Saturday, May 30, 2009
Yamatogoto
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
