The Pipa has 30 frets. The first six are triangular shaped, often made out of wood, bull’s horn, or even bone or jade. These frets are called Xiang. The rest of the 24 frets are made out of bamboo and are called Ping. These frets are wide and allow for a variety of effects to be played such as pitch bends, where the strings are bent across the frets to change the pitch of the note mid-playing. The wide frets allow for the strings to be bent extensively, allowing for a unique level of expression as compared to other similar fretted instruments. The Pipa has 4 strings that are tuned to the notes A2, D3, E3 and A3, and has a range of A2, up to a G6 if a pitch bend is used.