasty is prosperous, occupies animportant position in the history of Chinese music. This paper use literature andpictures from the archaeological materials to research on the composition of the twokinds of Pipa which are straight neck and bent neck in order to find the reason of thechanges of the shape. In the terms of the playing form in Tang Dynasty, we researchon the solo and instrumental ensemble from folk and palace to find out the reason ofthe prosperity in the period.This paper is divided into three chapters. The main research of the Pipa’s shapeon the first chapter contains the background of the prosperous development in TangDynasty, the changes of the straight-neck Pipa and bent-neck Pipa，the relation amongperforming posture, playing form and the shape; The second chapter focus on thePipa’s playing form, mainly used the literature materials,the pictures from thearchaeological materials as the supplemented to research on the playing form fromfolk and palace in different kinds of music; The third chapter analyses the reasons forthe diversified changes with the shape and playing form.This study finds that the changes of the Pipa’s shape in Tang Dynasty is based on two routes, one is from Persia and India to the north of China Xinjiang and Gansuduring the Eastern Jin Dynasty which come into bent-neck Pipa, and the other fromCentral Asia and the west China to the central of China during the Han Dynasty whichcome into straight-neck Pipa. Pipa in Tang Dynasty can be divided into four kinds,straight-neck Pipa with four or five strings,bent-neck Pipa with four or five strings.The front and back part, the neck and the body of Pipa have typical characteristicsduring this time. The changes of the shape bring out the changes of the playing formwhich includes the playing posture, the choice of fingers and the use of the smallwood. The solo and instrumental ensemble are the main playing form in Tang Dynastythat can be both found in folk and palace’s performance. Solo can be found in theentertainment, dance and a banquet in both in folk and palace. Instrumental ensemblecan be found in the different kinds of music in palace with fixed instruments and inacrobatics skill, song and dance drama, the army play, Buddhism rap in folk.The research on the shape and playing form of Pipa in Tang Dynasty have greatsignificance on the history of music and the communication between east and west.