Komabue
Encyclopedia
Transverse flute
A transverse flute or side-blown flute is a flute which is held horizontally when played. The player blows "across" the embouchure hole, in a direction perpendicular to the flute's body length....
fue
Fue
Fue is the Japanese word for flute, and refers to a class of flutes native to Japan.Fue or FUE may also refer to:*The French University in Egypt*The Future University in Egypt*Follicular unit extraction, a technique of harvesting hair...
that is used in traditional Japanese court music.
Construction
The komabue is typically constructed from bamboo. It is a transverse flute with six finger-holes. It is 36 cm, shorter than the ryutekiRyuteki
The is a Japanese transverse fue made of bamboo. It is used in gagaku, the Shinto classical music associated with Japan's imperial court. The sound of the ryūteki is said to represent the dragons which ascend the skies between the heavenly lights and the people of the earth...
flute.
Use
The komabue is used in both GagakuGagaku
Gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial Court in Kyoto for several centuries. It consists of three primary repertoires:#Native Shinto religious music and folk songs and dance, called kuniburi no utamai...
and Komagaku
Komagaku
Komagaku is a form of Gagaku, or court music, that appeared in Japan around the beginning of the Nara period . It originated in Korea and is often played as a dance accompaniment....
. Historically the Oga family of musicians in Japan specialized in the komabue.