It has easygoing yet rich tones, and there are big differences from many types of biwa in later ages, namely it is played with other instruments, it has different tuning system for each tune, it has no mechanism for a string instrument, it has no playing system to press strings with the left-hand fingers between frets to control the tension to make different tunes, or it is played using even the pinky finger.
おおらかで豊かな音色を持ち、後世の諸琵琶との大きな違いは、他の楽器との合奏に用いられること、調ごとに調弦法が変わること、「弦楽器」の機構がないこと、左手の押弦が、柱（フレット）の間で絃を押さえる張力を変化させて音程を変える奏法がないこと、また小指まで使用すること、などである。