Types Hougaku, traditional Japanese music is classified by the type of instruments used. EGagaku Ceremonial court music introduced from China and Korea, gagaku is the oldest type of traditional Japanese music. Er@a@liturgical chants are called shoumyou. Introduced into Japan at the same time as Buddhism, shoumyou had a profound impact on the development of native Japanese music. EBiwa-gaku A type of short lute, the biwa was a favored instrument of accompaniment for long chanted ballads about great battles and heroic deeds, and this music is called biwa-gaku. ENou-gaku Nou (noh) as it is performed today gelled in the Muromachi period. An art combining song, dance, and drama, nou is characterized by its utai chorus and hayashi flute and percussion instrument accompaniment, all of which combine to for nou-gaku. ESoukyoku Soukyoku is music performed on the koto (a 13-string zither) or by an ensemble of koto, shamisen (three-stringed long lute), and shakuhachi (vertical flute) players. Koto music flowered in the Edo periiod along with shamisen music. Miyagi Michio, a composer of soukyoku active in the early years of the 20th century, had a major influence on this type of traditional music. EShakuhachi Shakuhachi-gaku is all of that music played on the shakuhachi, a bamboo flute formerly played by wandering Buddhist monks. The name for this instrument derives from the fact that it is one shaku and eight (hachi) sun (total: approximately 55cm) long. EShamisen-ongaku Made of cat or dog hide and having only three strings the shamisen is a uniquely Japanese instrument and its music the uniquely Japanese shamisen-ongaku. An extremely popular instrument in the Edo the shamisen is an important accompaniment to kabuki and puppet theater drama, and it continues to be use today as accompaniment for many Japanese songs. Elf@e@songs are called min'you. Found throughout Japan, many min'you are work songs. Characteristics In contrast to the sesven-note scale of Western music, traditional Japanese music is based on a five-note scale and has primarily two- and four-beat rhythms as opposed to a three-beat time. Most traditional music consists of songs with instrumental accompaniment, and there are very few purely instrumental compositions. The instrumental accompaniment seldom progresses exactly in step with the song. The "noise" that is an inevitable part of the sound of the shamisen, koto, shakuhachi, and other traditional instruments is appreciated for the unique tone it gives to the music. Since it was first introduced into Japan full-force in the late 19th
century, Western music has become very popular, overshadowing traditional
music. Still, interest in traditional music has been reviving in recent
years, and many audiences include appreciative non-Japanese. |