How to set the strings on the Dong small pipa?

To play the small pipa of the Dong ethnic group, the case is placed on the right side of the abdomen, the head of the instrument is angled to the upper left, the left hand holds the instrument and presses the strings, and the right hand holds the plectrum and plays. The plectrum is made of bamboo or a small cow horn. It can be played in a sitting position or in a standing position, and it is suitable for playing while walking in a march because it is small and easy to carry. The Dong small pipa's tuning is four degrees higher than that of the medium pipa, with the three-string small pipa's tuning being: f1, g1, d2; and the four-string small pipa's tuning being: f1, g1, g1, d2. The range of the pipa is the same as that of the medium pipa: f1~g2, and the sound is clear and crisp, and it is suitable for playing small ornamental notes. It is suitable for playing small decorative notes and active melodies, with fewer handle changes. It can be used for solo performance, ensemble or accompanying the love song (also known as "small pipa song"), which is a folk song of the Dong ethnic group. The small pipa is mainly used to accompany the melody of love songs and ditties, or to strengthen the rhythm by playing the fourth and fifth harmonies. The small pipa is a stringed instrument that is indispensable for young men and women of the Dong ethnic group when they socialize and "sing and sit with their sisters" (fall in love). It can be combined with playing and singing, and can be sung while playing, or sung by a man and a woman, or by a man and a woman playing and singing. It is often sung in a small voice, with euphemistic lyrics, vivid metaphors, beautiful and subtle tunes, and cheerful and lively rhythms. There are many liner notes, cadences and subtle decorative sounds, which add a lot of gorgeous colors to the tunes. Young people also commonly use the small pipa to play solo for their own amusement or to play together in an ensemble for their own amusement. In addition, the Dong small pipa is also used to accompany wine songs or road songs.

After the autumn harvest, when the moon hangs over the trees in the Dong village, in the beautiful and quiet night, you can see young people playing the pipa everywhere, and hear their improvised "pipa song". After a day's labor, it is a wonderful pleasure to hear the sound of the pipa accompanied by the gentle singing of the young people. Sometimes, the sound of the song is faintly heard, from far and near, and gradually disappears at the edge of the village, which is a good time for the girl and the young man to sing together.

In the villages of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County in Guangxi, there are a lot of beautiful and beautiful love songs. A young man who was looking for a date sang, "I'm going to sing now, girls please don't laugh, although I don't sing well, but I'm singing from my heart." How this youth hoped that his singing would attract the attention of the girls! In the Dong family, if any youth does not know how to sing or sing a pipa song well, he cannot be welcomed by the girls and it is more difficult to gain their love. A young man in love, with his beloved pipa to visit the girl, he stood under the girl's window, gently strumming the strings, can not help but sing: "Six hours during the day, six hours at night, you're like an embroidery needle, pick my heart like a messy hemp." The song overflows with the passion of young people in love, the girl quickly crossed the door to meet. In the past, some of the "pipa songs" were about karma, talent and beauty; nowadays, the majority of pipa singers in the Dong folklore are making up new songs and playing new tunes. The Dong "pipa song" is like a spring breeze, blowing the beautiful and rich Dong village cottage.