Other than the fictional tsungi horn, the pipa is the instrument that gets the most attention in the ATLAverse. A pipa (琵琶) is a traditional Chinese lute. The four-string pipa is quite an old instrument, being over a thousand years old. As a result, the way its been played has evolved quite a bit over time. During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the instrument was played horizontally, like a guitar. Nowadays, the pipa is played vertically, like a cello. It’s interesting that Jee plays in the modern style, while Iroh and the Flamey-Os play in an antiquated style. Maybe it’s a reflection of class? Iroh and the school children are well to do, so maybe they had to learn the older, more rigid way. Jee might be self-taught, so he could have learned to play from observing street performers.
Just a little headcanon of mine. Anyways, enjoy some nice pipa music below:
