When playing the pipa among the Dong people, people usually take a seated position, place the qin box on the right leg, the head of the qin is inclined to the upper left, the left hand holds the qin to press the strings, and the right hand holds a bamboo or horn-made pick to play.

The tuning of the pipa among the Dong people is an octave higher than that of the big pipa. The tuning of the pipa in the three-string is: c1, d1, a1; the tuning of the pipa in the four-string is: c1, d1, d1, a1; the tuning of the pipa in the five-string is: c1, d1, d1, a1, a1. The sound range is the same as c1-d2.

The articulation is bright and round, and the tone is soft and sweet. It can be used to accompany the beautiful and lyrical love songs and minor tunes in Pipa songs, as well as the accompaniment of Dong narrative Pipa songs. It can also be used solo or to accompany a Dong opera. In some regions, a corbel is added to the accompaniment of pipa to enhance the harmony effect of the accompaniment.