![]() Shakuhachi has four holes for finger placement on the front and one thumbhole on the back. The instrument is tuned to the pentatonic scale however, experts can produce virtually any pitch thanks to shakuhachi’s incredible versatility. Reminiscent of the European recorder, the shakuhachi is a wooden flute played vertically and typically fashioned from bamboo. The shamisen was prominently featured in the 2016 film Kubo and the Two Strings, a stop-motion animated movie that follows a young boy (Kubo) wielding a magical shamisen on a quest to find his father’s armor. It’s used to enhance narrative storytelling, kabuki (dramatic dance theater) performances, and various instrumental ensembles. Unlike the biwa and many other instruments, the shamisen is traditionally played by both men and women. Silk strings are used for professional performances, while cheaper and more durable nylon strings are used for practice, learning, and casual playing. ![]() On traditional shamisen, these covers were typically made of dog or cat skin, but modern instruments usually favor synthetic materials. Shamisen are fretless, and their bodies are hollow and covered on both sides by skin, much like a banjo. The shamisen has three strings and a long neck, and it’s played using a bachi as a plectrum - the same device used as a mallet to play taiko. ShamisenĪs one of the most internationally famous Japanese instruments, the shamisen enjoys more popularity in its home country than many other traditional folk instruments. Many modern-day Japanese people associate the instrument with degenerates, vagabonds, and antiquated tales of war and woe.Īs a result, contemporary biwa players are relatively rare, and many Japanese people can’t recognize its unique sound when they hear it. The instrument also provided musical accompaniment for scripture readings.ĭespite its historical and cultural significance, Japanese interest in the biwa has declined in recent years. Blind monks (called biwa hōshi or “lute priests”) would pluck biwa as they traveled, reciting epics and poetry and bringing spiritual purification to villages nationwide. Like many Japanese instruments, the biwa has a history of use in spiritual and religious settings. It’s a type of four- or five-stringed lute, and it’s been a fundamental feature in Japanese music and narrative storytelling since the 7th century CE. The biwa is a stringed instrument with a short neck and a rounded body. They’ve been used in military settings to inspire troops and communicate messages, in theater and performances to create ambiance or generate tension, and in local festivals and rituals to accompany dancers and spiritual ceremonies. There are many different types of taiko drums, from small handheld drums to huge floor drums played with large sticks called bachi. Shinto legend holds that the sun goddess Ameratsu sealed herself away in a cave in a fit of rage and was only lured out again when Ame-no-Uzume – a deity of joy, revelry, and the arts – danced upon an empty barrel of sake, The rhythm of her feet created a deep, soul-pounding beat that soothed the angry goddess and echoed to this day in the jubilant, powerful thrumming of the taiko. The drum has a mythological origin story as well. The first recorded use of taiko was in the 6th century CE when the drums were played in festivals and as a form of communication. Though the word taiko literally means “drum” in Japanese, it’s become the term for a specific family of barrel-shaped drums as well as the word describing a traditional drumming ensemble. ![]() ![]() Here are twelve of our favorite Japanese traditional instruments – some you’ll surely recognize and a few you may not have encountered before. ![]() With percussive, stringed, and wind instruments all represented, the spectrum of traditional Japanese instruments is varied, and the sounds they produce are colorful and unique. Today, they figure prominently in festivals, ceremonies, performances, and rituals. Historically, Japanese instruments have played an important role in court life, theater, and spiritual and religious events. Others, like the mukkuri, are little known outside their regions of origin. Some have enjoyed global recognition and fame, like the taiko and the shamisen. Famed for its lilting, plaintive vocals and evocative storytelling, traditional Japanese music also features a wide range of unique and beautiful instruments. ![]()
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