gakubiwa; large 4-stringed biwa used in gagaku
A specific type of biwa (Japanese lute) used in gagaku (court music). It is larger than many other biwa varieties and has four strings.
In gagaku performances, the gakubiwa is used.
Compound of 楽 (gaku, 'music', referring to gagaku) and 琵琶 (biwa, 'Japanese lute'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term clearly identifies the instrument's role in court music.