Traditional Japanese music

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Musicians and dancer, Muromachi period

One of the characteristics of traditional Japanese music is a sparse rhythm. It also doesn't have regular chords. In Japanese music, one cannot beat time with one's hands because there is an interval ma (間^?). The rhythms are based on ma; silence is important. Different from Western music, Japanese music flows, in an attempt to reflect the feeling of nature. The tempo usually starts out very slow and gets faster, returns to being slow again, and has a drawn-out ending. Traditional Japanese music is influenced by Chinese music because some of the musical instruments used in it came from China.

Types of traditional Japanese music

There are three types of traditional music in Japan: instrumental, theatrical, and court music.

Kabuki

Kabuki (歌舞伎^?) is a type of Japanese theatre. The music of kabuki can be divided into three parts:

• Gidayubushi (義太夫節^?) – largely identical to jōruri.
• Shimoza ongaku (下座音楽^?) – music is played in kuromisu (黒御簾^?), the lower seats below the stage.
• Debayashi (出囃子^?) – incidental music, played on the Kabuki stage; also known as degatari (出語り^?).

Noh

Noh or nōgaku (能楽^?) is another type of theatrical music. Noh music is played by the hayashi-kata (囃子方^?). The instruments used are the taiko (太鼓^?), ōtsuzumi (大鼓^?), kotsuzumi (小鼓^?), and fue (笛, flute^?).

Gagaku

Gagaku is court music, and is the oldest traditional music in Japan. Gagaku music includes songs, dances, and a mixture of other Asian music. Gagaku has two styles; these are instrumental music kigaku (器楽^?) and vocal music seigaku (声楽^?).

• Instrumental Music
  • Kangen (管弦^?) - basically, a Chinese form of music.
  • Bugaku (舞楽^?) - influenced by Chinese and Korean music.

• Vocal Music
  • Kumeuta (久米歌^?)
  • Kagurauta (神楽歌^?)
  • Azumaasobi (東遊び^?)
  • Sailboat (催馬楽^?)
  • Roue (朗詠^?)

Shomyo

Shomyo (声明^?) is kind of Buddhist song which is an added melody for a sutra. Shomyo came from India, and it began in Japan in the Nara period. Shoumyo does not use musical instruments and is sung by one or more than two Buddhist monks.

Jōruri

Jōruri (浄瑠璃^?) is narrative music using the shamisen (三味線^?). There are four jōruri styles.

• Gidayubushi (義太夫節^?)- During the Edo period, Takemoto Gidayu began to play jyoruri in Osaka. This type of jōruri is for bunraku, (puppet plays).

• Tokiwazubushi (常盤津節^?) - During the Edo period, Tokiwazu Mojidayu began to play this style of jyoruri in Edo. This type of jōruri is for kabuki dances called Shosagoto.

• Kiyomotobushi (清元節^?) - Kiyomoto Enjyudayu began to play this for kabuki dances in Edo during the late Edo period.

• Shinnaibushi (新内節^?) - In the middle of the Edo period, Tsuruga Shinnai began to play this for kabuki. This style of jōruri is typically alive and upbeat.

Nagauta

Nagauta (長唄^?) is music using the shamisen. There are three styles of nagauta: one for kabuki dance, one for kabuki dialogue, and one of music unconnected with kabuki.

Shakuhachi music

Shakuhachi (尺八^?) music began in the Edo period. Buddhist monks played the shakuhachi as a substitute for a sutra. Sometimes the shakuhachi is played along with other instruments.

Sōkyoku

Sōkyoku (筝曲^?) uses the "Chinese koto" (guzheng), which differs from the Japanese koto (琴^?). There are two schools of sōkyoku.

• Ikuta ryu - Originated in Eastern Japan. It is played with shamisen.
• Yamada ryu - Originated in Western Japan. It is focused on songs.

Traditional music in modern culture

Traditional Japanese music is declining in popularity today, however sometimes traditional Japanese musicians collaborate with modern Western musicians. Also, musicians create new styles of Japanese music influenced by the West but still using traditional musical instruments.

Traditional musical instruments

• 琵琶 Biwa
• 琴 Koto (musical instrument)
• 一絃琴 Ichigenkin
• 三線 Sanshin
• 大和琴 Yamatogoto
• 胡弓 Kokyu
• 法竹 Hocchiku
• 能管 Nohkan
• 龍笛 Ryuteki
• 尺八 Shakuhachi
• 篠笛 Shinobue
• 篳篥 Hichiriki
• 笙 Sho
• 竽 Yu (wind instrument)
• 法螺貝 Horagai
• 鞨鼓 Kakko
• 太鼓 Taiko
• 大鼓 Otsuzumi
• 小鼓 Kotsuzumi
• 鼓 Tsuzumi
• 締太鼓 Shime-Daiko
• 拍子木 Hyoshigi
• 木魚 Mokugyo
• 鉦鼓 Shoko

Traditional cultural events

• Kabuki
• Nō
• Gagaku
• Japanese festivals (祭^?, matsuri)
  • Jidai Matsuri
  • Aoi Matsuri
  • Gion Matsuri
  • Hōnen Matsuri
  • Danjiri Matsuri
  • Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri
• Geisha
• Maiko

Artists

• Yoshida Brothers
• Kevin Kmetz

See also

• Music of Japan
• Culture of Japan
• Shinto
• Buddhism
• Religion in Japan
• History of Japan
• Tsugaru-jamisen

External links

• Japan Guide [1]
• Nipponia [2]
• Shamisen with DJ [3]
• Yoshida Brothers "Kodo" [4]
• Yoshida Brothers: Official web site (English)
• Yoshida Kyōdai: Official web site (Japanese)
• "Venerated Patterns of China and Japan" (cd)