Each musical instrument has both commonalities and individualities in performance aesthetics. Pipa has its own unique way of expression, and the requirements for performance aesthetics are also different from other musical instruments. The pipa is a unique folk musical instrument in my country. Its performance hardly relies on non-musical means, and mainly relies on the second creation of the actors themselves to complete the performance. The most important thing in playing pipa is: grasp the relationship between point and line, line and point; control the residual sound to express the "rhyme" of the pipa; reflect the connotation of music with both form and spirit.

This article elaborates from the above four aspects to illustrate the unique aesthetic requirements of pipa performance.

1. Points and Lines

The pipa is a plucked instrument with strong personality. The sound is like a pearl falling on a jade plate. It is crystal clear and translucent. It is based on the point-like pronunciation. Pipa performance is characterized by strong granularity, which leaves people with unlimited imagination space. Due to the short duration of pronunciation of "dot", when playing music with strong melody, the grains are too clear and the melody lines are not obvious. Therefore, when we play some smooth and lyrical passages, we must include the "point" in the lines and not be too prominent. In the pipa performance, the ring finger, rolling, finger shaking, double flying and other techniques are often used. When playing the pipa, the finger force must be controlled. The big finger is too heavy, and the ring finger and the little finger are too weak, which will destroy the lines of the music. The lines of the music are played evenly, giving a coherent and fluid feel. For example, in "Yi Dance Music", the melody is expressed with the medium-speed and slow-speed ring fingers. If the particles are too clear, it will destroy the fluency of the melody. Although "dot" is the basis of the pipa pronunciation, it should not be Emphasizing "point", it is necessary to pursue the harmony and unity of "point" and "line" according to different music.

2. Lines and Points

When playing the pipa, the collision of ten "dots" between the left and right hands is unparalleled. In the performance, we cannot simply pursue the "dots" and ignore the melody. Of course, we can't just focus on the melody and ignore the "dots". When playing some works, we need to highlight some "points" in the lines, so that the smooth music becomes angular, so as to highlight the personality of the music itself; some music needs to deliberately find "points" in the "lines", if not At these points, the melody becomes indistinct. For example, in the "Chu Ge" in "The Overlord Unloading Armor" adapted by Mr. Liu Dehai, he uses slow and continuous fingers to express a sobbing melody, describing Xiang Yu's predicament on all sides, and at the same time highlights the "point" in the large lines of the slow wheel. Accent, to express the personality of the characters, makes the music more profound. If there are only "lines" and no "dots", it will not give people a shocking feeling, and the music will become dull and lose its luster. Therefore, in the performance of Pipa, the "point" and "line" should be perfectly combined according to the specific needs of the music, so that the music is both beautiful and flowing, showing the unique artistic charm of the Pipa.

3. Beautiful rhythm

"Rhyme" is the soul of Chinese folk music. It is a vague concept that can only be perceived through hearing. In Kunqu Opera, rhythm means small tune (that is, timbre); in calligraphy and painting, rhythm means rhythm, that is, vivid thoughts; in poetry, rhythm means rhythm. "Rhyme" is the embodiment of the player's aesthetic taste and playing style, and the performance of the rhythm is also different depending on the player's feeling of music. The "rhyme" in the pipa performance is mainly caused by the coordination of techniques such as chant, kneading, pushing, pulling, Chuo, and Zhuo with the left hand immediately after the right hand plays the strings, resulting in various changes in the aftertone of the musical sound. Everything has two sides, "point" is the advantage and disadvantage of the lute. Since the pronunciation of "dot" has a short remnant, if you don't pay attention to keeping it, the remnant will soon disappear, and "rhyme" cannot be produced without reverberation, so preserving and beautifying the reverberation has become a problem that every pipa player should pay attention to. The lingering sound can change the color of a single sound, and using techniques to prolong the lingering sound can form "rhyme", that is to say, the subtle change of the lingering sound after pronunciation is "rhyme". Concise description: "The rhyme of the husband, the waves of the sound".

The "rhyme" in Pipa music can be seen everywhere, and it is most prominent in Wenqu. For example, "Song on the Frontier", this is a pipa piece with strong artistic appeal. The piece expresses sad and mournful emotions, and expresses Wang Zhaojun's feeling of nostalgic for his motherland. The "7" in the first sentence of the song uses different speeds and pitches of the strings to express the emotional changes of the characters, and cooperates with various left-hand techniques such as pushing, pulling, chant, kneading, hitting, and belting to express the melancholy and timbre of the characters. Full of changes, the music image is vivid and moving. When playing the pipa, it is necessary to control the lingering sound, show the "rhyme" of the pipa, and pursue the harmony and beauty of the pipa music, in order to better reflect its artistic value.

4. both physical and spiritual

In music performance, different performance states can show different music content and emotions. If our performance state remains the same, we cannot obtain good music effects. The performance state can be divided into static and dynamic, including the expression and momentum of the performance. The correct performance state can accurately express the player's true emotion, while the inappropriate performance state will destroy the overall expression of the music. As a performing art, the pipa must be the same as the inside and outside, with both form and spirit. The pipa solo "Swan" describes the taste and attitude of the swan flying freely, showing the swan's free and easy noble temperament, and the melody is serene and stable. When playing this piece of music, you need to maintain a peaceful and quiet state of mind. The expression and performance of the music should be natural and harmonious, with a smooth breath, easy retraction, and a calm demeanor; while playing "The Overlord Unarmored", you need to show a strong heroic tragedy. The color and performance state should be exaggerated, the spirit should be "strengthening the mountain and the air is unparalleled", the music should have edges and corners, and the movements should be clean and neat; It is a static performance, and body language should not be too much. Music is ever-changing, and the state of performance should also be adjusted and changed in accordance with the needs of the music content. Only with the double investment of body and mind, can the performance of the performance be the same; only when the connotation and external performance of music are perfectly unified, music has vitality. and infectiousness.

The highest state of music performance is to have both form and spirit. The key to the performer's expressiveness lies in expressing his spirit, "God" is the spirit, and it is the embodiment of the performer's inner self-cultivation. Xu Shangying, a qin master in the Ming Dynasty, wrote in an article: "It is not easy to know if you are a bosom friend, but you have a long-term ambition in it. So I say that there is not enough in the chord, but there is more than enough to know the chord." Excellent performance should be able to grasp the style of the work. verve, rather than a superficially finished score. However, in order to achieve "spiritual resemblance", one must feel the music with one's heart, develop a rich imagination, devote one's whole heart to the music, and express the music with true feelings. Only such music has vitality.

To sum up, the connotation of "beauty" in pipa performance includes many aspects. The "beauty" in pipa performance embodies the aesthetic concept in traditional Chinese philosophical thought. and mood. The author expounds the four most representative aspects, in order to reflect the unique aesthetic requirements of pipa performance. In the pipa performance, we should not only pay attention to the penetrating power and graininess of the "point", but also pay attention to the harmony and coherence of the "line". In addition, we should pay attention to the control of the rhythm and the shape and spirit of the playing state, and combine them perfectly. , to better show the unique artistic charm of Pipa!