gagaku instruments

8/6/2019 Gagaku Instruments

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GAGAKU

INSTRUMENTS



HICHIRIKI

The hichiriki (?) is a double reed Japanese fue (flute) used as one of two main melodic

instruments in Japanese gagaku music, the other being the ryteki. The hichiriki is difficult to

play, due in part to its double reed configuration. Although a double reed instrument likethe oboe, the hichiriki has a cylindrical bore and thus its sound is similar to that of a clarinet.

Pitch and ornamentation (most notably bending tones) are controlled largely with

the embouchure. The hichiriki is one of the "sacred" instruments and is often heard being playedat Shinto weddings in Japan. Its sound is often described as haunting.The hichiriki is the most widely used of all instruments in gagaku and it is used in all forms of

music aside from poetry recitation.The hichiriki is derived from the Chinese guan or bili, and is also related to the Korean piri.

Notable non-Japanese musicians who have learned to play thehichiriki include AlanHovhaness, Richard Teitelbaum, and Joseph Celli.



RYTEKI

The ryteki (?, literally "dragon flute") 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 ryteki is said to represent the dragons which ascend the skies between the heavenly lights(represented by the sh) and the people of the earth (represented by the hichiriki). The ryteki is

one of the three flutes used in gagaku, in particular to play songs of Chinese style. The pitch islower than that of the komabue and higher than that of the kagurabue.

The ryteki is held horizontally, has seven holes, and has a length of 40 centimeters and an inner diameter of 1.3 centimeters. Unlike the western flute, the holes are not covered by the fingertips,

rather, the fleshy part of the finger is used. This allows for better control of "half-holing"techniques and chromatic notes, by simply raising the finger slightly above the holes.

Since the late 20th century, a few ryteki players have begun to specialize in the performance of new music. One such performer is Takeshi Sasamoto.Lois V Vierk is among the few non-Japanese musicians who have studied the instrument.

Ron Korb (zh: , pingyin: Longdi) is a Canadian musician who has studied Ryuteki and

incorporated it into his compositions.Hans Werner Henze calls for this instrument for his E l Cimarrón.



SH (INSTRUMENT)

The sh (?) is a Japanese free reed musical instrument that was introduced from China during

the Nara period (AD 710 to 794). It is modeled on the Chinese sheng , although the sh tends to be smaller in size. It consists of 17 slenderbamboo pipes, each of which is fitted in its base with a

metal free reed. Two of the pipes are silent, although research suggests that they were used insome music during the Heian period.

The instrument's sound is said to imitate the call of a phoenix, and it is for this reason that thetwo silent pipes of the sh are kept - as an aesthetic element, making two symmetrical "wings."

Like the Chinese sheng, the pipes are tuned carefully with a drop of wax. As moisture collectedin the sh' s pipes prevents it from sounding, performers can be seen warming the instrument over

a small charcoal brazier when they are not playing. The instrument produces sound when the player's breath is inhaled or exhaled, allowing long periods of uninterrupted play. The sh is one

of the three primarywoodwind instruments used in gagaku, Japan's imperial court music. Its

traditional playing technique in gagaku involves the use of tone clusters called aitake (),

which move gradually from one to the other, providing accompaniment to the melody.A larger size of sh, called u (derived from the Chinese yu), is little used although some

performers, such as Hiromi Yoshida, began to revive it in the late 20th century.



KOMABUE

The komabue (?) is a transverse fue that is used in traditional Japanese court music.

ConstructionThe komabue is typically constructed from bamboo. It is a transverse flute with six finger-holes.

It is 36 cm shorter than theryuteki flute.UseThe koabue is used in both Gagaku and Komagaku. Historically the Oga family of musicians in

Japan specialized in the komabue.



SHAKUHACHI

The shakuhachi (?, pronounced [ak hati]) 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 suizen (?, blowing

meditation). Its soulful sound made it popular in 1980s pop music in the English-speaking world.

They are often made in the minor pentatonic scale.



BIWA

The biwa (?) 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 educationin Japanese Shinto.



KOTO (MUSICAL INSTRUMENT)

The koto () is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the

Chinese guzheng . The koto is the national instrument of Japan.[1]

Koto are about 180 centimetres

(71 in) width, and made from kiri wood ( Paulownia tomentosa). They have 13 strings that arestrung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the string

pitches by moving these bridges before playing, and use three finger picks (on thumb, indexfinger, and middle finger ) to pluck the strings.

The character is often used for koto, but usually, have no bridges. One of the characters for koto,, is also read as s in certain contexts. Though often called by a number

of other names, these terms almost always refer to similar, but different instruments, such as the

Chinese guzheng () or guqin (, called kin in Japanese).



RUAN XIAN

Ruan Xian (Chinese:; pinyin: Run Xián; fl. 3rd century), a Chinese scholar who lived

during the Six Dynasties period, is one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. He was a

skilled player of the Chinese lute, an old version of pipa which has been called ruan after hisname since the Tang Dynasty. His achievement in music reached such high as to be described as

"divine understanding" in the Book of Jin.



YAMATOGOTO

The yamatogoto (?), also called wagon (?

), is a six- or seven-stringed zither which,

unlike the koto and other stringed instruments, is believed to be truly native to Japan, and notimported from mainland Asia. Both names translate literally to "Japanese stringed instrument."

According to Shint myth as written in the Kojiki, the yamatogoto played an important role inthe origins of Japan itself. In the myth, Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, is insulted by her

brother Susano-o no Mikoto and hides in a cave, refusing to emerge. The world is therefore plunged into darkness. Amaterasu is eventually coaxed out of her cave by the goddess Ame no

Uzume, who performs a dance outside the cave, to music provided by the twanging of sixhunting bows. Amused by the music, and by the entertained sounds of the other gods, Amaterasu

leaves the cave and returns to the firmament. The six bows are lashed together to form aninstrument, and the first wagon or yamatogoto is born.

The instrument's form has changed very little since the eighth century. Similar in shape to the

more commonly known koto, the yamatogoto is narrower, as it has fewer strings. Bridges aremade from the natural forks of tree branches, particularly maple trees, according to tradition.Unlike many instruments, the yamatogoto'sstrings are not arranged in a scale, from low to high

pitch, but in a preset melodic sequence which is played in rhythmic patterns. Another common playing technique involves a quick glissando across all the strings, with all but the last string

played immediately muted with the hand, thus allowing only the last string to resonate.Today, the instrument is used only in the Shint ceremonial/court music called gagaku, and even

then it is not common. Nevertheless, its central role in Japanese mythology allows it to retainsome reverence.



KAKKO

The kakko (é or ?) 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 beforethey are placed on the body, tying them to each other and tightening them making themtaut. Kakko drums are usually laid on their sides on stands so that it can be played with sticks

called bachi on both heads. Kakko drums have been used in taiko ensembles, but they are alsoused in older Japanese court music called gagaku.

The kakko is derived from the Chinese jiegu, a drum popular in China during the Tang Dynasty,

as is the Korean galgo.



FANGXIANG

The f angxiang (also f ang xiang , f ang hsiang ; or in Chinese, pinyin: fngxing) is an

ancient Chinese metallophone. The instrument consists of 16 tuned rectangular iron slabs laid ina frame in two rows. The slabs are struck with a hammer and played melodically. Each of theslabs is of the same length and width but they are of graduated thickness, with the thinner slabs

producing lower tones and the thicker slabs producing higher tones.In ancient times, the fangxiang was a popular instrument in Chinese court music. It was

introduced to Korea, where it is called banghyang (hangul:; hanja:) and is still used in

the court music of Korea. A similar instrument used in Japan is called the hky (kanji:).

The fangxiang was used by the American composer Lou Harrison in his Music for Violin with

Various Instruments: E uropean, Asian and African (1967, revised 1969). Harrison had takenresearch trips to Japan and South Korea (1961) and Taiwan (1962).

gagaku instruments

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