Musical instrument
In traditional Japanese music, there are three general types of instruments – percussion instruments, stringed instruments and wind instruments, mostly flutes. There is a huge range of instruments beyond the scope of this page, ranging from bells used in Buddhist ceremonies to various kinds of drums used in gagaku (Imperial court music).
A thirteen-string harp (Koto)
The koto is a long, hollow instrument, The length of koto is about six feet (180cm) and 14 inches (25 cm) wide. it is made from Paulownia wood(kiri). The Paulownia Crest is the Imperial Crest of Japan, and the instrument is the official national instrument. The shape of the koto is said to resemble that of the dragon (ryu), and the names of various parts of the koto correspond to various parts of the dragon. Underneath the body are two sound holes, one at each end.
The 13 strings stretched lengthwise over bridges and tied at each end of the body. The strings are the same size and same tension. The strings are very tight. They were once made from silk, but nowadays most players use a synthetic material that sounds almost exactly like silk and is much cheaper and more durable. Each string has a white bridge placed under it. The bridges are called “ji”. The position of each bridge along the string determines the pitch. During performance the bridges can also be moved for different tunings. If the ji is placed far away from the player, the string will have a low sound. If it is placed hear the player, it will have a high sound.
One of the challenging yet appealing aspects of the koto is the flexibility this type of tuning allows. The wide variety of tunings that can be created, from traditional Japanese pentatonic scales, to European classical scales and improvised jazz tunings. This is one aspect that has helped to keep the instrument alive and well; the ability to adjust to various musical and cultural settings across time and place.
Tags: harp, japanese masical instrument, Japanese music, koto, Stringed Instruments, thairteen string
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