Japanese music genre
Traditional Japanese music
is the
folk
or
traditional
music of
Japan
.
Japan's Ministry of Education
classifies
h?gaku
(
邦?
,
lit.
'
Japanese music
'
)
as a category separate from other traditional forms of music, such as
gagaku
(court music) or
sh?my?
(Buddhist chanting), but most
ethnomusicologists
view
h?gaku
, in a broad sense, as the form from which the others were derived.
[1]
[
failed verification
]
Outside of
ethnomusicology
, however,
h?gaku
usually refers to Japanese music from around the 17th to the mid-19th century.
[2]
Within this framework, there are three types of traditional music in Japan: theatrical, court music, and instrumental.
Theatrical
[
edit
]
Japan has several theatrical forms of drama in which music plays a significant role. The main forms are
kabuki
and
Noh
.
Noh
(
能
)
or
n?gaku
(
能?
)
music is a type of theatrical music used in Noh theatre. Noh music is played by an instrumental ensemble called
hayashi-kata
(
?子方
)
. The instruments used are the
taiko
(
太鼓
)
stick drum, a large hourglass-shaped drum called the
?tsuzumi
(
大鼓
)
, a smaller hourglass-shaped drum called the
kotsuzumi
(
小鼓
)
, and a bamboo flute called the
nohkan
(
能管
)
. The
hayashi
ensemble is performed along with
y?kyoku
, vocal music, in Noh theater.
Kabuki
[
edit
]
Kabuki
(
歌舞伎
)
is a type of Japanese
theatre
known for its highly stylized dancing and singing as well as the elaborate make-up worn by the predominately all-male cast. The first instances of kabuki used the
hayashi
from Noh performances. Later, kabuki began incorporating other instruments like the
shamisen
. Kabuki music can be divided into three categories:
geza
,
shosa-ongaku
, and
ki
and
tsuke
.
[3]
Geza
[
edit
]
Geza
includes music and sound effects played on stage, behind a black bamboo curtain called a
kuromisu
.
Geza
music can be further subdivided into three types. The first type is
uta
or song.
Uta
is sung accompanied by a
shamisen
. Typically there are multiple
uta
singers singing together. The second type is called
aikata
. It involves
shamisen
music without any singing. The third type is
narimono
.
Narimono
is played by small percussion instruments
[4]
besides the
shamisen
.
Shosa-ongaku
[
edit
]
Shosa-ongaku
encompasses music that is played on the stage and accompanies acting and dancing.
Shosa-ongaku
includes the
takemoto
,
nagauta
,
tokiwazu
and
kiyomoto
music styles.
takemoto
accompanies acting.
Nagauta
,
taena mo
and
kiyomoto
accompany dancing in
kabuki
.
Takemoto
basically recites the parts of the play concerning scenery. The actors attempt to synchronize their lines with the rhythm of
takemoto
?an effect known as
ito ni noru
('get onto strings').
Nagauta
is one of the most commonly seen forms of
geza
. It involves singers, called
utakata
, and
shamisen
players, called
shamisenkata
. The
utakata
are seated to the right of the stage dancers, and the
shamisenkata
are seated on the left of the stage. The
shamisenkata
use
hosozao
(thin neck)
shamisen
which produce high pitched tones and are capable of producing delicate melodies.
Tokiwazu
consists of reciters called
tay?
and
shamisenkata
that use
chuzao
(medium-neck)
shamisen
.
Tokiwazu
is similar to
kiyomoto
music but is slower-paced and more solemn.
Tokiwazu
is also performed onstage.
Kiyomoto
also consists of
tay?
and
shamisenkata
using
chuzao
. However, in
kiyomoto
words and sentences full of emotion are recited in very high-pitched tones.
Ki
and
tsuke
[
edit
]
Ki
and
tsuke
describe the distinctive sounds made by striking two square oak boards. When the two boards are struck together, they produce the
ki
sound. When they are struck against a hardwood board, they produce the
tsuke
sound.
Court music (
gagaku
)
[
edit
]
Gagaku
(
雅?
)
is court music, and is the oldest traditional music in
Japan
. It was usually patronized by the
Imperial Court
or the shrines and temples.
Gagaku
music includes songs, dances, and a mixture of other
Asian music
.
Gagaku
has two styles; these are instrumental music
kigaku
(
器?
)
and vocal music
seigaku
(
??
)
.
Since
雅
means "elegance",
gagaku
literally means elegant music and generally refers to musical instruments and music theory imported into Japan from
China
and
Korea
from 500 to 600 CE.
Gagaku
is divided into two main categories: Old Music and New Music. Old Music refers to music and musical compositions from before the Chinese
Tang dynasty
(618?906). New Music refers to music and compositions produced during or after Tang, including music brought from various regions of China and Korea.
[5]
[6]
Old and New Music are further divided into the categories
左?
("Music of the Left") and
右?
("Music of the Right"). Music of the left
左?
is composed of
唐?
(music from Tang) and
林邑?
(music from
Indo-China
). Music of the right
右?
is composed of
高麗?
(music from Korea).
- Instrumental Music
- Kangen
(
管弦
)
?a Chinese form of music
- Bugaku
(
舞?
)
?influenced by Tang dynasty China and Balhae
[7]
- Vocal Music
- Kumeuta
(
久米歌
)
?
Kume
song
- Kagurauta
(
神?歌
)
?
Kagura
song
- Azumaasobi
(
東遊び
)
?entertainment of Eastern Japan
[8]
- Saibara
(
催馬?
)
?vocal Japanese court music
- R?ei
(
朗詠
)
?songs based on Chinese poems
[9]
Sh?my?
[
edit
]
Sh?my?
(
?明
)
is a kind of
Buddhist
chanting of
sutra
syllabically
or
melismatically
set to
melodic
phrasing, usually performed by a male chorus.
Sh?my?
came from
India
, and it began in Japan in the
Nara period
.
Sh?my?
is sung
a capella
by one or more Buddhist
monks
.
The two characters (
?
and
明
) translate literally as "voice" and "clear" respectively.
Sh?my?
is a translation of the
Sanskrit
word
sabda-vidya
, which means "the (linguistic) study of language".
[10]
J?ruri
[
edit
]
J?ruri
(
?瑠璃
)
is narrative music using the
shamisen
(
三味線
)
. There are four main
j?ruri
styles. These are centuries-old traditions which continue today:
- Gidayubushi
(
義太夫節
)
?during the
Edo period
,
Takemoto Gidayu
(
竹本義太夫
)
began to play
j?ruri
in
Osaka
. This type of
j?ruri
is for
bunraku
(
puppet
theater).
- Tokiwazubushi
(
常磐津節
)
?during the Edo period, Tokiwazu Mojidayu (
常磐津文字太夫
) began to play this style of
j?ruri
in
Edo
. This type of
j?ruri
is for kabuki
dances
called
Shosagoto
.
- Kiyomotobushi
(
?元節
)
?Kiyomoto Enjyudayu
(
?元延?太夫
)
began to play this for kabuki dances in Edo (Toko) in 1814 during the late
Edo period
. He played
tomimoto-bushi
style at first, before moving from playing this style to the
kiyomotobushi
style. This style is light, refreshingly unrestrained, and chic.
- Shinnaibushi
(
新?節
)
?in the middle of the Edo period, Tsuruga Shinnai
(
鶴賀新?
)
began to play this for kabuki. This style of
j?ruri
is typically lively and upbeat.
There are other four
j?ruri
styles which have largely died out.
Kat?bushi
,
icchuubushi
and
miyazonobushi
are old style. These styles are referred to as
Kokyoku
(
古曲
)
or "old music".
Kokyoku
also included
ogiebushi
(
荻江節
)
. It is not
j?ruri
but is like
nagauta
.
- Kat?bushi
(
河東節
)
?during the Edo period, Masumi Kat?
(
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?節
)
or
Sonohachibushi
(
?八節
)
?during the Edo period, Miyakoji Sonohachi
(
宮古路?八
)
began to play this style in
Kyoto
.
Miyazonobushi
is a modest style.
- Tomimotobushi
(
富本節
)
?During the Edo period, Tomimoto Buzennoj?
(
富本豊前?
)
(1716?1764) began to play this style. He played the
tokiwazubushi
style at first and then changed to play in the
tomimotobushi
style.
Nagauta
[
edit
]
Nagauta
(
長唄
)
is a style of music played using the
shamisen
. There are three styles of
nagauta
: one for kabuki dance, one for kabuki plays (dialogue), and one for music unconnected with kabuki.
Ogiebushi
(
荻江節
)
is similar to
nagauta
. Ogie Royuu I
(
荻江露友
)
(died 1787) began to play this style, having first played in the
nagauta
style. He moved from playing this style to play in the
ogiebushi
style. His rival was Fujita Kichiji
(
富士田吉治
)
, a
nagauta
singer in Edo. Ogie Royuu I had a beautiful but small voice. In a theater a voice with volume was important, so Ogie Royuu I stopped singing in the theater. Ogie Royuu I began to play in the
Yoshiwara
(red-light district).
Ogiebushi
declined after 1818. Tamaya Yamazaburou
(
玉屋山三?
)
composed new
ogiebushi
pieces at the end of the Edo period. Yamazaburou was an owner of a parlor house in the red-light district of Yoshiwara. Yamazaburou knew music very well. Tamaya Yamazaburou's pieces are influenced by
jiuta
(
地歌
)
music. Iijima Kizaemon
(
飯島喜左衛門
)
re-established
ogiebushi
. Kizaemon changed his name to Ogie Royuu IV in 1876 or 1879. (It is not known if there was an Ogie Royuu II or Ogie Royuu III.)
Ogiebushi
is classified as a style of "old music"
(
古曲
,
Kokyoku
)
. (
Kyoku
usually means a musical piece or musical number in modern Japanese.) Now
kokyoku
is
Katohbushi
(
河東節
)
,
Icchuubushi
(
一中節
)
,
Miyazonobushi
(
宮?節
)
and
Ogiebushi
(
荻江節
)
.
Kokyoku
is old music from the Edo period. Not many players perform
kokyoku
and those who do are elderly; there are few young musicians playing this music.
Shakuhachi
music
[
edit
]
Shakuhachi
(
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.
S?kyoku
[
edit
]
S?kyoku
(
?曲
)
uses the Japanese
koto
(
琴
)
, which differs from the Chinese
guzheng
.
[11]
There are two well known
families
of
s?kyoku
, which can be distinguished by the shape of the
plectra
used in playing.
- Yamata ryu
?originating in Western Japan, the
Yamata ryu
style uses pointed oval-shaped plectra. The repertoire consists of classical pieces composed during the
Edo period
. This style contains more pieces that accompany singing.
- Ikuta ryu
?originating in Eastern Japan, the
ikuta ryu
style uses a square-shaped plectra. In addition to classical pieces,
ikuta ryu
also encompasses more recently composed music such as
shinnihonongaku
(
新日本音?
)
, thus the majority of modern koto performers belong to this style of
s?kyoku
.
Traditional music in modern culture
[
edit
]
Traditional Japanese musicians sometimes collaborate with modern Western musicians. Also, musicians create new styles of Japanese music influenced by the West but still use traditional musical instruments.
Traditional musical instruments
[
edit
]
Chordophones
[
edit
]
Aerophones
[
edit
]
Membranophones
[
edit
]
Idiophones
[
edit
]
Traditional cultural events
[
edit
]
Artists
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Sosnoski, Daniel (2013-05-21).
Introduction to Japanese Culture
. Tuttle Publishing. p. 34.
ISBN
9781462911530
.
- ^
"Performing Arts Network Japan"
.
performingarts.jp
. Retrieved
2019-06-22
.
- ^
"Invitation to Kabuki | Expression by sounds"
.
www2.ntj.jac.go.jp
. Retrieved
2016-04-08
.
- ^
"Narimono"
.
kusanokokichi.com
. Retrieved
2019-06-22
.
- ^
Randel, Don Michael,
The Harvard Dictionary of Music
(2003),
Belknap Press
.
ISBN
0-674-01163-5
, page 339
- ^
The International Shakuhachi Society
- ^
舞?
(in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company
. Retrieved
2012-02-18
.
- ^
"Azuma asobi Japanese dance suite"
.
britannica.com
. Retrieved
June 23,
2019
.
- ^
"R?ei music"
.
britannica.com
. Retrieved
June 23,
2019
.
- ^
Randel, Don Michael,
The Harvard Dictionary of Music
(2003), Belknap Press.
ISBN
0-674-01163-5
, page 270
- ^
"Soukyoku"
.
rateyourmusic.com
. Retrieved
June 23,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]