QUARTER 2: EAST ASIAN MUSIC
Japanese Music
-Japanese music is basically different from
Western music.
-It is meditative and has traditionally been of a
spiritual in character, similarly to martial arts,
tea ceremony and calligraphy.
-It is usually about religious festivals, work,
dance, love and regional songs.
-Musicians must show this spiritual mastery in
their performance and composure. They work
on an inner strength in mastering his or her
instrument, more than simply perfecting a
technique of some sort and providing
entertainment.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC OF JAPAN
Percussion Instruments (Membranophoe)
1. ODAIKO- (big drum) The physical
energy and sheer excitement of an
Odaiko performance is an integral part
of many matsuri (festivals)
2. TSUZUMI- (hour-glass shape) 2
varieties: smaller kotsuzumi and
larger otsuzumi. Both used in noh and
kabuki performances. Kotsuzumi is
held on the right shoulder and the
players alters the tone by squeezing
the laces. Otsuzumi is placed on the
left thigh.
3. TSURIDAIKO- a large hanging barrel
drum.
4. TAIKO- a Japanese drum that comes
in various sizes and is used to play a
variety of musical genres. It has
become particularly popular in recent
years as the central instrument of
Chinese Music
-Chinese culture was dominated byt the
teachings of the philosopher Confucius. He
conceived music in the highest sense as a
means of calming the passion of dispelling of
unrest and lust, rather than as a form of
amusement.
-Traditionally, the Chinese have believed that
sound influences the harmony of the universe.
Significally, one of the most important duties
of the first emperor of each new dynasty was
search out and establish that dynasty’s
through standard of pitch.
CHINESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
1. YUEQIN- Moon-shapred lute with
shorter neck and four strings, played
with a spectrum, used for
accompanying local operas.
2. PIPA- four-stringed lute with 30 frets
and a pear-shaped body. This
instrument has an extremely wide
dynamic range and remarkable
expressive power.
3. ERHU- two-stringed fiddle and one of
the most popular Chinese instruments.
It is used as a solo instrument as well
as in small ensembles or large
orchestra, and by various ethnic
groups.
4. YUNLUO- literally “cloud gongs” or
“cloud of gongs.” The yunluo is a set
of ten small tuned gongs mounted in a
wooden frame. The yunluo’s gongs
are generally of equal diameter but
Korean Music
-CHONG-AK means literally “right or correct
music”, and its tradition includes both
instrumental and vocal music which were
cultivated by the upper-class literati of the
Joseon society.Ensemble for music for men of
high social status.
-SOG-AK a category of Korean music
traditionally associated with the lower classes
or for the general public and are vibrant and
energetic.
PANSORI- music presented to audiences by
skilled vocal singers and drummers.
String Instruments
1. KAYAGUM- traditional Korean
zither-like string instrument, with 12
strings. It is probably the best-known
traditional Korean musical instrument.
2. GEOMUNGO-Six-stringed plucked
zither. Also known as GOGURYEO
meaning “black crane zither”
3. HAEGUM-two string vertical fiddle,
held vertically on the knee with a bow.
Wind Instruments
1. PIRI-used in both folk and classical
music of Korea. It is made of bamboo,
sound mellower than oboe.
Percussion Instruments
1. CHANGGO- most widely used drum
in traditional Korea. It is consists of an
hour-glass shaped body with two
heads produce sounds of different
pitch and timbre. When played
together, it is believed to represent the
 percussion ensembles .
String Instruments (Chordophone)
1. KOTO- is a 13-string zither, about two
meters long and made of Paulownia
wood. It is plucked using picks on the
thumb and first two fingers of the
right hand.
2. SHAMISEN- a plucked stringed
instruments. Its construction follows a
model similar to that of a banjo,
employing a neck, strings stretched
across a resonating body.
3. BIWA-a Japanese short-necked fretted
lute often used in narrative
storytelling. The biwa is the chosen
instrument of BENTEN, a goddess of
music, eloquence, poetry and
education in Shinto.
Wind Instruments (Aerophone)
1. SHAKUHACHI- the most famous
flute made from bamboo. It has 4 or 5
finger holes on the front face and a
thumbhole on the rear face.
2. NOKAN-a parallel bamboo flute (fue)
is the only melodic instrument used
noh. The melody of the flute has no
specific pitch relationship with the
meody of the chanting.
3. HICHIRIKI- a double reed Japanese
fue (flute) used as one of the two main
melodic instruments in Japanese
gagaku music, the other being ryuteki.
4. SHO- a Japanese free reed musical
instrument that was introduced from
China during the Nara Period.
5. Shinobue- also called takebue a
Japanese flute or fue that has a high-
different thickness. The thicker gongs harmony of man and woman.
produce a higher pitch.
5. SHENG- sheng, or Chinese mouth
organ, looks like a set of pipers. Each
pipe is of different length with a brass
reed at the bottom and a hole that
must be blocked in order for the note
to sound. This makes it possible to
sound several notes simultaneously, so
chords and melody can be performed
at the same time. Sheng is one of the
oldest Chinese musical instruments.
6. DIZI- Dizi is the traditional Chinese
flute. It can have a membrane over an
extra hole to give the characteristic
rattle effect. The player plays the Dizi
by blowing across the mouthpiece and
produces the different notes by
stopping the six holes found in the
rod.
7. ZHENG- An ancient Chinese
instrument that has an arched surface
and an elongated-trapezoid with 13 to
21 strings stretched over individual
bridges. Its playing range spans three
to four octaves
8. PENGLING- These are two small bells
made of high-tin bronze, without
internal clappers and hemispheric or
bottomless gourd-like in shape. The
instrument has a delicate clarion and
melodious tone. It is a coloring
rhythmic instrument either in
ensembles or in theatre music,
bringing an effect of peaceful dreams.
 pitched sound.
Vocal Music of Japan
-Japanese music has two modes: YO-SEN and
IN-SEN. Both consist of five primary tones
based on a scale with seven tones.
-SAKURA- Cherry Blossoms is a traditional
Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season
of cherry blossoms.
Japanese Lyrics
Sakura, Sakura,
ya-yo-i no so-ra wa.
Mi-wa-ta-su ka-gi-ri,
Ka-su-mi ka ku-mo-ka,
Ni-o-i zo i-zu ru;
i-za-ya, i-zaya Mi ni yu-kan
English Lyrics
Sakura, Sakura, blossoms waving everywhere.
Clouds of glory fill the sky.
Mist of beauty in the air,
lovely colors floating by.
Sakura, Sakura,
Let all come singing.
Vocal Music of China
-Melody and tone color are prominent
expressive features of Chinese music and great
emphasis is given to the proper articulation
and inflection of each musical tone. Most
Chinese music is based on the 5 tone or the
pentatonic scale though heptatonic scale is also
used.
-MO LI HUA- is a traditional Chinese song
with a gentle and lyrical melody. The lyrics
about the jasmine flower also turn it into a love
song. The song describes a custom of giving
Jasmine flowers popular in the southern
Yangtze Delta region of China. Another
version describes the fear of plucking the
flower.
Chinese Lyrics
hǎo yī duǒ mĕi lì de mò li huā
hăo yī duŏ mĕi lì de mò li huā
fēn fāng měi lì mǎn zhī yā
yòu xiāng yòu bái rén rén kuā
ràng wǒ lái jiāng nǐ zhāi xià
sòng gěi bié rén jiā
mò li huā ya mò li huā
English Lyrics
What a beautiful jasmine flower
What a beautiful jasmine flower
Sweet-smelling, beautiful, stems full of buds
Fragrant and white, everyone praises
Let me pluck you down
Give to someone's family
Jasmine flower, oh jasmine flower
Vocal Music of Koea
-Arirang is a famous Korean folk song. It is
used as a symbol of Korea and Korean culture.
Arirang in essence is a song of farewell. The
origin of the word “Arirang” is the hill. With
Korea’s land being mountainous. Most
Koreans had partings on a number of such
hills. An emotion of deep regret is imbued in
the rhythm of Arirang. The song evokes the
feeling and remembrance of Korean’s sad
stories.
Korean Lyrics
Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...
Arirang gogaero neomeoganda.
Nareul beorigo gasineun nimeun
Simnido motgaseo balbbyeongnanda
English Lyrics
Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo
Crossing over Arirang Pass.
Dear who abandoned me [here]
Shall not walk even ten li before his/her
feet hurt.[