Its sound box is shaped like a pear cut in half
lengthwise and made of unvarnished light wood, and its back is made of hard
wood with a slightly convex surface. The neck is short and tightly fixed to the
sound box. Originally the neck bore no frets; now, however, it has four
frets in addition to eight others on the soundboard and two under the strings
with the highest pitch.
The frets stand low and close to each other
following the heptatonic scale. The instrument has four pegs for tuning. The
strings, formerly of twisted silk, are now made of plastic. They are tuned to
the notes C, F, G, and Cl, or to the notes A, D, E, Al. The range of the Ty
Ba is three octaves, from C to C3.
The player uses a plectrum which she holds in her
right hand and plucks either upward or downward in a quick run. The
technique used by her left hand, which presses the strings, includes glissando,
staccato, arpeggio and tremolo. The Ty Ba music is light and cheerful.
The instrument is played solo or as part of an orchestra or a band accompanying
the singing of melodies or cai luong operas.
The Ty Ba recitals are well liked by music
lovers at home and abroad. Though related to the Japanese biwa and the Chinese
pipa, the Ty Ba has a personality of its own.