Discriminate by Ty Ba Viet Nam and China PiPa

The Ty Ba Viet Nam is different from the Chinese Piba (Pipa):

• Chinese Pi Ba has a larger size, more keys (more than 30 keys), 12-tone Chromatic system. The head of the instrument usually touches the flower. The strings are metal strings.

Chinese Pipa

• The Ty Ba Viet Nam has a moderate size, shaped like a drop of water, and the head is a bat symbolizing the word Phuc. Lesser frets (less than 20 keys), 7-note Diatonic scale. The flock in the North has a larger body than the one in the South. Use nylon strings and pluck with the frets.

Ty Ba Viet Nam

Southern Ty Ba with 14 keys

Southern Ty Ba with 19 keys

Today’s Ty Ba has EQ attached to suit contemporary music, performing on large stages with sound systems.

About technique and timbre:

• The Chinese Pi Ba has metal strings, so the sound is sharper and more brittle. Mainly using the technique of five claws (Tremolo), running notes, and less pressing. The left hand presses the key, the right hand wears a 5-finger iron nail.

• + The Ty Ba Viet Nam has a warm, slightly opaque sound, due to the technique of plucking each string with a key, the sound is sparse. The spacing of the keys is wide, so it can be emotional, deeply attached, achieve sophistication, and suitable for Vietnamese people.