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Japanese vocal music is quite different
from the Western vocal music, and is based
on the intervals of human breathing rather
than mathematical timing, and how
Japanese musicians show their spiritual
self-mastery in mastering his or her
instrument more than simply perfecting a
technique of some sort and how they give
value to their performance and composure.
Instrumental music of Japan
Traditional Japanese music is basically
meditative in character. Its
performance is highly ritualized, as
much in the music itself, as in the
composure of the musicians when
performing it. Japanese chamber and
solo music have a slow meditative
pace.
The performance of Japanese music
has traditionally been of a spiritual
character, similarly to martial arts
and other forms of art such as the
tea ceremony and calligraphy. It is
usually about religious festivals,
work, dance, love, and regional
songs.
Audiences are looking for this self-
mastery in musicians. This is the reason
why music has become highly ritualized.
Musicians must show this spiritual self-
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.
 Percussion Instruments
(Membranophone)
1. Odaiko - (big drum). The
physical energy and sheer
excitement of an Odaiko
performance is an integral part of
many Japanese matsuri (festivals).
2. Tsuzumi (hourglass-
shape) – There are two
varieties; the (smaller)
kotsuzumi is held on the
right shoulder and the
player alters the tone by
squeezing the laces. The
(bigger) otsuzumi is
placed on the left thigh.
3. Tsuridaiko – a
large hanging
barrel drum
4. Taiko - is a Japanese drum that
comes in various sizes and is used to
play a variety of musical genres.
 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, while the left hand can be used to
modify pitch and tone. Koto is used in
an ensemble in gagaku or as a solo
instrument.
2. Shamisen - is a plucked
stringed instrument. Its construction
follows a model similar to that of a
guitar or a banjo, employing a neck,
and strings stretched across a
resonating body. The neck of the
shamisen is fretless, and is slimmer
than that of a guitar or a banjo.
3. Biwa - is a Japanese short- necked
fretted lute, often used in narrative
storytelling. The biwa is the chosen
instrument of Benten, the goddess of
music, eloquence, poetry, and
education in Japanese 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 is the
only melodic
instrument used in
noh. The melody of
the flute has no
specific pitch
relationship with the
melody of the
chanting.
3. Hichiriki - is a
double reed
Japanese flute used
as one of two main
melodic instruments
in Japanese gagaku
music, the other
being the ryūteki.
4. Sho - is a Japanese
free reed musical
instrument that was
introduced from
China during the
Nara period.
5. Shinobue – also
called takebue (in the
context of Japanese
traditional arts) is a
Japanese transverse
flute or fue that has a
high- pitched sound.
6. Ryūteki - literally
"dragon flute" is a
Japanese transverse
fue made of
bamboo. It is used
in gagaku.
IDENTIFICATION:
Identify the musical
instruments of Japan.
SHINOBUE SHO PIPA

YUNLUO TSUZUMI HICHIRIKI

PENGLING YUEQIN RYUTEKI

SHAKUHACH KOTO TSURIDAIKO

I
BIWA SHENG ODAIKO

ZHENG TAIKO ERHU

For several thousand years Chinese
culture was dominated by 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.
Significantly, one of the most important
duties of the first emperor of each new
dynasty was to search out and establish that
dynasty’s through standard of pitch. A result
of this philosophical orientation was that the
Chinese theoretically opposed music
performed solely for entertainment.
1. Yueqin - Moon-
shaped 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-shapedbody.
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.
5. Sheng – (Chinese
mouth organ) looks like
a set of panpipes, with 12
to 36 bamboo pipes.
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.
6. Dizi - is the traditional
Chinese flute. It can have a
membrane over an extra hole to
give the characteristic rattle
effect.
7. Zheng - An
ancient Chinese
instrument that
has an arched
surface and an
elongated-
trapezoid with 13
to 21 strings
stretched over
individual bridges.
8. Pengling - these
are two small bells
made of high-tin
bronze, without
internal clappers, and
hemispheric or
bottomless gourd- like
in shape.
Listening Activity
Find a partner and prepare a pen
and a paper for this activity. Listen
to recordings of different
instruments of Korea. Classify the
instrument heard into string,
percussion, or wind.
Analysis

 What kind of feeling or mood

does it express?
How do these sounds show aspects of
Korean culture?
What similarities with other East
Asian countries can you identify in
these sounds?
Korea's folk music tradition, with its
generous use of bright rhythms and
melodies, offers a more energetic and
capricious contrast to the nation's
collection of classical music works.
Chong – ak means
literally "right (or
correct) music", Chong-
ak also refers to
ensemble music for men
of high social status
outside of the court.
Sog-ak or minsogak is a
category of Korean music
traditionally associated with the
lower classes or for the general
public and are vibrant and
energetic. It includes genres such
as pansori and minyo.
Pansori is a kind of
music presented to
audiences by skilled vocal
singers and drummers.
But even the unskilled
could sing these songs.
Instrumental Music of Korea Korean
music especially in South
Korea has a rich vocal tradition,
and diverse instruments and
music forms. Folk songs, religious
works, court music, and shaman
rituals all express the soul of a
nation whose history is filled with
colorful and fascinating tales.
String Instruments
1. Kayagum (gayageum) - is a
traditional Korean zither-like
string instrument, with 12 strings,
although more recently variants
have been constructed with 21 or
more
numbers of strings. It is the
probably best-known Korean
traditional musical
instrument.
2. Geomungo – (six-string plucked
zither), is a traditional Korean stringed
musical instrument of the zither family
of instruments with both bridges and
frets.
3. Haegum (two-string vertical
fiddle) – It has a rodlike neck, a
hollow wooden soundbox, two silk
strings, and
Is held vertically
on the knee of the
performer and
played with a
bow.
 Wind Instruments
Piri - it is made of bamboo. Its large
reed and cylindrical bore gives it a
sound mellower than
that of many other types of oboe.
Percussion Instrument
Changgo - is the most widely used drum
used in the traditional music of Korea. It is
available in most kinds, and consists of an
hourglass-shaped body with two heads made
from
animal skin.
Sakura – (Cherry Blossoms) is a
traditional Japanese folk song
depicting spring, the season of
cherry blossoms.
Mo Li Hua - is a traditional Chinese
song with a beautifully gentle and lyrical
melody. The lyrics is about
“the jasmine flower” also turn it into a
love song.
Arirang - is a Korean folk song, sometimes
considered the unofficial national anthem
of Korea. It is used as a symbol of Korea
and Korean culture. Arirang is in essence a
song of farewell. The origin of the word
'Arirang' is ‘the hill’. An emotion of deep
regret is imbued in the rhythm of Arirang.
The song evokes the feeling of the tears
shed by Koreans and the remembrance of
their sad stories.
Express Yourself

On an oslo paper, draw a

creative illustration on the
relationship of man and nature
as reflected in three folk songs
you have learned. Present and
describe your illustration to the
class.
SYNTHES
IS JAPAN
• Japanese music was influenced by the court
music of China
• It is based on the five tone scale or the
pentatonic scale
• Before the historical period, the Japanese
traditional music (Hogaku) develop an
accompaniment of ritual dances called Kagura.
• In religion, Confucianism propagated the themes
on loyalty and filial piety while Shintoism
inculcated the idea that music is a gift from God.
• Before the historical period, the Japanese
traditional music
(Hogaku) develop an accompaniment of
ritual dances called Kagura.
• In religion, Confucianism propagated the
themes on loyalty and filial piety while
Shintoism inculcated the idea that music is a
gift from God.
• Japanese music is monophony in nature. It
observes minute tones, free rhythm and
delicate timbre. It is usually written in duple
meter.
• Japanese music has two basic types of scales, both
pentatonic in nature, that are often used in playing
the koto and shamisen.
• These are the male scale called Yo – sen and the
female scale known as In – sen.
• The most important note in the pentatonic scale is
the corner stone or the third note.
• Japanese Vocal music is quite different from the
Western vocal Music, and is based on the intervals
of human breathing rather than mathematical
timing.
• Japanese musicians show their spiritual self-
mastery in mastering his or her instrument more
than simply perfecting a technique of some sort
and how they give value to their performance and
composure.
• Traditional Japanese music is basically
meditative in character.
• Its music and performance are highly
ritualized, as is the composure of the
musicians when performing it.
• Japanese chamber music and solo music have a
slow meditative pace and use concrete elements
• Japanese music has three general types of
instruments - percussion instruments
(odaiko, tsuzumi, shoko, tsuridaiko, taiko),
string instruments (koto, shamisen, biwa),
and wind instruments -mostly flutes
(shakuhachi, nokan, sho, hichiriki).
• Compared to our music, Japanese music is
very simple. They sing melodies in unison and
they never repeat the same melody in a song.
There are two ancient foundations for
Japanese traditional music.
SHOMYO:
• Is also called Buddhist chanting.
• The chants are based on sacred text and hymns.
• They have flexible rhythm, where the singers
simply stops when there is no more breath
• They are sung acapella and are
monophonic texture
• At present, the SHOMYO has lost its real
religious nature
GAGAKU:
• Literally means “elegant and refined
music”.
ga – refined gaku – music
• It is the only surviving music in Japan.
• This court music has been greatly
influenced by China.
• Bugaku- Japanese court dance
MUSICAL STYLES
a.Togaku – highest musical style or court
music.
b. Komagaku – Korean origin and of
native composition associated with rituals
of the Shinto religion.
c.Saibara – Is a small number of
regional Japanese folk songs.
CHINA
• Chinese vocal music has traditionally been
sung in a thin, non-resonant
voice, or in falsetto
• Chinese vocal music is usually solo
rather than choral.
• All traditional Chinese music is
melodic rather than harmonic.
• Chinese music uses the pentatonic scale
as can be heard in the song “Mo Li Hua”.
• Xiaodiao, or short tunes, are popular music
in Chinese urban areas.
• Chinese musical instruments are classified
according to the materials
by which they are made: animal skins,
gourd, bamboo, wood, silk,
earth/clay, metal, and stone.
KORE
•A Korean music has a slow tempo, giving it a very
peaceful and pensive character.
• Yayue - an elegant music which
includes ritual and ceremonial court music
• Suyue - popular music
• Huyue - foreign music
• A-ak - elegant vocal and instrumental music
• Pansori is a kind of music presented to
audiences by skilled vocal singers and
drummers.
ASSESSMEN
T
1. A 13-string zither instrument of
Japan.
2. Literally a “dragon flute” and
used in gagaku.
3. A set of ten small tuned gongs
mounted in a wooden frame.
4. A kind of music presented to
audiences by skilled vocal singers
and drummers.
5. Made of bamboo and a wind
instrument of Korea.
6. A Korean folk song, sometimes
considered the unofficial national
anthem of Korea.
7. A moon-shaped lute with shorter
neck and four strings.
8.-9. The two varieties of Tsuzumi
Instrument.
10. A Japanese short-necked fretted lute,
often used in narrative storytelling.
11. A Chinese four-stringed lute with 30
frets and a pear-shaped body.
12. A traditional Korean stringed
musical instrument of the zither family
of instruments with both bridges and
frets.
13.-18. The 6 East Asian Countries
19. A Japanese transverse flute or
fue that has a high-pitched sound.
20. A Chinese mouth organ that
looks like a set of panpipes, with
12 to 36 bamboo pipes.
21.-26. The 6 Aerophone Japanese
Instrument
27. A traditional Chinese song with a
beautifully gentle and lyrical
melody.
28. A traditional Korean zither-like
string instrument with 12 strings.
29. A plucked stringed instrument of
Japan.
30. This is the big drum of Japan.
31. Two-stringed fiddle and one of the
most popular Chinese instruments.
32. These are two small bells made of
high-tin bronze, without internal
clappers and hemispheric or
bottomless gourd-like in shape.
33. The most widely used drum in the
traditional music of Korea.
34. A large hanging barrel drum.
35.-37. Give the 3 String Instruments
of Korea.
38. This is called Buddhist chanting.
39. A traditional Japanese folk song
depicting the season “spring”.
40. An elegant vocal and instrumental
music of Korea.
41. A musical style which has a small
number of regional Japanese folk songs.
42. A Japanese court dance.
43. A category of Korean music
traditionally associated with the lower
classes or for the general public.
44. In Korea, this is an elegant music
which includes ritual and ceremonial
court music.
END