Sounds like you're in pain.
Yeah, I'm in pain. It hurts.
Dude, no pain no gain.
UGH!!
Hey everyone!
Welcome back to another episode of TwoSet Vioiln.
Very special episode.
We have asked the amazing pipa player, Xinyu
to teach us how the pipa is meant to be played.
And it is our goal to learn it in under one hour.
That's right.
- Let's go. - So Xinyu,
what are you gonna be teaching us today?
I'll be teaching you two pieces.
"Ambush from Ten Sides,"
and “The Language of Pipa."
They're both like,
on the opposite spectrums of the repertoire.
One is really kung fu, really...it's warlike.
And the other one is like gentle and soothing.
Eddy: Oh, nice.
I want to learn the kung fu one.
Yeah, I wanna do the kung fu one.
Yeah!
Oh, that's the one...
that the...
they faked on TV.
Oh yeah...!
This is what it should sound like:
Dude.
I can't do that.
I don't think I'm gonna make it past the first part.
You can start with the nail.
- Yeah. - Okay, okay.
It's like the opposite of guzheng,
so you put it on your nail instead of this way.
I can help you do it.
- Oh you put it- - Okay.
...on our nails.
I feel like I'm getting my...
- What's it? Manicure. - Manicure.
Ha ha ha ha ha!
Dude, this is like those...
Like, assassins.
Ka-ching!
Guys, can you see this?
It looks very interesting.
Whoa!
How do we hold the pipa?
I don't wanna offend people.
- Just like that? - Just put it on your lap.
Oh, it's heavier than I thought it was!
Do you hold it here?
- Yeah. - Alright.
Xinyu: And then...
It feels slippery.
Doesn't it slip, no?
If you hold it correctly, it shouldn't slide.
The most basic one would be 彈挑 (pluck).
It's basically just...
Forward and backward motion.
Yeah, very good!
But your...
You can't touch the...
Oh, you can't touch it.
- Yeah... - Oh...
Both pieces that we're learning today
is using D major.
So this is Do...
That's a D.
Yeah.
And then you can do Re.
Yeah.
Then Mi.
Fa.
- And then Sol you use 1. - Oh, you shift!
This is like our second position.
And then Do...
If you do it across all four strings,
it's the 掃 (strum),
掃弦 (string strumming), and 拂 (reverse strumming)
- Okay. - So you just...
Yeah!
Instead, you can use your elbow.
- Instead of going this way, you can go... - Oh okay.
up and down.
Yeah.
Okay. So now you can learn the 輪指 (tremolo).
It's a little bit more tricky.
Oh no!
The first note is a Re in D key.
Dude, that looks so uncomfortable.
That's like a tenth.
Brett: Yeah.
The Re, we start with the pinkie.
And then the first finger,
and then you add in your third finger.
Ow...
Ha ha ha!
So the first you do a tremolo
across all four strings.
Whoa!
What?
Oh...
- All four fingers. - Ready, ready, ready?
When I do this with my 3rd finger,
my 4th finger goes "Haiya!"
- Can you lift this 4th finger up and bend the pinkie? - Ow...
Can you do that?
Yeah...
Brett: Yeah, it's...
Why can't I do it?
I don't think I'm made for it.
Brett: I can't...
Eddy: Nah, we weren't born for the pipa. Brett: Okay.
How would you practice that?
You can do it finger by finger first.
Xinyu: Your thumb can follow your finger. Yeah!
So hard.
You can try to do it faster.
Try to keep your back straight.
- Oh, yeah, yeah. I forgot. - Maybe it'll help with the neck.
Oh, my hand is so sore.
It's like a tenth on the violin.
- Dude, you gotta press like three times more hard. - Yeah, you gotta press harder.
No wonder they fake it on TV.
OHHH!!!
Mine has a...
pretty lady in the back.
Brett: Oh wow!
Oh, it's a dragon up here!
Oh, look!
Eddy: That looks like a mooncake!
He's just procrastinating now.
Yeah. I could feel the neck.
- My left hand is getting quite sore. - I know.
Dude, that sounds so good!
It's so crisp.
- Oh, it's like crispy chicken. - Eddy: Wow...
My chicken sounds soggy.
Dude, look at her fingers, so mesmorising.
Yeah!
WHAT?!
I don't know how I did that.
WUT?
I'm in a lot of pain right now.
- My left hand- - WHAT?!
Guys, see that on my fingers?
You know, when you learn violin with the bow,
you don't really do that stuff.
- We just have to go "wah-wah." - Our right hand is like...
"wAh waH."
Xinyu: Yeah!
This one's pretty interesting.
You do...
...then you push.
and do... the second string is above the first string.
What?
We can't do that on the violin.
This one, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Like, push it all the way. - Xinyu: Now you push it in.
Push it in.
Oh! Ow!
Okay, now you have to push it in a bit more.
- Dude, your 3rd finger. - Yeah, yeah...!
Eddy: And then let go of the 3rd. Xinyu: Yeah, and then release your-
Xinyu: Yeah, yeah...! Eddy: This is like a...
Like...
It's pretty good.
- Yeah...! - Oh nice!
Your posture.
Oh, I forgot!
And then you have to pull the third string.
You pull the third string!
AHH...!
Nah, I can't!
Brett: This is so percussive.
It's gonna hurt a bit.
I'm in so much pain.
It's so much pain.
Oh, it hurts your fingers when you push it in.
I'm just weak.
It's physically painful.
Dude, my neck is so sore.
Okay.
...hurting my hand.
My feet is hurting.
Dude, look at that!
Ah...
Aiya...
Ow...
This is torture.
Bro, you need to do the 1st finger.
Posture, come on.
Can I just reset my body?
My left hand is dead.
Dude, my pinkie is d e a d .
Oh!
Alright.
We're not going anywhere.
Yeah, you can just do the first phrase, the...
Even that, I don't know if we can do it.
Left hand pizzicato feels so easy after this.
Paganini has nothing on pipa.
Should we try and perform it?
I don't even think we can.
But we'll try anyway.
One hour is almost up.
Scissors, paper, rock!
Alright, you go first.
Tsk.
I need a break.
*sighs*
How do you start again? Like the...
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! Sorry for my...
Yeah.
That's all I got.
Nice.
You have to rate that.
You won't hurt my feelings.
I have no feelings left.
I guess...
5 out of 10?
Five!
Ay, it's not bad!
I passed!
- That's a pass! - That is a pass.
- Yo! Nice! - Yeah!
Alright, my turn.
Hope I pass.
Oh...
I heard a lot of...
Dude, that was so painful!
There is a lot of "dun-dun-dun..."
Alright.
What was my rate?
Six!?
OH...!!
- That was a painful victory. - I know.
That's a very painful victory.
I was like "I won, but at what cost?"
Brett: I know.
It was a lot harder than I thought it was.
I think pipa is harder than guzheng...
...to learn at the beginning.
I love that you added that bit at the end!
- To learn at the beginning. - "To learn at the beginning."
To protect myself.
It might be we just started with a hard piece.
That's why I chose the other one also.
Oh...
Should've just done the other one.
So we went hardcore.
- But we can do the D major scale at least. - But it's funner that way.
Yeah.
Thank you for watching
and enduring us tormenting your ears,
except for Xinyu's beautiful playing at the beginning.
Go follow her
if you want more pipa playing.
And don't forget to
accent the like button and subscribe.
And we'll see you guys next time.
Bye!