Taiko
Encyclopedia
means "drum
" in Japanese
(etymologically "great" or "wide drum"). Outside Japan
, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums (和太鼓, "wa-daiko", "Japanese drum", in Japanese) and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming (sometimes called more specifically, "kumi-daiko" (組太鼓)). The performances can last between 5 and 25 minutes and typically follow a jo-ha-kyū
(beginning, middle, end/rapid, sudden, urgent, and emergency) structure, which means the performance will speed up significantly towards the grand finale.
Japanese taiko drums have been developed into a wide range of percussion instruments that are used in both Japanese
folk
and classical
musical traditions.
Taiko, in general, are 3 sticks percussion instruments. With the exception of the "kotsuzumi" and "ootsuzumi", all taiko are struck with bachi
. They have heads on both sides of the drum body, and a sealed resonating cavity. Taiko are also characterized by a high amount of tension on the drums heads, with a correspondingly high pitch relative to body size. This high tension likely developed in response to Japan's wet and humid summers when most festivals take place. Many taiko are not tunable, and a drum with high head tension would counteract the slacking effects of humidity.
Taiko are categorized into two types of construction. "Byou-uchi daiko" (鋲撃ち太鼓, tacked-struck drum) taiko have heads nailed to the body. "Shime-daiko" (締め太鼓, tightened drum), have heads sewn onto iron rings, which are then laced to each other around the drum body.
Byou-uchi daiko are typically hollowed out of a single piece of wood. The preferred wood is "keyaki
" (欅) due to its density and beautiful grain, but a number of other woods are used, grouped under the generic term "meari" (目有). Byou-uchi daiko cannot be tuned, and their sizes are limited by the diameter of the tree they are made from.
The typical byou-uchi daiko is the "nagado-daiko" (長胴太鼓, long-body taiko). The nagado-daiko is an elongated drum, roughly shaped like a wine barrel, that can be shifted in many different ways that affect the sound of the instrument. The drum can also be played by more than one performer at the same time. This style of drum also signifies the family of drums that are made from a single piece of wood. Nagado-daiko are available in a variety of sizes, from 1.0 "shaku" (12" in head diameter), to 3.0 shaku in 1 sun increments. The chu-daiko is a medium sized nagado-daiko. Nagado-daiko over 3.0 shaku are also available, but they are referred to as ōdaiko (大太鼓 great drum). Smaller byou-uchi daiko such as the "sumo-daiko" and "hayashi-daiko" also exist.
One of the most memorable drums of many taiko ensembles is the ōdaiko (大太鼓). For many, the ōdaiko solo is the embodiment of power due to the size of the drum, the volume, and the endurance it takes to perform. The ōdaiko is the largest drum of all taiko, if not the entire world. The largest ōdaiko are too big to move and permanently reside inside a temple or shrine. Ōdaiko means "big taiko", but within any group, it describes the largest drum in an ensemble, which could mean 12 inches (304.8 mm) in diameter or 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter. Made from a single piece of wood, some ōdaiko come from trees that are hundreds of years old.
Shime-daiko
are available in a wide variety of styles, and are tunable. This style of taiko is typically tensioned before each performance. The tensioning system is usually rope, but bolt systems and turnbuckles have been used as well. Shime-daiko can either have stitched heads placed on bodies carved from single piece of wood, such as the "tsukeshime-daiko", "tsuzumi", or stitched heads placed on a stave-construction body such as the okedo-daiko.
The tsukeshime-daiko is roughly snare-drum sized, and is generally available in five sizes, numbered 1 to 5 with names: "namizuke" / "icchougakke", "nichougakke", "sanchougakke", "yonchougakke", and "gochougakke". Namizuke has the thinnest skins, often with a patch of deer skin reinforcement in the center, and is used in classical theater such as noh
and kabuki
. As the numbers increase, so does skin thickness and tension on the skins. The diameters of all tsukeshime-daiko sizes are approximately the same, but the height of the wooden bodies increases in order to provide greater rope leverage in tightening thicker skins.
Other Japanese taiko include the "uchiwa-daiko" (団扇太鼓、fan taiko), "hira-daiko" (平太鼓, flat taiko), "minariisa daiko" (fun time drum), "konisawa-daiko" (tight/hard/tense drum) and a host of percussion instruments used in Japan's traditional noh
, gagaku
, and kabuki
ensembles.
The "okedo" has its own upright stand which was invented by Asano Taiko Drum Company. Again, like the nagado-daiko, the okedo has a rim sound, called "ka". When playing the rim of an okedo, however, it is important to hit only the outermost metal ring and not the actual rim of the drum body. The thin, light wood of the okedo is particularly susceptible to denting and will quickly deteriorate if hit. The Aomori
region is famous for the Nebuta festival where huge okedo are played by many people while carted through the streets.
Types of wood: Japanese name - English equivalent (if any), and use in taiko, antiques, etc.
, hid herself in a cave. The world became pitch dark and the other deities tried to appease Amaterasu, so that world be bright again. They held a big party in front of the cave and Ame no Uzume danced an erotic dance, stamping her feet on a wooden tub. The gods laughed and cheered loudly and the noise provoked Amaterasu to come out her cave. And thus, the world saw light again.
The various drums of taiko are of Chinese origin and were brought to Japan between the Yayoi period
(500 BC - 300 AD).
Along with the martial use of the drums, they also held a strong foundation in the court style music called Gagaku
, performed in the castles and shrines across ancient Japan. Gagaku alone is one of the oldest styles of court music that is still being played in the world today.
According to one of the historical chronicles (the Gunji Yoshu), nine sets of five beats would summon an ally to battle, while nine sets of three beats, sped up three or four times is the call to advance and pursue an enemy.
. He is credited with forming the first actual Taiko ensemble referred to as kumi-daiko and starting the modern popularity of Taiko performances. Daihachi Oguchi was originally known for his jazz
drumming performances. As the story goes, he was going to play a drumming piece for one of the local shrines and decided to add somewhat of a jazz-style flair to the piece. Coming from a jazz background, Daihachi Oguchi speculated why the Taiko drums had never previously been played as an ensemble before. From this simple idea Daihachi Oguchi put together various Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and pitches to be included in his ensemble. The drums were also arranged in the same type of manner that a jazz drum set would be expected to look like. Since an actual Taiko ensemble had never really performed together and the people he had playing with him were in no way professional musicians, he based the rhythms of their performance on the simplistic arrangement of the shrine music that had been previously played; which allowed for nearly any person with the interest in Taiko could play along. It was from the foundation of the first Taiko ensemble that Daihachi Oguchi continued on to lead the successful Taiko group named Osuwa Daiko. At 84 years old, Daihachi Oguchi died on June 27, 2008, after being hit by a car across from his home in Nagano, Japan. Oguchi is widely attributed as the GrandMaster of modern Taiko. He formed or helped to form nearly 200 taiko groups in Japan
, Singapore
, Canada
and the U.S.
Around the same time as Daihachi Oguchi’s Taiko ensemble's name was spreading around Japan via radio and television broadcasts, another pioneer in the field called, Sukeroku Daiko, emerged. Their performances consisted of speed, fluidity, and power. They also brought flashy choreography and solos. Despite the group’s eventual break up, one of its members, Seido Kobayashi, went on to form the group Oedo Sukeroku Daiko, which is credited for being the very first professional Taiko group.
Another Taiko ensemble that set the framework for one of the most popular groups began on Sado Island
. Den Tagayasu (b. Tajiri Kozo, 1931–2001) started Ondekoza
on Japan’s Sado Island in 1969. Den was influenced by Mao Tse-Tung’s
view of peasantry, so he thought drumming was rooted in the bodies that physically worked the land. This belief would mean Japanese music and bodies could be reborn. Den and the original members of Ondekoza grew much of their own food, learned carpentry, studied Japanese classical and folk arts, and began a training regimen similar to professional athletes. An original member of Ondekoza, Hayashi Eitetsu (b. 1952), stated the training regimen and determination was rooted in the desire to defeat American soldiers after World War II, who occupied Japan. Japanese postwar mentality may be one reason aggression is displayed in taiko drum performances. Den was also influenced by movies. Eitetsu stated Den would make Ondekoza members watch Muhomatsu no Issho. Muhomatsu no Issho, released as the Rickshaw Man
1958 remake in the United States, to recreate the honesty and integrity seen in the film. The actual performance seen in the movie has similar associations with taiko. For example, the yagura (raised platform) that both the odaiko soloist and odaiko rest upon is similar to the one see in the movie. Hayashi was influenced by the famous kung-fu actor Bruce Lee
. He saw Lee as a strong Asian male figure and used Lee as a benchmark for stylizing odaiko solo. Den and Hayashi pictured odaiko as erotic strength of the Asian man. Due to complications, the group members and Tagayasu Den split, with Mr. Den leaving to continue Za Ondekoza back on mainland Japan. The remaining members, with the help of drums from Asano Taiko, went on to form the Taiko group Kodo
.
Kodo has gone on to be one of the world's most popular and recognized performance ensembles. Since 1988, the group has also hosted Earth Celebration, which brings artists and enthusiasts from all over the world to Sado Island.
, a postwar immigrant who studied taiko in Japan and brought the styles and teachings to America. A year later, a few members of Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles were putting away a drum after an obon festival and decided to have a jam session. After several hours of playing, they decided to form a group. Shortly after, Kinnara taiko was formed. In 1973, the third American taiko group, San Jose Taiko, was formed in the San Jose area. With the assistance of Seiichi Tanaka, Kinnara and Chicago taiko, the New York Buddhist church established the first taiko group on the East Coast, Soh Daiko, in 1979.
The Cirque du Soleil
show Mystère
in Las Vegas, Nevada, features taiko drumming.
Composer Bear McCreary
made heavy use of and helped spread awareness of taiko drums and taiko groups in the soundtracks
for the reimagined Battlestar Galactica
TV series, most notably in Seasons 1, 4, and 5.
and Eitetsu Hayashihttp://www.eitetsu.net/eng/index.htm.
Highlights include an invitation to present an all-Australian program at Tokyo's National Theatre of Japan alongside Eitetsu Hayashi, Fu-un no Kai and didgeridoo virtuoso, Matthew Doyle. This followed a month-long tour of Australia with Eitetsu and Fu-un no Kai in 2006 marking the 30th Anniversary of the Japan-Australia Friendship Agreement. Further appearances in Japan include TaikOz's 2005 tour where the group presented an all-Australian program at the Hibike Festival in Echizen and collaborative concerts in Kobe with colleagues Wadaiko Matsumuragumi. http://taikoz.com/TaikOz/profile.aspx
Hachijodaiko (alternatively spelled Hachijo taiko, Hichijotaiko, or Hachijo daiko) is a unique style of Japanese drumming originating on Japan's Hachijo Island (Hachijojima
), located in the Pacific some 287 kilometers south of Tokyo. Hachijodaiko is an improvisational style of drumming in which the drum is positioned vertically to allow two players to hit either side at the same time. One player provides the underlying beat, or shitabyoushi, while the other builds on this rhythmical foundation with a unique and typically improvised musical composition (uebyoushi). While there are specific types of underlying bass rhythms (shitabyoushi), the accompanying player is free to express an original musical beat.
Hachijojima was once the final destination for political enemies of the ruling government, petty thieves and others banished from the mainland during the 19th century. Home to a diverse population hailing from across the Japanese archipelago the island witnessed the birth of a unique culture with the drum at the center of it all. Among the various Hachijodaiko rhythms, perhaps the most unusual is the intoxicating honbataki rhythm which is most often sung to by one of the two drummers. These songs of longing and romance once served as a courtship ritual and still do today to some extent on this island where the drum is an integral part of the culture.
One of the most notable and oldest living adherents of Hachijodaiko is the nonagenarian Kumao Okuyama. Serving as a bridge to 19th century life on Hachijojima, Okuyama is regarded as a wellspring of information by ethnomusicologists and historians alike. Popular performers of Hachijodaiko include the group, Rokuninkai, who regularly appear in concerts and festivals throughout the Japanese archipelago. Today Hachijodaiko is no longer confined to Hachijojima but can be heard all over Japan as well as the U.S. and elsewhere due to a growing musical diaspora that stretches around the globe.
, and is formally called "Miyake-jima Kamitsuki Mikoshi Daiko". The word 'Miyake' comes from Miyake-jima which is an island of the Izu Island chain and located at 180 km south of Tokyo.
The style of Miyake Taiko has developed as a music for Gozu Tenno Sai—a traditional festival held on July in Miyake-jima since 1820. In this festival, they keep playing Miyake Taiko from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to lead their mikoshi portable shrines going around their town. Akio Tsumura had also played for the festival before Miyake-jima erupted in 2000. After he evacuated from the island, he arranged the original music into a form suitable for musical performance. http://www.miyaketaiko.com/en/overview/index.html
(headband), "haragake" (traditional workman's apron) with a haramaki
underneath (a strip of cloth wrapped around the midsection), so most of the upper body is bare. Also seen are sleeveless shirts. Hayashi suggested the fundoshi be worn when performing to the liking of French fashion designer Pierre Cardin seeing Ondekoza perform for him in 1975. The Japanese Taiko group Kodo typically wears fundoshi
loincloths.
Drums are not the only instruments played in the ensemble. They also incorporate a wide variety of other Japanese instruments in their ensembles. Common string instruments found with many different taiko groups would be the biwa
, koto
, and the shamisen
. Of the woodwinds used, the bamboo flutes known as the shakuhachi
and the shinobue
are popular items.
: Straight wooden sticks used to play taiko drums.
Ji
: Also called Jiuchi, is a basic rhythm used to support the main rhythm, or the O-uchi. It can also be described as the meter or feel of a piece (being in a straight duple meter or having a swing feel). Some of the more common rhythms for ji are don doko, don ko, or don go (swing pattern). A Jikata is a performer who plays the ji rhythm.
Kizami : Straight simple meter.
Ukare : "Swung" compound meter.
Ma
: A Japanese term that can mean "interval" or "space" (i.e., 'a' tto iu ma; the space it takes to say 'a'; compare "in the blink of an eye"). It is used in music to describe a period of silence. In taiko music, ma is the period between hits on the drum. It is important to appreciate this silence when playing taiko, just as you would appreciate the sound of a hit on the drum. Since ensemble taiko is focused on rhythm, the ma of a piece is critical to adding drama, excitement, and tension. Ma can be a rhythmic rest, or an extended silence, to be broken at the player's discretion. If the player concentrates on hearing the ma between each hit, in addition to the hits themselves, he or she will create a much more effective and satisfying sound. A good example of how ma is used is in oroshi.
Oroshi : Oroshi is characterized by a series of hits on the taiko. The player starts out slowly with lots of 'ma'(spacing). Gradually the 'ma' between each hit becomes shorter and shorter, until the drummer is playing a rapid roll of hits. In other words, a gradual increase in tempo.
Atarigane : A high pitched hand-held gong played with a small mallet and used to establish a common tempo. It is also referred to as a "kane" or "chanchiki," a name that comes from the kuchi shoga
specific to this instrument.
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
" in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
(etymologically "great" or "wide drum"). Outside Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums (和太鼓, "wa-daiko", "Japanese drum", in Japanese) and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming (sometimes called more specifically, "kumi-daiko" (組太鼓)). The performances can last between 5 and 25 minutes and typically follow a jo-ha-kyū
Jo-ha-kyu
is a concept of modulation and movement applied in a wide variety of traditional Japanese arts. Roughly translated to "beginning, break, rapid", it essentially means that all actions or efforts should begin slowly, speed up, and then end swiftly...
(beginning, middle, end/rapid, sudden, urgent, and emergency) structure, which means the performance will speed up significantly towards the grand finale.
Types of taiko
Music of Japan
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 , combining the kanji 音 with the kanji 楽...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
musical traditions.
Taiko, in general, are 3 sticks percussion instruments. With the exception of the "kotsuzumi" and "ootsuzumi", all taiko are struck with bachi
Bachi
Bachi is the name for the straight, wooden sticks used to play Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum for stringed instruments like the shamisen and biwa....
. They have heads on both sides of the drum body, and a sealed resonating cavity. Taiko are also characterized by a high amount of tension on the drums heads, with a correspondingly high pitch relative to body size. This high tension likely developed in response to Japan's wet and humid summers when most festivals take place. Many taiko are not tunable, and a drum with high head tension would counteract the slacking effects of humidity.
Taiko are categorized into two types of construction. "Byou-uchi daiko" (鋲撃ち太鼓, tacked-struck drum) taiko have heads nailed to the body. "Shime-daiko" (締め太鼓, tightened drum), have heads sewn onto iron rings, which are then laced to each other around the drum body.
Byou-uchi daiko are typically hollowed out of a single piece of wood. The preferred wood is "keyaki
Zelkova serrata
Zelkova serrata is a species of Zelkova native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. It is often grown as an ornamental tree, and used in bonsai.-Description:...
" (欅) due to its density and beautiful grain, but a number of other woods are used, grouped under the generic term "meari" (目有). Byou-uchi daiko cannot be tuned, and their sizes are limited by the diameter of the tree they are made from.
The typical byou-uchi daiko is the "nagado-daiko" (長胴太鼓, long-body taiko). The nagado-daiko is an elongated drum, roughly shaped like a wine barrel, that can be shifted in many different ways that affect the sound of the instrument. The drum can also be played by more than one performer at the same time. This style of drum also signifies the family of drums that are made from a single piece of wood. Nagado-daiko are available in a variety of sizes, from 1.0 "shaku" (12" in head diameter), to 3.0 shaku in 1 sun increments. The chu-daiko is a medium sized nagado-daiko. Nagado-daiko over 3.0 shaku are also available, but they are referred to as ōdaiko (大太鼓 great drum). Smaller byou-uchi daiko such as the "sumo-daiko" and "hayashi-daiko" also exist.
Shime-daiko
Shime-Daiko
]The shime-daiko is a small Japanese drum. The word "shime-daiko" comes from a larger word "tsukeshime-daiko" often shortened to simply, "shime-daiko" or "shime." It has a short but wide body with animal skin drumheads on both its upper and bottom sides. The hide is first stretched on metal...
are available in a wide variety of styles, and are tunable. This style of taiko is typically tensioned before each performance. The tensioning system is usually rope, but bolt systems and turnbuckles have been used as well. Shime-daiko can either have stitched heads placed on bodies carved from single piece of wood, such as the "tsukeshime-daiko", "tsuzumi", or stitched heads placed on a stave-construction body such as the okedo-daiko.
The tsukeshime-daiko is roughly snare-drum sized, and is generally available in five sizes, numbered 1 to 5 with names: "namizuke" / "icchougakke", "nichougakke", "sanchougakke", "yonchougakke", and "gochougakke". Namizuke has the thinnest skins, often with a patch of deer skin reinforcement in the center, and is used in classical theater such as noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
and kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
. As the numbers increase, so does skin thickness and tension on the skins. The diameters of all tsukeshime-daiko sizes are approximately the same, but the height of the wooden bodies increases in order to provide greater rope leverage in tightening thicker skins.
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
, gagaku
Gagaku
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 kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
ensembles.
The "okedo" has its own upright stand which was invented by Asano Taiko Drum Company. Again, like the nagado-daiko, the okedo has a rim sound, called "ka". When playing the rim of an okedo, however, it is important to hit only the outermost metal ring and not the actual rim of the drum body. The thin, light wood of the okedo is particularly susceptible to denting and will quickly deteriorate if hit. The Aomori
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
region is famous for the Nebuta festival where huge okedo are played by many people while carted through the streets.
Parts of a taiko
- Ko - the body of the drum.
- Hara - the center of the skin.
- Fuchi - the edge of the top and bottom of the drum.
- Kawa - the skin.
- Mimi - the excess skin that wraps around the side of the taiko.
- Byō - the tacks that hold the skin on a taiko.
- Kanagu, or Kan - the ring shaped handles on larger nagadou taiko. ("Kanagu" literally means metal fixtures, or hardware).
- Nawa - the rope on a shime or okedo daiko.
Types of wood: Japanese name - English equivalent (if any), and use in taiko, antiques, etc.
- Keyaki - ZelkovaZelkovaZelkova is a genus of six species of deciduous trees in the elm family Ulmaceae, native to southern Europe, and southwest and eastern Asia. They vary in size from shrubs to large trees up to 35 m tall . The leaves are alternate, with serrated margins, and a symmetrical base to the leaf blade...
, used to make single piece taiko and shimedaiko bodies. - Tochi - Horse Chestnut, used to make single piece taiko bodies.
- Sen - Unknown, used to make single piece taiko and shimedaiko bodies.
- Nara - Scrub Oak, used by Kawada Taiko to make their "Hi-Tech Taikos" which are constructed from staves, also used for Bachi.
- Tamo - Unknown, used by Kawada Taiko to make their "Hi-Tech Taikos" which are constructed from staves.
- Hinoki - CypressCypressCypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
, used to make bachi, especially for O-daiko. - Matsu - Pine, used for bachi, especially for O-daiko.
- Kashi - Evergreen Oak, used for bachi (all sizes), and for dai (stands).
- Haku - Oak (general term).
- Hoo - MagnoliaMagnoliaMagnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
, used for bachi, all sizes. - Buna - BeechBeechBeech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, used for bachi, all sizes. - Take - BambooBambooBamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, used to make fue (flutes), and for special types of bachi. - Kaede - Maple, used for special bachi.
- Kiri - Paulownia, used for special bachi. Also used in furniture and antiques.
- Sugi - Cedar, used in furniture and antiques.
- Kaba - BirchBirchBirch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
, used in making western drums. - Hannoki - AlderAlderAlder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, used in furniture and antiques.
The early history of taiko
According to myth, taiko was started by Ame no Uzume, a shaman-like female deity. One day, fed up with her cruel younger brother, the sun goddess, AmaterasuAmaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
, hid herself in a cave. The world became pitch dark and the other deities tried to appease Amaterasu, so that world be bright again. They held a big party in front of the cave and Ame no Uzume danced an erotic dance, stamping her feet on a wooden tub. The gods laughed and cheered loudly and the noise provoked Amaterasu to come out her cave. And thus, the world saw light again.
The various drums of taiko are of Chinese origin and were brought to Japan between the Yayoi period
Yayoi period
The is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD. It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era. Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new...
(500 BC - 300 AD).
Along with the martial use of the drums, they also held a strong foundation in the court style music called Gagaku
Gagaku
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...
, performed in the castles and shrines across ancient Japan. Gagaku alone is one of the oldest styles of court music that is still being played in the world today.
Uses of the taiko in warfare
In feudal Japan, taiko were often used to motivate troops, to help set a marching pace, and to call out orders or announcements. Approaching or entering a battle, the taiko yaku (drummer) was responsible for setting the marching pace, usually with six paces per beat of the drum (beat-2-3-4-5-6, beat-2-3-4-5-6).According to one of the historical chronicles (the Gunji Yoshu), nine sets of five beats would summon an ally to battle, while nine sets of three beats, sped up three or four times is the call to advance and pursue an enemy.
Japan
Modern taiko was established in 1951 by Daihachi OguchiDaihachi Oguchi
was a Japanese drummer best known for popularizing taiko.Master Japanese drummer Daihachi Oguchi is credited with inventing kumi-daiko, the taiko ensemble, in 1951...
. He is credited with forming the first actual Taiko ensemble referred to as kumi-daiko and starting the modern popularity of Taiko performances. Daihachi Oguchi was originally known for his jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drumming performances. As the story goes, he was going to play a drumming piece for one of the local shrines and decided to add somewhat of a jazz-style flair to the piece. Coming from a jazz background, Daihachi Oguchi speculated why the Taiko drums had never previously been played as an ensemble before. From this simple idea Daihachi Oguchi put together various Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and pitches to be included in his ensemble. The drums were also arranged in the same type of manner that a jazz drum set would be expected to look like. Since an actual Taiko ensemble had never really performed together and the people he had playing with him were in no way professional musicians, he based the rhythms of their performance on the simplistic arrangement of the shrine music that had been previously played; which allowed for nearly any person with the interest in Taiko could play along. It was from the foundation of the first Taiko ensemble that Daihachi Oguchi continued on to lead the successful Taiko group named Osuwa Daiko. At 84 years old, Daihachi Oguchi died on June 27, 2008, after being hit by a car across from his home in Nagano, Japan. Oguchi is widely attributed as the GrandMaster of modern Taiko. He formed or helped to form nearly 200 taiko groups in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the U.S.
Around the same time as Daihachi Oguchi’s Taiko ensemble's name was spreading around Japan via radio and television broadcasts, another pioneer in the field called, Sukeroku Daiko, emerged. Their performances consisted of speed, fluidity, and power. They also brought flashy choreography and solos. Despite the group’s eventual break up, one of its members, Seido Kobayashi, went on to form the group Oedo Sukeroku Daiko, which is credited for being the very first professional Taiko group.
Another Taiko ensemble that set the framework for one of the most popular groups began on Sado Island
Sado Province
was a province of Japan until 1871; since then, it has been a part of Niigata Prefecture. It was sometimes called or . It lies on the eponymous Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture ....
. Den Tagayasu (b. Tajiri Kozo, 1931–2001) started Ondekoza
Ondekoza
, sometimes referred to as "Za Ondekoza", is a Japanese troupe specializing in taiko drumming.Founded in 1969 by Den Tagayasu, in Sado island, Japan. Ondekoza was influential in the rise of the kumi-daiko style of taiko...
on Japan’s Sado Island in 1969. Den was influenced by Mao Tse-Tung’s
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
view of peasantry, so he thought drumming was rooted in the bodies that physically worked the land. This belief would mean Japanese music and bodies could be reborn. Den and the original members of Ondekoza grew much of their own food, learned carpentry, studied Japanese classical and folk arts, and began a training regimen similar to professional athletes. An original member of Ondekoza, Hayashi Eitetsu (b. 1952), stated the training regimen and determination was rooted in the desire to defeat American soldiers after World War II, who occupied Japan. Japanese postwar mentality may be one reason aggression is displayed in taiko drum performances. Den was also influenced by movies. Eitetsu stated Den would make Ondekoza members watch Muhomatsu no Issho. Muhomatsu no Issho, released as the Rickshaw Man
Rickshaw Man
Rickshaw Man is a 1958 color Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. Its original Japanese title is . It tells the story of a Matsugoro, a rickshaw man who becomes a surrogate father to the child of a recently widowed woman....
1958 remake in the United States, to recreate the honesty and integrity seen in the film. The actual performance seen in the movie has similar associations with taiko. For example, the yagura (raised platform) that both the odaiko soloist and odaiko rest upon is similar to the one see in the movie. Hayashi was influenced by the famous kung-fu actor Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
. He saw Lee as a strong Asian male figure and used Lee as a benchmark for stylizing odaiko solo. Den and Hayashi pictured odaiko as erotic strength of the Asian man. Due to complications, the group members and Tagayasu Den split, with Mr. Den leaving to continue Za Ondekoza back on mainland Japan. The remaining members, with the help of drums from Asano Taiko, went on to form the Taiko group Kodo
Kodo (taiko group)
is a professional taiko drumming troupe. Based on Sado Island, Japan, they have had a role in popularizing taiko drumming, both in Japan and abroad...
.
Kodo has gone on to be one of the world's most popular and recognized performance ensembles. Since 1988, the group has also hosted Earth Celebration, which brings artists and enthusiasts from all over the world to Sado Island.
The United States of America
Taiko has grown in the United States since coming over from Japan in the late 1960s. The first American taiko group, San Francisco Taiko Dojo, was formed in 1968 by Seiichi TanakaSeiichi Tanaka
Seiichi Tanaka is the first Japan-trained teacher of kumidaiko, or taiko, in the United States and largely regarded as the father of the art form in North America...
, a postwar immigrant who studied taiko in Japan and brought the styles and teachings to America. A year later, a few members of Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles were putting away a drum after an obon festival and decided to have a jam session. After several hours of playing, they decided to form a group. Shortly after, Kinnara taiko was formed. In 1973, the third American taiko group, San Jose Taiko, was formed in the San Jose area. With the assistance of Seiichi Tanaka, Kinnara and Chicago taiko, the New York Buddhist church established the first taiko group on the East Coast, Soh Daiko, in 1979.
The Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
show Mystère
Mystère (Cirque du Soleil)
Mystère is a Cirque du Soleil show in permanent residence at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is one of seven resident Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, the others being O, Zumanity, Kà, Love, Criss Angel: Believe, and Viva Elvis...
in Las Vegas, Nevada, features taiko drumming.
Composer Bear McCreary
Bear McCreary
Bear McCreary is an American composer and musician living in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his work on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series.-Biography:...
made heavy use of and helped spread awareness of taiko drums and taiko groups in the soundtracks
Music of Battlestar Galactica (reimagining)
The music of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica is a body of work largely credited to the composers Bear McCreary and Richard Gibbs. The music of Battlestar Galactica displays a variety of ethnic influences and generally does not to conform to the "orchestral" style of many science fiction...
for the reimagined Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
TV series, most notably in Seasons 1, 4, and 5.
Australia
TaikOz, a taiko performance group has been performing in Australia since 1997. Members of TaikOz have composed new pieces which are based upon study and performance of drum and flute music from Japan, and the interpretation of music of contemporary Japanese composers such as Maki IshiiMaki Ishii
was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music, and brother of composer Kan Ishii.-Biography:Born in Tokyo, Ishii studied composition privately and conducting with Watanabe from 1952 to 1958 in Tokyo, then moved to Berlin, where he continued his studies under Boris Blacher and Josef Rufer...
and Eitetsu Hayashihttp://www.eitetsu.net/eng/index.htm.
Highlights include an invitation to present an all-Australian program at Tokyo's National Theatre of Japan alongside Eitetsu Hayashi, Fu-un no Kai and didgeridoo virtuoso, Matthew Doyle. This followed a month-long tour of Australia with Eitetsu and Fu-un no Kai in 2006 marking the 30th Anniversary of the Japan-Australia Friendship Agreement. Further appearances in Japan include TaikOz's 2005 tour where the group presented an all-Australian program at the Hibike Festival in Echizen and collaborative concerts in Kobe with colleagues Wadaiko Matsumuragumi. http://taikoz.com/TaikOz/profile.aspx
Canada
Japanese Canadian taiko began in the 1970s with Katari Taiko and was inspired by the San Jose Taiko group. After World War II, Japanese Canadians were dispersed across the country. Being Japanese at that time meant shame, guilt, and an image of the enemy. Taiko was embraced by Japanese Canadians to capture their culture and heritage. Although not traditionally played in Canada as it is in Japan, it provided a link to the "homeland". Japanese Canadians fuse the 'old' sound with instruments such as saxophone. The movements are rather more theatrical than martial arts. Also, most performers in Canada are women as opposed to the masculine dominance of Japanese taiko. In N.S.W Sydney M.L.C Burwood has a group of young ladies learning taiko and play all over the city.United Kingdom
Taiko in the United Kingdom has been growing from strength to strength. Notable groups are Mugenkyo, Taiko Meantime, Kagemusha Taiko and Tamashii Daiko.Styles of taiko
Aside from the usual style of playing taiko, a number of distinct forms have emerged from different locations within Japan.Hachijodaiko
Hachijojima
is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tōkyō and located approximately south of the Special Wards of Tōkyō. It is the southernmost and most isolated of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago...
), located in the Pacific some 287 kilometers south of Tokyo. Hachijodaiko is an improvisational style of drumming in which the drum is positioned vertically to allow two players to hit either side at the same time. One player provides the underlying beat, or shitabyoushi, while the other builds on this rhythmical foundation with a unique and typically improvised musical composition (uebyoushi). While there are specific types of underlying bass rhythms (shitabyoushi), the accompanying player is free to express an original musical beat.
Hachijojima was once the final destination for political enemies of the ruling government, petty thieves and others banished from the mainland during the 19th century. Home to a diverse population hailing from across the Japanese archipelago the island witnessed the birth of a unique culture with the drum at the center of it all. Among the various Hachijodaiko rhythms, perhaps the most unusual is the intoxicating honbataki rhythm which is most often sung to by one of the two drummers. These songs of longing and romance once served as a courtship ritual and still do today to some extent on this island where the drum is an integral part of the culture.
One of the most notable and oldest living adherents of Hachijodaiko is the nonagenarian Kumao Okuyama. Serving as a bridge to 19th century life on Hachijojima, Okuyama is regarded as a wellspring of information by ethnomusicologists and historians alike. Popular performers of Hachijodaiko include the group, Rokuninkai, who regularly appear in concerts and festivals throughout the Japanese archipelago. Today Hachijodaiko is no longer confined to Hachijojima but can be heard all over Japan as well as the U.S. and elsewhere due to a growing musical diaspora that stretches around the globe.
Miyake
Miyake is a traditional Japanese taiko drumming style that has become known through works of a taiko group KodoKodo (taiko group)
is a professional taiko drumming troupe. Based on Sado Island, Japan, they have had a role in popularizing taiko drumming, both in Japan and abroad...
, and is formally called "Miyake-jima Kamitsuki Mikoshi Daiko". The word 'Miyake' comes from Miyake-jima which is an island of the Izu Island chain and located at 180 km south of Tokyo.
The style of Miyake Taiko has developed as a music for Gozu Tenno Sai—a traditional festival held on July in Miyake-jima since 1820. In this festival, they keep playing Miyake Taiko from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to lead their mikoshi portable shrines going around their town. Akio Tsumura had also played for the festival before Miyake-jima erupted in 2000. After he evacuated from the island, he arranged the original music into a form suitable for musical performance. http://www.miyaketaiko.com/en/overview/index.html
Taiko performance
There are four different styles of Taiko performance:- Multi-drum, multi-player (複式複打法) - two or more drummers play more than one type of Taiko. This style of performance is popular nowadays (also referred to as Kumidaiko (組太鼓))
- Multi-drum, one player (複式単打法) - one drummer plays more than one type of Taiko.
- One drum, multi-player (単式複打法) - two or more drummers play only one type of Taiko.
- One drum, one player (単式単打法) - one drummer plays only one type of Taiko.
Clothing
The taiko drummer traditionally wears a "hapi coat" or "hanten" (a colorful festival coat), "tabi" (split toe shoes), "tekko" (wristbands), momohiki (pants), hachimakiHachimaki
A hachimaki is a stylized headband in Japanese culture, usually made of red or white cloth, worn as a symbol of perseverance or effort by the wearer. These are worn on many occasions, for example, by sports spectators, by women giving birth, students in cram school, office workers, expert...
(headband), "haragake" (traditional workman's apron) with a haramaki
Haramaki
Haramaki is a type chest armour worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan and their retainers.-Description:Haramaki were originally constructed with the same materials as the o-yoroi but designed for foot soldiers to use as opposed to the o-yoroi which was for mounted warfare...
underneath (a strip of cloth wrapped around the midsection), so most of the upper body is bare. Also seen are sleeveless shirts. Hayashi suggested the fundoshi be worn when performing to the liking of French fashion designer Pierre Cardin seeing Ondekoza perform for him in 1975. The Japanese Taiko group Kodo typically wears fundoshi
Fundoshi
is the traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males, made from a length of cotton. Before World War II, the fundoshi was the main form of underwear for Japanese adult males...
loincloths.
Taiko ensembles
Taiko ensembles are groups that are nearly completely drum instruments, with a couple of exceptions. Each of the drums plays a very specific role in the overall aspect of the ensemble. Of the many different styles and shapes of taiko drums, the most common drum found in an ensemble would likely be the nagado-daiko.Drums are not the only instruments played in the ensemble. They also incorporate a wide variety of other Japanese instruments in their ensembles. Common string instruments found with many different taiko groups would be the biwa
Biwa
The is a Japanese short-necked fretted lute, often used in narrative storytelling. The biwa is the chosen instrument of Benten, goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in Japanese Shinto....
, koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
, and the shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
. Of the woodwinds used, the bamboo flutes known as the shakuhachi
Shakuhachi
The is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
and the shinobue
Shinobue
The shinobue is a Japanese transverse flute or fue that has a high-pitched sound. It is found in hayashi and nagauta ensembles, and plays important roles in noh and kabuki theatre music. It is heard in Shinto music such as kagura-den and in traditional Japanese folk songs...
are popular items.
Famous groups
- GocooGOCOOGocoo, or GOCOO are seven female and four male Taiko drummers from Tokyo . Gocoo performed at major Blues & Roots, Rock & Pop and alternative Rock festivals, in live clubs, classic theatres and concert halls or at techno events. Lead drummer, Kaoly Asano , attracts much attention as a female Taiko...
- KodoKodo (taiko group)is a professional taiko drumming troupe. Based on Sado Island, Japan, they have had a role in popularizing taiko drumming, both in Japan and abroad...
- Mugenkyo
- OndekozaOndekoza, sometimes referred to as "Za Ondekoza", is a Japanese troupe specializing in taiko drumming.Founded in 1969 by Den Tagayasu, in Sado island, Japan. Ondekoza was influential in the rise of the kumi-daiko style of taiko...
- Osuwa Daiko
- San Francisco Taiko Dojo
- San JoseSan JoséSan José, or San Jose, is the Spanish for Saint Joseph. It usually refers to one of two major cities. These are:*San José, Costa Rica, the capital of Costa Rica*San Jose, California, the tenth-most populous city in the United States...
Taiko - Shidara
- Soh Daiko
- TaikoProject
- TaoTao (musical troupe)TAO: The Martial Art of Drumming is a Japanese drum and dance ensemble formed in 1993. This performing group combines music and dance to reflect Japanese tradition, but also incorporates Korean, Maori, and Indonesian influences....
- Tokara
- YamatoYamatoYamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan. Later the term was used as the name of the province and also as an ancient name of Japan...
Famous soloists
- Eitetsu Hayashi
- Yuu Imafuku
- Yoshikazu Fujimoto
- Art LeeArt LeeArthur John Lee is a politician and lawyer in British Columbia , Canada.Lee was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada to represent the electoral district of Vancouver East in the 1974 federal election...
- Ryo Shiobara
- Kenny EndoKenny EndoKenny Endo is an American musician and taiko master. He is the leader of several taiko ensembles and regularly tours, performing traditional and contemporary taiko music. Endo is also the first non-Japanese national to receive a natori in the field of hogaku hayashi, Japanese classical drumming...
- Leonard Eto
- IchitaroIchitaro (Taiko drummer)Ichitaro , Japanese Taiko drummer .Ichitaro was born in Kuwana, a small town in the Mie Prefecture of Japan. In the year 1990, he joined then-revolutionary Japanese Drummers Group Ondekoza and run 15,000 km across the United States over the next 3 years...
- Tom Yamamoto
Related terms
BachiBachi
Bachi is the name for the straight, wooden sticks used to play Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum for stringed instruments like the shamisen and biwa....
: Straight wooden sticks used to play taiko drums.
Ji
Jiuchi
, commonly referred to as "ji," is the base beat or underlying rhythm in traditional Japanese music. In the folk tradition, it consists of a simple, even rhythm, sung using kuchi shoka as "do ko do ko." This is often called "straight ji" in English to differentiate from other ji patterns.A common...
: Also called Jiuchi, is a basic rhythm used to support the main rhythm, or the O-uchi. It can also be described as the meter or feel of a piece (being in a straight duple meter or having a swing feel). Some of the more common rhythms for ji are don doko, don ko, or don go (swing pattern). A Jikata is a performer who plays the ji rhythm.
Kizami : Straight simple meter.
Ukare : "Swung" compound meter.
Ma
Ma (negative space)
Ma is a Japanese word which can be roughly translated as "gap", "space", "pause" or "the space between two structural parts." The spatial concept is experienced progressively through intervals of spatial designation. In Japanese, ma, the word for space, suggests interval...
: A Japanese term that can mean "interval" or "space" (i.e., 'a' tto iu ma; the space it takes to say 'a'; compare "in the blink of an eye"). It is used in music to describe a period of silence. In taiko music, ma is the period between hits on the drum. It is important to appreciate this silence when playing taiko, just as you would appreciate the sound of a hit on the drum. Since ensemble taiko is focused on rhythm, the ma of a piece is critical to adding drama, excitement, and tension. Ma can be a rhythmic rest, or an extended silence, to be broken at the player's discretion. If the player concentrates on hearing the ma between each hit, in addition to the hits themselves, he or she will create a much more effective and satisfying sound. A good example of how ma is used is in oroshi.
Oroshi : Oroshi is characterized by a series of hits on the taiko. The player starts out slowly with lots of 'ma'(spacing). Gradually the 'ma' between each hit becomes shorter and shorter, until the drummer is playing a rapid roll of hits. In other words, a gradual increase in tempo.
Atarigane : A high pitched hand-held gong played with a small mallet and used to establish a common tempo. It is also referred to as a "kane" or "chanchiki," a name that comes from the kuchi shoga
Kuchi shoga
Kuchi shōga , also known as 'kuchi showa' and 'kuchi shoka', is a Japanese phonetic system for 'pronouncing' the sounds of drums, especially Japanese drums ....
specific to this instrument.
See also
- Music of Japan for some history of taiko.
- Kuchi shogaKuchi shogaKuchi shōga , also known as 'kuchi showa' and 'kuchi shoka', is a Japanese phonetic system for 'pronouncing' the sounds of drums, especially Japanese drums ....
, a system used to 'pronounce' taiko sounds. - Taiko: Drum MasterTaiko: Drum Master"Taiko: Drum Master" , also known as "Taiko no Tatsujin" is a drumming game for the Sony PlayStation 2 based on the popular Japanese arcade game. A drum simulating the taiko is played in time with music. It is made by Namco. The home version can be played with a TaTaCon, a special controller which...
(aka Taiko no tatsujin) is a series of drumming video games
Further reading
- Nea National Heritage Fellowships: Seiichi Tanaka. National Endowment for the Arts, June 11, 2001. Accessed March 4, 2006.
- Art Lee. "Beginners Taiko Pamphlet", Online Resource. September 2003
- "Transformations of Tradition: Three Generations of Japanese American Music Making." The Musical Quarterly 79, no. 3 (1995): 429-453. Asian Drums/Kiyoshi Yoshida. Pacific Moon Records, July 2, 2004. Accessed 2005 September 11.
- Bando, Makoto. Hajimete No Wadaiko Ensō [First Japanese Taiko Performance]. Tokyo: Erukurabu, 2003.
- Barakan, P. "Discussion: A Woman Playing Japanese Drums." In Wadaiko, 124-135: Kawade Shobō Shinsha, 1995.
- Bender, Shawn. Drumming from Screen to Stage: Ondekoza's Ōdaiko and the Reimaging of Japanese Taiko. The Journal of Asian Studies (2010), 69: 843-867.
- Bender, Shawn. "Of Roots and Race: Discourses of Body and Place in Japanese Taiko Drumming." Social Science Japan 8, no. 2 (2005): 197-212.
- Bender, Shawn. "Drumming between Tradition and Modernity: Taiko and Neo- Folk Performance in Contemporary Japan." Unpublished dissertation, University of California San Diego, 2003.
- Big Drum. May 27, 2006. Accessed April 24, 2006.
- Brennan, Michael. Mainstream Movies with Featured Taiko Performances. December 11, 2004. Accessed March 19, 2006.
- Chatenever, R. "A Different Drummer." Maui Scene (1993).
- Chun, Ian. Gocoo: Reinventing Taiko. Metropolis, May 17, 2006. Accessed May 17, 2006.
- Combs, Jo Anne. "Japanese-American Music and Dance in Los Angeles, 1930-1942." Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology 6, no. Asian Music in North America (1985): 121-149.
- Copyrights. Taiko.us, July 6, 2005. Accessed April 21, 2006.
- Coutts-Smith, Mark. Children of the Drum: The Life of Japan’s Kodo Drummers. Hong Kong: Lightworks Press, 1997.
- Deschênes, Bruno. Japanese Taiko Drums. December 4, 2004. Accessed April 9, 2006.
- Di Menna, Jodi. Martial artistry. Canadian Geographic, Jan2006, Vol. 126 Issue 1, p92-93, 2p, 1c; (AN 19475626)
- Doyle, M. "The Beat Goes On." MidWeek (1996): A6-A9.
- Endo, Kenny. "Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble." 18-23: University of Maryland: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, 2005-2006.
- Espiritu, Yen Le. Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992.
- Fromartz, Samuel, and Lauren Greenfield. "Anything but Quiet: Japanese Americans Reinvent Taiko Drumming." Natural History 107, no. 2 (1998): 44-50.
- Fujie, Linda. "Effects of Urbanization on Matsuri-Bayashi in Tokyo." Yearbook for Traditional MusicYearbook for Traditional MusicThe Yearbook for Traditional Music is a peer-reviewed academic journal on the subjects of music and dance research. It is published by the International Council for Traditional Music, once a year in December...
, 15, no. East Asian Musics (1983): 38-44. - "Japanese Taiko Drumming in International Performance: Converging Musiocal Ideas in the Search for Success on Stage." World of Music 43, no. 2-3 (2001): 93-101.
- Fujimoto, Harumi. "My Original Image of Drums." In Wadaiko: Miyuki Ikeda + Koichi Inakoshi, ed. Ikanoshi Koichi. Tokyo: Kawad Shobo Shinsha, 1995.
- Gojinjo Daiko: The History, the Tradition, the Spectacle. May 15, 2003. Accessed March 4, 2006.
- Gould, Michael. "Taiko Classification and Manufacturing." Percussive Notes (1998): 12-20.
- Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka. San Francisco Taiko Dojo, November 28, 2005. Accessed March 3, 2006.
- Green, M. "Voices of the Drum." Sky (1993): 32-36.
- Hare, Thomas Blenman. "Try Try Again: Training in Noh Drama." In Teaching and Learning in Japan, ed. Thomas P. Rohlen and Gerald K. LeTendre. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
- Harich-Schneider, Eta. A History of Japanese Music. London: Oxford University Press, 1973.
- Hayase, S. "Taiko." East Wind (1985): 46-47.
- Hayashi, Eitetsu. Ashita No Taiko Uchi E [To Tomorrow's Taiko Players]. Japan: Shobunsha, 1992.
- Portrait of Hayashi Eitetsu. Tokyo: Eitetsu Taiko no Kai, 1998.
- Higa, K. "Sound and Spirit: An Interview with Master Seiichi Tanaka." Nikkei Taiko Dayori (193): 6-7, 10-12.
- Hirabayashi, Roy. "15th Anniversary Celebration - "Spirit of the Drum"." Odaiko, San Jose Taiko Newsletter (1988): 1-4.
- Hiroji, Naoe. "Post-War Folklore Research Work in Japan." Folklore Studies 8 (1949): 277-284.
- History of Osuwa Daiko. May 5, 2006. Accessed February 6, 2006.
- History of San Francisco Taiko Dojo. November 28, 2005. Accessed March 4, 2006.
- The History of Taiko: The Heartbeat of Japan. December 21, 2005. Accessed February 5, 2006.
- Hobsbawm, E. J., and T. O. Ranger. The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
- Holender, Jacques. Kodo: Heartbeat Drummers of Japan. New York: Rhapsody Films, INC, 1991.
- Holvick, Leonard C., and Jackson H. Bailey. Japanese Music: Another Tradition, Other Sounds: Earlham College Press, January 1990.
- Image Entertainment (Firm), and Kodō (Musical group). Kodō. 1 videodisc (69 min.). Chatsworth, CA: Image Entertainment, 2001.
- Inoue, Ryohei. Ondekoza, Amerika Wo Hashiru [Ondekoza, Run Through America Diary of a 15,000 km trip]. Tokyo: SeikyūshaSeikyūshais a publisher based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Philosophy, ideology, religion, mysticism, sexuality, and subculture are the main themes covered by the books it publishes. There is also a large number of publications related to Takarazuka Revue...
, 1996. - Taiko No Bīto Ni Miserarete [Enchanted by the Taiko Beat]. Tokyo: Ongaku Shuppansha, 1999.
- Inoue, T. "Taiko Time." MetroGuide (1994): 33-34.
- Izumi, Masumi. A Brief History of Taiko. Discover Nikkei, January 10, 1997. Accessed February 19, 2006.
- "Reconsidering Ethnic Culture and Community: A Case Study on Japanese Canadian Taiko Drumming." Journal of Asian American StudiesJournal of Asian American StudiesThe Journal of Asian American Studies is a triannual academic journal established in 1998 and is the official publication of the Association for Asian American Studies. The journal publishes scholarly articles exploring theoretical developments, research interests, policy and pedagogical issues...
4, no. 2 (2001): 35-36. - James, J. Alison. The Drums of Noto Hanto: DK Publishing, Inc, 1999.
- Japanese American National Museum to Open Exhibition July 14. Big Drum: Taiko in the United States, May 17 Accessed May 17, 2006.
- Kagemusha, Taiko. "Taiko around the World." 2004.
- Kageyama, Y. "Following the Drumbeat." The Japan Times Weekly (1986): 16.
- Kan, Toko. Textbook for Japanese Taiko Basic Theory and Practice. Matto: Asano Taiko.
- Keene, Donald, and Motoichi Izawa. Some Japanese Portraits. New York: Kodansha International, 1978.
- Kenny Endo: Connecting to Heritage through Music. Big Drum, May 5, 2006. Accessed March 5, 2006.
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External links
- TaikoForum.com - Includes a map of taiko groups in North America, a taiko-related wiki, and forums for discussion about taiko.
- Rolling Thunder Taiko Resource
- Arashi Daiko, a Montreal-based Taiko group
- Hachijo Taiko Kitamada
- Jodaiko
- Intercollegiate Taiko Council
- Kyodo Taiko
- KyoShinDo Taiko
- Sacramento Taiko Dan
- San Francisco Taiko
- San Jose Taiko
- Soh Daiko
- Stanford Taiko
- Taiko Masala
- TAIKOPROJECT
- Tampa Taiko
- TAO
- Wadokyo-Taiko from Germany
- Wadaiko Makoto Japanese/french Taiko band
- Kichigaï Taïko French Taïko band
- Yukai Daiko
- Zenshuji Zendeko from Los Angeles
- Wajima Kiriko Taiko Hozonkai