Sunday, May 31, 2009
The wooden fish
A wooden fish, also known as a Chinese block, is a wooden percussion instrument. It is usually used by monks in rituals. It can not only be found in Japan, but also in other East Asian countries like China and Korea. In Buddhist traditions, the wooden fish is used for the rhythm during the sutra chanting or chanting the name of Amitabha.
There are two types of wooden fish. The traditional one is round and made of wood. The fish is hollow with an edge on the exterior of the fish to help to produce the hollow sound when striking the fish. Its shape is kind of like a jingle bell. The other type of wooden fish is shaped as a fish.
The sound produced varies, depending on its size, the type of wood used and how hollow the wooden fish is. The wooden fish has fish scales carvings on top, and two fish heads embracing a pearl on the handle. This represents unity. Buddhists believe that the fish that never sleeps symbolises wakefulness. Thus, using the wooden fish in sutra chanting reminds the monks to concentrate.
The wooden fish can have different sizes and shapes. They are often placed on the left side of the altar, beside a bell bowl in temples. Sometimes, they are placed on a small embroidered cushion to prevent damage to the instrument.
The origin of the wooden fish is actually China, according to a legend. It says that one day, a Chinese Buddhist monk went to India to obtain sutras. However, the way to India was blocked by a wide river. There was no bridge or boat for him to use. At that moment, a big fish appeared and offered to ferry the monk across. The fish said that it wanted to make up for a crime it had committed when it was human. The fish requested the monk to find a method to guide the fish to attain Bodhisattvahood.
The monk agreed. After getting the scriptures he needed, he returned to China, but was stopped by the river again. The fish approached him again, and it asked the monk if he had found the method. The monk realised that he had forgotten. The fish was so angry and washed the monk into the river. Luckily, he was saved by a fisherman, but the scriptures were lost.
This time, it was the monk’s turn to get angry. He made a wooden fish head and beat the fish head with a wooden hammer. To his surprise, each time he beat the fish, the fish would vomit out a character. After a few years, he had the complete scriptures that he had lost in the river.
The Wooden fish is also used in the Chinese Orchestra. It is used to deliver the solemn feel to the music.
Labels: The wooden fish
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12:56 AM
The shemisen resembles a guitar, it has a long thin neck and a small rectangular body covered in skin. Its got 3 strings and the pitch is adjusted using the tuning pegs on the head, just like a guitar. The strings are seldom plucked with fingers, instead a large plectrum is used to strike the strings. the plectrum called a bachi, which was traditionally made with ivory or tortoise shell but which now is usually wooden, is in the shape likened to a ginkgo leaf.the bachi is often used to strike both string and skin, creating a highly percussive sound. This instrument is often used as accompaniment to songs of different types.
Shamisens vary in shape and size, depending on what genre the shamisen is used in.
The plectrums used to play the shamisens also differ in shape. The width of the bridge also varies between genres, and even between schools of playing.
The shamisen derives from the sanshinan which in turn evolved from the Chinese sanxian.
The shamisen can be played solo or with other shamisen, in ensembles with other Japanese instruments, with singing or accompaniment to drama. Both men and women traditionally played the shamisen.
Labels: Shamisen
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12:26 AM
The conch shell is blown like a trumpet. It has a couple of other Japanese names like horagai or jinkai, depending on its function. The conch shell is used by Buddhist monks for religious purposes. It has a history of more than a thousand years and is still used today. Sometimes, it is used for rituals like the omizutori part of Shuni-e rituals.
The conch shell has only one pitch, unlike the Japanese horagai, which can produce 3 to 4 notes. The tone produced becomes deeper and longer as the size of shell increases. For some reason, the process of the making of the conch shell is kept secret. In cold weathers, especially in the mountains of Japan, the conch shell players’ lips may freeze to the metal surface. That is why most of them prefer bamboo mouthpieces.
In times of war, the conch shell, or in this case known as jinkai (‘war-shell’) is used as a signalling trumpet. It wpuld be blown in a different combination of ‘notes’ to signal the army to attack, withdraw or change strategies. The jinkai player is known as the kai yaku.
Labels: The conch shell
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12:21 AM
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Koto
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from the Chinese zither, it is the national instrument of Japan. Kotos are about 180 centimetres long and have 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the length of the instrument. Players can adjust the string pitches by moving these bridges before playing, and use three finger picks (on thumb, forefinger, and middle finger) to pluck the strings. Introduced to Japan in the 7th and 8th century from China, it originated in its earliest form in the 5th century. The first known version had five strings, which eventually progressed to seven strings. It had twelve strings when it was introduced to the China and increased to thirteen strings when it was introduced to Japan in the early Nara Period (710-784).This variety of instrument came in two basic forms, a type that had bridges and those types without bridges. Originally, the word koto was a generic term for any and all Japanese string instruments impoprted to Japan. Over time the definition of koto being all string could not describe the wide variety of these string instruments and the names were changed.
A koto is typically made of Paulownia wood. Kotos may or may not be adorned, some adornments include inlays of ivory and ebony.The bridges used to be made of ivory, but nowadays are typically made of plastic, and occasionally made of wood. For some very low notes, there are small bridges made, as well as specialty bridges with three different heights, depending on the need of the tuning. When a small bridge is unavailable for some very low notes, some players may, as an emergency measure, use a bridge upside down. Bridges have been known to break during playing, and with some older instruments which have the surface where the bridges rest being worn due to much use, the bridges may fall during playing, especially when pressing strings.
The strings are made from a variety of materials like silk strings but they cost more and are not as durable, but claimed to be more musical. The strings are tied with a half hitch to a roll of paper or cardboard, about the size of a cigarette butt, strung through the holes at the head of the koto, threaded through the holes at the back, tightened, and tied with a special knot. Strings can be tightened by a special machine, but often are tightened by hand, and then tied. One can tighten by pulling the string from behind, or sitting at the side of the koto and some instruments may have tuning pins installed, to make tuning easier.Labels: Koto - history and how they are made
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11:50 PM
The yamatogoto is also known as Wagon. The two names mean ‘Japanese stringed instrument’. It is basically a six or seven stringed zither. However, unlike other stringed instruments, it really is from Japan, and was not imported from other countries.
There is a myth in the Kojiki (an ancient book that was written in Chinese, but has Japanese phrases and names in it. It came from Japan) known as Shintō. The myth tells a story about how the goddess of the sun is insulted by here brother and hides in a cave, causing the world to be surrounded in darkness. The goddess Ame no Uzume persuades the sun goddess out by dancing to music by the twanging of six hunting bows. The sun goddess finally relents and comes out of the cave. The six hunting bows are put together to form an instrument, the yamatogoto.
The yamatogoto is often mistaken for the koto, another stringed instrument that has the same shape as the yamatogoto. However, the yamatogoto has fewer strings and is narrower. The bridge of the instrument is made of the forks of tree branches, especially the maple tree. A unique part of the yamatogoto is that its strings are not arranged in order, from low to high pitch, but in a standard melodic pattern. A common playing technique is to play the melodic sequence in rhythmic patterns.
The yamatogoto is only used in ceremonial music called gagaku. However, its important role in the Shintō myth makes it significant to the Japanese culture.
As we were unable to find a picture of the yamatogoto, we found a picture of the k0to, that is somewhat like the yamatogoto, except for the size and no. of strings, as mentioned above. Just imagine it with fewer strings and narrower.
Labels: yamatogoto
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11:45 PM
Intro:
The shakuhachi is a bamboo flute played on one-end, its name means "1.8 feet",referring to its size..There are four holes at the front and one at the back. This 5 holes are enough to produce a complete range of sounds. The small holes give the shakuhachi its poignant (affecting or moving) tone.
Origin and History:
The shakuhachi has been traced back as far as ancient Egypt and is presumed to have migrated through India and China before entering Japan in the Sixth Century. It wasn't very popular and it was only in the Edo Period (1603-1867) when the shakuhachi was favored by swelling numbers of uprooted samurai warriors who joined the ranks of itinerant preachers, Komuso. The komuso wore large baskets over their heads to symbolize their detachment from the world. Legend has it that these komuso, forbidden to carry their revered swords, redesigned the shakuhachi from the root of the bamboo making it longer and stouter for use as a club as well as an instrument for spiritual attainment.
The quality of a shakuhachi is determined by two factors. Aesthetics of the bamboo as distinguished by its size, color, shape, nodal placement and root configuration. Performance of the instrument is reflected in its tonal quality, balance of notes, resonance and responsiveness.
Each piece of bamboo is unique, shakuhachi cannot be mass-produced, and craftsmen must spend much time finding the correct bore shape for each individual flute to result in correct pitch over all notes.
Labels: Shakuhachi - intro/origin
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11:15 PM
Our group will be touching on the instruments of Japan, including the Shakuhachi, the Yamatogoto, the Koto, the Shamisen and the wooden fish. We hope that our blog will be able to provide the relevant information needed and please enjoy! :DLabels: Japanese instruments
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11:11 PM
