noun
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.
雅楽の演奏では、楽琵琶が用いられる。
In gagaku performances, the gakubiwa is used.
雅楽 is the traditional court music in which the 楽琵琶 is played.
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.