TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC

INTRODUCE OF JAPANESE MUSIC

WHAT IS JAPANESE MUSIC

• the art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of
form or emotional expression, specifically as it is carried out in Japan.

• Korea served as a bridge to Japan for many Chinese musical ideas as well as
exerting influence through its own forms of court music.

• Also to be considered is the presence of northern Asian tribal traditions in
the form of Ainu culture surviving on Hokkaido island. However, it should be
pointed out that the island isolation of Japan allowed it to develop its own
special characteristics without the intense influences of the Chinese and the
Mongols so evident in mainland cultures. Therefore, in the ensuing discussion
all the “foreign” elements are placed in the matrix of traditions and styles
that are characteristically Japanese.

TYPES OF JAPANESE MUSIC

Traditional music Modern music

J-pop J-rock

INTRODUCE OF
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC

WHAT IS TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC

• as known as hōgaku (japanese:邦楽)
• meaning literally (home) country music, as opposed to yōgaku (japanese:洋楽)
• Japan's Ministry of Education classifies Hōgaku as a category separate from

other traditional forms of music, such as Gagaku (japanese:雅楽) or Shōmyō
(Buddhist chanting), but most ethnomusicologists view Hōgaku, in a broad
sense, as the form from which the others were derived. Outside of
ethnomusicology, however, Hōgaku usually refers to Japanese music from
around the 17th to the mid-19th century.
• three types of traditional music in Japan: theatrical, court music (gagaku),
and instrumental.

TYPES OF
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC

THEATRICAL

NOH

• perfected in the muromacho period (1333-1568).
• have largely remained the same ever since; every

detail in every play is passed on through the
generations in the families of actors and musicians.
• Characteristics: use of masks, splendid costumes,
the small number of actors and minimal, stylised
movements.
• The texts, also those of the characters, are partly
sung by a choir
• an ensemble of an ōtsuzumi (large hand drum),
kotsuzumi (small hand drum), fue (flute) and taiko
(large drum).

KABUKI

• highly-stylized dancing, singing and elaborate
make-up worn by a predominately all-male cast.

• Musically, it highlights the Nagauta form (often
associated with shamisen). In its earliest years,
Kabuki used the Kouta and Kumiuta forms ("short
song", and "suite of songs" forms), and was
accompanied only by a single shamisen and a Noh
hayashi group (bamboo flute & 3 percussionists).

• ensembles added additional shamisen other
instruments.

• divided into two main categories: Geza-ongaku (off-
stage music) and Shosa-ongaku (on-stage music)

GEZA-ONGAKU

• along with Chobo
• music played offstage behind a black bamboo curtain (kuromisu)
• set mood with a connotative popular tune ("Yuki", ie - "Snow")
• uses little or no vocals
• subdivided into three types

i. Uta - song accompanied by a shamisen with multiple uta singers singing
together

ii. Aikata - involves shamisen music without any singing.
iii. Narimono - played by small percussion instruments besides the shamisen.

SHOSA-ONGAKU

• music played on the stage and accompanies acting and dancing
• includes Takemoto, Nagauta, Tokiwazu and Kiyomoto music styles.

i. Takemoto - basically recites the parts of the play concerning scenery.
The actors attempt to synchronize their lines with the rhythm

ii. Naguata - one of the most commonly seen forms of gza. It involves
singers (utakata) and shamisen players (shamisenkata).

iii. Tokiwazu - consists of reciters (tayu) and shamisenkata that use chuzao
(medium-neck) shamisen. It is similar to Kiyomoto music but is slower-
paced and more solemn.

iv. Kiyomoto - consists of tayu and shamisenkata using chuzao. In kiyomoto
words and sentences full of emotion are recited in very high-pitched
tones.

COURT MUSIC

GAGAKU

• the oldest traditional music in Japan
• patronized by the Imperial Court or the shrines

and temples.
• includes songs, dances, and a mixture of other

Asian music
• two styles: instrumental music kigaku (器楽) & vocal

music seigaku (声楽)
• means elegant music and generally refers to

musical instruments
• music theory imported into Japan from China and

Korea from 500–600 CE.

GAGAKU

• two main categories: Old Music and New Music.
i. O l d M u s i c - r e f e r s t o m u s i c a n d m u s i c a l
compositions from before the Chinese Tang
dynasty (618–906).
ii. New Music - refers to music and compositions
produced during or after Tang. It brought from
various regions of China and Korea.

• Old and New Music divided into the categories "Music
of the Left" and "Music of the Right"
i. Music of the left (左楽) - composed of music from
Tang (唐楽) and music from Indo-China (林邑楽).
ii. Music of the right (右楽) - composed of music
from Korea (高麗楽)

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

• known as wagakki (Japanese: 和楽器)
• comprise three types of instruments

i. string
ii. wind
iii. percussion

TYPES OF
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTS

STRING INSTRUMENTS

• long-/short-necked lutes
• played by plucking with a fret
• example: Biwa, Gottan, hako-jamisen, Ichigenkin, Junanagen, Koto, Kugo,

Sanshin, Shamisen, Taishogoto, Tonkori, Yamatogoto

SHAMISEN

• resemble a guitar
• banjo-like lute with three strings
• long, thin neck, small rectangular body
• the pitch adjusted by tuning pegs on the head
• played with a large triangular plectrum that’s

used to strike the strings.
• used in Kabuki theater

KOTO

• large, wooden
• most common type uses 13 or 17 strings
• played with picks worn on the fingers
• plucked using three fingerpicks
• uses movable bridges placed under each

string to change the pitch.

Biwa Gottan Junanagen Kugo Sanshin Taishogoto

Tonkori Yamatogoto Ichigenki

WIND INSTRUMENTS

• horizontal
• recorder-like flute made of bamboo
• used in the Noh or festivals.
• example: Hocchiku, Nohkan, Ryūteki, Kagurabue, Komabue, Shakuhachi,

Shinobue, Tsuchibue

RYUTEKI

• fue made of bamboo
• seven-holed
• used in gagaku
• inside of bamboo - hollow and lacquered &

outside - wrapped with strands of bark
• better control of "half-holing" techniques and

chromatic notes

SHAKUHACHI

• flute made from the root end of madake (japanese
timber bamboo) and bamboo culm

• used in gagaku
• played by blowing on one end
• can produce virtually any pitch

Hocchiku Nohkan Kagurabue Komabue

Shinobue Tsuchibue

PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS

• a membrane on either side
• attached to the frame with ropes or tacks.
• usually beaten with drumsticks
• barrel-shaped
• mostly employed for court music and festivals.
• example: Bin-sasara, Hyōshigi, Kakko, Kane, Shakubyoshi, Mokugyo,

Kagura suzu, Shōko, Taiko,Tsuzumi

TAIKO

• drum made from hollowing out a tree or barrels
• covered with cow skin / stretched with ropes

or bolts
• used for scaring off enemies in battle
• performance groups: kumi-daiko
• types of taiko: Oodaiko, Chuudaiko, Hiradaiko

BIZASARA

• many pieces of wooden plates strung together
with a cotton cord

• handles at both ends
• played by moving them like a wave
• used in folk songs, and rural dances

Hyōshigi Kakko Kane Shakubyoshi

Mokugyo Kagura suzu Shōko Tsuzumi