Traditional Japanese music - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Traditional Japanese music is the term used to describe historical Japanese folk music

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....

, or traditional music

Traditional music

Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...

Rhythm

One of the characteristics of traditional Japanese music is a sparse rhythm

Rhythm

Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...

. It also doesn't have regular chord

Chord (music)

A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...

s. In Japanese music, one cannot beat time with one's hands because there is an interval . The rhythms are based on ma; silence is important. Japanese music flows, in an attempt to reflect the feeling of nature

Nature

Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...

. The tempo

Tempo

In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring 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

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

Types of traditional Japanese music

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

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...

(歌舞伎^?) is a type of Japanese theatre

Theatre

Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...

. The music of kabuki can be divided into three parts: – largely identical to jōruri

Joruri

can refer to:*Jōruri , a type of sung narrative with shamisen accompaniment, typically found in Bunraku, a traditional Japanese puppet theatre.*Jōruri , an opera by Japanese composer Miki Minoru.*Jōruri-ji , a Buddhist temple near Nara....

. – music is played in , the lower seats below the stage. – incidental music, played on the Kabuki stage; also known as .

Noh

or is another type of theatrical music. Noh music is played by the . The instruments used are the
, , , and .

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...

(雅楽^?) is court music, and is the oldest traditional music 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...

. Gagaku music includes songs, dances, and a mixture of other Asian music

Asian music

Asian music encompasses numerous different musical styles originating from a large number of Asian countries.Musical traditions in Asia* Music of Central Asia** Music of Afghanistan** Music of Kazakhstan** Music of Mongolia** Music of Uzbekistan...

. Gagaku has two styles; these are instrumental music and vocal music .

Instrumental Music
- Kangen (管弦^?) - basically, a Chinese form of music.
- Bugaku (舞楽^?) - influenced by Chinese and Korean music
  Korean music
  Traditional Korean music includes both the folk, vocal, religious and ritual music styles of the Korean people. Korean music, along with arts, painting, and sculpture has been practiced since prehistoric times....
  
  .

Vocal Music
- Kumeuta (久米歌^?)
- Kagurauta (神楽歌^?)
- Azumaasobi (東遊び^?)
- Saibara (催馬楽^?)
- Rōei (朗詠^?)

Shōmyō

Shomyo

Shōmyō is a style of Japanese Buddhist chant, used mainly in the Tendai and Shingon sects. There are two styles: ryokyoku and rikkyoku, described as difficult and easy to remember, respectively....

(声明^?) is kind of Buddhist song which is an added melody

Melody

A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...

for a sutra. Shōmyō came from India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, and it began in Japan in the Nara period

Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...

. Shōmyō is sung a capella by one or more Buddhist monk

Monk

A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...

Jōruri

Joruri

(浄瑠璃^?) is narrative music using 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...

(三味線^?). There are four main jōruri styles. These are centuries-old traditions which continue today.

Gidayubushi (義太夫節^?)- During the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

, Takemoto Gidayu (竹本義太夫^?) began to play joruri in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

. This type of jōruri is for bunraku
Bunraku
, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai—puppeteers* Tayū—the chanters* Shamisen players...

, (puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....

plays).

Tokiwazubushi (常磐津節^?) - During the Edo period, Tokiwazu Mojidayu (常磐津文字太夫^?) began to play this style of joruri in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...

. This type of jōruri is for kabuki dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

s called Shosagoto.

Kiyomotobushi (清元節^?) - Kiyomoto Enjyudayu (清元延寿太夫^?) began to play this for kabuki dances in Edo during the late Edo period. He began to play this style in 1814. He played Tomimotobushi style at first. He spun off from Tomimotobushi style. He started Kiyomotobushi style. This style is light. This style is refreshingly unrestrained. This style is chic.

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

There are other four jōruri styles which have largely died out. Katōbushi , Icchuubushi and Miyazonobushi are old style. Katōbushi , Icchuubushi and Miyazonobushi are called Kokyoku (古曲^?). Kokyoku means old music. Kokyoku consists of Icchuubushi , Katōbushi , Miyazonobushi and Ogiebushi(荻江節^?). Ogiebushi is not jōruri. Ogiebushi is like Nagauta.

Katōbushi (河東節^?) - During the Edo period, Masumi Katō (十寸見河東^?) (1684–1725) began to play in an original style in 1717. It is heavy.

Icchuubushi or Itchubushi (一中節^?) - During the Edo period, Miyako Icchuu (都一中^?) or Miyakodayuu Icchuu (都太夫一中^?)(1650–1724) began to play this style.

Miyazonobushi (宮薗節^?) or Sonohachibushi (薗八節^?) - During the Edo period, Miyakoji Sonohachi (宮古路薗八^?) began to play this style in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

. Miyazonobushi is modest style.

Tomimotobushi (富本節^?) - During the Edo period, Tomimoto Buzennojō (富本豊前掾^?) (1716–1764) began to play this style. Tomimoto Buzennojō played Tokiwazubushi style at first. He spun off from Tokiwazubushi style. He started Tomimotobushi style.

Nagauta

, literally "long song", is a kind of traditional Japanese music which accompanies the kabuki theater. They were developed around 1740. Influences included the vocal yōkyoku style used in noh theater, and instruments including the shamisen and various kinds of drums.The shamisen, a plucked lute...

(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.

Ogiebushi (荻江節^?) is similar to nagauta. Ogie Royuu I(荻江露友^?) (?-1787) began to play this style, having played nagauta style at first. He spun off from Nagauta style. He started Ogiebushi style. Original was a sect of Nagauta. Ogie Royuu I(?-1787) became famous in about 1767. His rival was Fujita Kichiji(富士田吉治^?)(Fujita Kichiji was Nagauta singer in Edo). Ogie Royuu I(?-1787) had beautiful voice , but the volume of his voice was small. In theater voice of big volume was important. The voice of small volume does not carry voice to audience in theater. So , Ogie Royuu I(?-1787) stopped to sing in theater. Another theory says that Ogie Royuu I(?-1787) lost. Fujita Kichiji won. So , Ogie Royuu I(?-1787) stopped to sing in theater. Ogie Royuu I(?-1787) began to play in Yoshiwara. This style of music was mainly sung at Yoshiwara

Yoshiwara

Yoshiwara was a famous Akasen district in Edo, present-day Tōkyō, Japan.In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka. To counter this, an order of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate restricted prostitution to...

. Ogie Royuu II and Ogie Royuu III is unknown. Ogiebushi declined after 1818. Tamaya Yamazaburou(玉屋山三郎^?) composed new Ogiebushi pieces in end of Edo Period. Tamaya Yamazaburou was a owner of parlor house in Yoshiwara. Tamaya Yamazaburou knew music very well. Tamaya Yamazaburou's pieces are affected by Jiuta(地歌^?) music. Iijima Kizaemon(飯島喜左衛門^?) re-established Ogiebushi. Iijima Kizaemon renamed his name. He is Ogie Royuu IV. He became Ogie Royuu IV in 1876. Another theory says that He became Ogie Royuu IV in 1879. Ogiebushi is classified as Kokyoku (古曲^? , old music). (Kyoku usually means music piece or music number in modern Japanese. "music" is old sense.) Now Kokyoku is Katohbushi(河東節^?), Icchuubushi(一中節^?), Miyazonobushi(宮薗節^?) and Ogiebushi(荻江節^?).
Kokyoku is old music. In addition , Few play Kokyoku. Limited players perform Kokyoku. Kokyoku players are old. Young players are few. The knower and the persons who perform Kokyoku are little. Kokyoku is comparatively old music in Edo Period(New music is Nagauta , Gidayuubushi , Tokiwazubushi , Kiyomotobushi , Shinnaibushi etc... in Edo Period). Kokyoku is an expedient name. Kokyoku was named by Machida Kashou(町田佳聲^?) in 1919. Machida Kashou(1888–1981) was Japanese music researcher and composer. Exactly , Ogiebushi is newer than Nagauta. But Ogiebushi is classified as Kokyoku. Kokyoku is an expedient name. After 1919 the word Kokyoku has used in Japan. The word Kokyoku had popular usage
in Taisho Period. In 1962 Kokyokukai(古曲会^? , Old music group) was established.
Kokyokukai has trained the successor. Kokyokukai has held the concert. In modern Japanese , "hurui ongaku" refers to old music. Kokyoku is idiom.

Shakuhachi music

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...

(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

Guzheng

The guzheng or "gu zheng", also called zheng is a Chinese plucked zither. It has 18-23 or more strings and movable bridges....

), which differs from the Japanese 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...

(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 musicians sometimes 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
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....
琴 Koto (musical instrument)
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...
一絃琴 Ichigenkin
Ichigenkin
An is a Japanese single-stringed zither. Its slender, flat body is carved from kiri wood. Its silk string is plucked with a pointed tubular plectrum placed on the index finger of the right hand while the rokan slightly depresses the string—though not so hard that...
三線 Sanshin
Sanshin
The sanshin is an Okinawan musical instrument and precursor of the Japanese shamisen. Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings....
大和琴 Yamatogoto
Yamatogoto
The ', also called ', is a six- or seven-stringed zither which, unlike the koto and other stringed instruments, is believed to be truly native to Japan, and not imported from mainland Asia...
胡弓 Kokyu
Kokyu
The is a traditional Japanese string instrument, the only one played with a bow. Although it was introduced to Japan from China along with the shamisen, its material, shape, and sound are unique to Japan...
法竹 Hocchiku
Hocchiku
, sometimes romanized as hocchiku or hochiku, is a Japanese end-blown flute , crafted from root sections of bamboo. After cleaning and sanding, the heavy root end of the bamboo stalk reveals many small circular knots where the roots formerly joined the stalk...
能管 Nohkan
Nohkan
The is a high pitched, Japanese bamboo transverse flute or . It is commonly used in traditional Imperial Noh and Kabuki theatre. The nohkan flute was created by Kan'ami and his son Zeami in the 15th century, during the time when the two were transforming the Noh theatre forms Dengaku and...
龍笛 Ryuteki
Ryuteki
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...
尺八 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...
篠笛 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...
篳篥 Hichiriki
Hichiriki
The is a double reed Japanese fue used as one of two main melodic instruments in Japanese gagaku music, the other being the ryūteki. The hichiriki is difficult to play, due in part to its double reed configuration. Although a double reed instrument like the oboe, the hichiriki has a cylindrical...
笙 Shō
竽 Yu (wind instrument)
Yu (wind instrument)
The yu was a free reed wind instrument used in ancient China. It was similar to the sheng, with multiple bamboo pipes fixed in a wind chest which may have been made of bamboo, wood, or gourd. Each pipe contained a free reed, which was also made of bamboo. Whereas the sheng was used to provide...
法螺貝 Horagai
Horagai
' are large conch shells that have been used as a trumpets in Japan for many centuries. The instrument, which has served a number of purposes throughout Japanese history, has been given a number of Japanese names depending on its function...
鞨鼓 Kakko
Kakko
The is a Japanese double-headed drum. One way in which the kakko differs from the regular taiko drum is in the way in which it is made taut. Like the Shime-Daiko and tsuzumi, the skin of the heads are first stretched over metal hoops before they are placed on the body, tying them to each other and...
太鼓 Taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
大鼓 Otsuzumi
Otsuzumi
The , also known as the ōkawa, is an hourglass-shaped Japanese drum. It is a larger version of the tsuzumi, or kotsuzumi and is used in traditional Japanese theater and folk music. Its appearance and the sound it produces are slightly different than that of the tsuzumi...
小鼓 Kotsuzumi
鼓 Tsuzumi
Tsuzumi
The is a Japanese drum of Chinese/Indian origin. It consists of a wooden body shaped like an hourglass, and it is taut, with two drum heads with cords that can be squeezed or released to increase or decrease the tension of the heads respectively...
締太鼓 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...
拍子木 Hyoshigi
Hyoshigi
The is a simple Japanese musical instrument, consisting of two pieces of hardwood or bamboo that are connected by a thin ornamental rope. Hyoshigi are used in traditional theaters in Japan to announce the beginning of a performance. The clappers are played together or on the floor to create a...
木魚 Mokugyo
Mokugyo
A wooden fish , , , , sometimes known as a Chinese block, is a wooden percussion instrument similar to the Western wood block . The wooden fish is used by monks and laity in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition...
鉦鼓 Shoko
Shoko
Shoko can refer to:*Shoko , disciple of Hōnen and second patriarch of Jōdo-shū*Emperor Shōkō , the 101st Emperor of Japan*Shoko Nakagawa , Japanese idol*Shoko Sawada , Japanese singer-songwriter...

Traditional cultural events

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...
Nō
NO
NO, N.O., No, or No. may refer to:* One of a pair of English words, yes and no, which signal confirmation or a negative response respectively.- Geographical locations :* Norway, ISO 3166-1 country code* Lake No, Sudan...
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...
Japanese festivals
Japanese festivals
Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions. Some festivals have their roots in Chinese festivals but have undergone dramatic changes as they mixed with local customs....

(祭^?, matsuri)
- Jidai Matsuri
  Jidai Matsuri
  The is a traditional Japanese festival held on October 22 annually in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of Kyoto's renowned three great festivals, with the other two being the Aoi Matsuri, held annually on May 15, and the Gion Matsuri, which is held annually from 17 to July 24...
- Aoi Matsuri
  Aoi Matsuri
  The , or "Hollyhock Festival," is one of the three main annual festivals held in Kyoto, Japan, the other two being the Festival of the Ages and the Gion Festival. It is a festival of the two Kamo shrines in the north of the city, Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine...
- Gion Matsuri
  Gion Matsuri
  The takes place annually in Kyoto and is one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It spans the entire month of July and is crowned by a parade, the on July 17. It takes its name from Kyoto's Gion district....
- Hōnen Matsuri
  Honen Matsuri
  is a fertility festival celebrated every year on March 15 in Japan. Hōnen means prosperous year in Japanese, implying a rich harvest, while a matsuri is a festival...
- Danjiri Matsuri
  Danjiri Matsuri
  Danjiri Matsuri are cart-pulling festivals held in Japan. The Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is probably the most famous.-The danjiri cart:Danjiri are large wooden carts in the shape of a shrine or temple. The carts, often being crafted out of wood, are very ornate, with elaborate carvings...
- Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri
  Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri
  The , held in Kishiwada, Osaka, is one of the most famous Danjiri Matsuri in Japan.-History:The festival began in 1703 when the Daimyo of Kishiwada, Okabe Nagayasu , prayed to Shinto gods for an abundant harvest at Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto.-Summary:...
Geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
Maiko
Maiko
is a Japanese word for dancing girl and is an apprentice geisha. Maiko is also a feminine Japanese given name.-Possible writings:Maiko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:*舞子 or 舞妓, apprentice geishaas a given name...

External links

Japan Guide http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2113.html
Nipponia http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia22/en/index.html
Shamisen with DJ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGrezj_slXo
Yoshida Brothers "Kodo" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ron17xFNBf0&mode=related&search=
Yoshida Brothers: Official web site (English)
Yoshida Kyōdai: Official web site (Japanese)
"Venerated Patterns of China and Japan" (cd)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Rhythm

Types of traditional Japanese music

Kabuki

Noh

Gagaku

Shōmyō

Jōruri

Nagauta

Shakuhachi music

Sōkyoku

Traditional music in modern culture

Traditional musical instruments

Traditional cultural events

See also

External links