Music
Pipa
Five strings held upright, and the right hand can sweep out a whole wall of sound
Related to the guzheng but not the same thing: it is held upright, the left hand stops the strings at frets, and the right wears five picks for the rolling tremolo. That tremolo is the instrument's signature and its longest hurdle; without it you are limited to slow pieces. Shaping the picks and taping them on is a chore that eats real time.
First stepTake a trial lesson at a music shop or studio, learn to tape on the picks and hold the pipa upright, and play one clean forward-and-back pluck.
Barriers
Cost to start
Under $50
Going deep → $2k–10k
Alone or with people
On your own
Effort
Sitting
Without a teacher?
Best with a class
One session takes
Under 30 min
Where
At home
Why people take it up