JAPANESE MUSIC

• Japanese music was influenced by the court

music in China. Other countries like India and
Indonesia contributed to the development of the
Japanese musical styles. Before the historical
period, the Japanese traditional music
(Hogaku) developed an accompaniment of
ritual dances called Kagura.
The introduction of Buddhism inspired
the Japanese to write notes, to develop
musical compositions
and to give birth to the court music
named Gagaku.
The development of Japanese music
was a product of both historical
circumstances and geographical
location.
 Japanese has two basic types of
scales:
• Yo-sen (male scale)
• In-sen (female scale)
• The most important note in the pentatonic scale is the
“cornerstone” or the third note.
- If the relationship of the first note and the cornerstone
form a perfect third or the sound of the interval of
middle C to E in the Western notation, the scale is
male.
But if the interval of the first note
and the third note is a perfect fourth
as the sound of the middle C to F
on the western scale, it is female.
Most of Japan’s folk music disappeared as
different provinces in Japan were
modernized. Folk songs are more popular
only to the older generations. Some modern
composers kept the tradition of writing songs
using the Japanese scales, foreign musical
elements and familiar musical themes.
 JAPANESE MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS:
• Aerophones or Wind
Sho – a mouth organ that is made from bamboo or
wood
Shakuhachi – a bamboo flute with four holes
Fu’ye – a sophisticated side-blown flute with seven
finger holes
Hichiriki – an instrument similar to an oboe
 Chordophones or string
• Koto – a famous Japanese zither, with 13 silk strings, that is
laid horizontally on the floor
• Shamisen – a flat-backed lute that has skin-covered bellies
and three string
• Gekkin – a flat-backed lute that has a very shallow body, wood
belly, frets and silk strings attached to elegant pegs
• Biwa – a Japanese version of the p’ipa that has four strings
with frets on the belly and slim lateral tuning pegs
 Membranophones or percussion
(tapping)
• Kakko – a gagaku instrument that is made up of
deer skin
• Tsuri daiko – a suspended drum used in the
gagaku ensemble that has a lacquered body and
tacked head
• Da-daiko – a huge gagaku drum suspended on an
artistic frame and is struck with heavy lacquered
beaters
 Idiophone or percussion (Striking)

• Shoko – hanging gong

• Musical instruments play an important role

in Japanese music especially in Japanese
theatrical performance.
Gagaku is a type of music performed at the
Japanese Imperial courts for more than a
millenium. Gagaku means “refined” (ga) “music”
(gaku). Gagaku is not “music alone”, but rather
music and pantomime.
During the Heian Period, music was largely
describes as an elite, mysterious and highly
cultured like any other Japanese musical
traditions.
The musical styles were divided into two
genres, togaku and komagaku which were
performed at the court by nobles and
professional musicians.

During the Nara Period, the Japanese

began collecting musical styles from
countries in the Asian continent.
Gagaku ensemble is grouped into four
clusters of musicians that perform
according to function and use.

●Kangen: an instrumental music

consisting of an ensemble including
the hichiriki (double reed vertical
flute), ryuteki (transverse flute, sho
(bamboo mouth organ), gakusou (koto
zither), gaku biwa (biwa lute) and
various percussion instruments
(kakko, shoko, taiko).
●Bugaku: a dance accompanied bay
a part or the entire gagaku ensemble.
The dances can be in solo, duet, or
quartet with very colorful and
expensive costumes and props.
●Songs: the songs of gagaku, rouei
and saibara, have simple melodies
that are mostly derived from ancient
folk songs and accompanied by a
scaled-down version of the kangen
ensemble.
●Ritual music for Shinto
ceremonies: the style of playing
feels so depressing utilizing only a
simple flute, zither, hichiriki and
wooden clappers.
 JAPANESE THEATRICAL
FORMS:
• NOH – a classical theatrical form
• KABUKI – a theater for the common
people
• BUNRAKU – a Japanese form of puppet
theater