The Lisu sanxian is similar in shape to the sanxian of other ethnic groups in Yunnan. The body of the piano is mostly made of a whole piece of pear wood, walnut wood, tea wood, nanmu wood or other hard miscellaneous woods, and it is composed of a resonance box, a headstock, a piano rod, a peg, a bridge, a string and a string.

The size of the piano body varies from region to region. The smallest piano is 50 cm long, and the largest is up to 95 cm. Generally, it is about 75 cm long.

sound box
It is oblate, and there are also oval, oblong or flat gourd-shaped.

piano frame
Made of wood or bamboo, the front is covered with squirrel skin, goat skin, calf leather, python skin or dried bamboo shoot shell, paulownia wood, fir wood, the skin or the panel is fixed with bamboo nails, and glued with pig glue or fish glue. There are several small circular sound holes on the wooden panel. The surface of the piano box is 18 cm to 24 cm wide and 6 cm to 8 cm thick.

headstock
Flat shovel-shaped, the upper part is wider, the top is curved back, the lower part has a bottom string groove in the middle, and there are three hardwood pegs on both sides (left one and right two).

piano bar
Narrow and long, it is a semi-cylindrical body with a wooden mountain pass at the upper end, and the front is straight for the string fingerboard, without a grade.

strings
A bamboo or wooden bridge-shaped bridge is placed in the center of the diaphragm plate of the piano box, and three strings of nylon, silk or steel wire are arranged below the bamboo, wood or metal binding strings. For those without strings, the strings are tied to the lower end post.

Between the string groove and the tail, a colored string or strap is tied. Lisu sanxian has a simple shape and rough lines, and is mostly made of local materials.

Between the string groove and the tail, a colored string or strap is tied. Lisu sanxian has a simple shape and rough lines, and is mostly made of local materials.

When playing the Lisu sanxian, put the string or strap around the neck, hang the piano body diagonally in front of the chest, place the piano box on the right abdomen, tilt the head of the piano to the upper left, support the piano rod with the left hand, and press the strings with the index finger, middle finger and ring finger. To pick the sound, the right hand uses the thumb and index finger to pluck the strings to pronounce, and there are some who only use the index finger to pluck the strings.

The sound of Lisu sanxian is bright and soft. Can be used for solo, unison or to accompany folk songs and dances.