PRE- ASSESSMENT:

Directions: From the pictures of costumes, folk symbols, artworks, scenery and other aspects of culture of the East Asian
countries (Japan, China and Korea), identify the origin of the objects. Write your answers on the spaces provided at the left
side of each picture.

1.________ 4.________ 7.________

2.________ 8.________
5.________

9.________

3.________ 10.________
6.________
 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):

2.Tsuzumi (hourglass-shape) – There are

two arger otsuzumi. Both are used in noh
1. Odaiko- (big drum). The and kabuki performances. The kotsuzumi is
physical energy and sheer held on the right shoulder and the player
excitement of an Odaiko alters the tone by squeezing the laces. The
performance is an integral otsuzumiis placed on the left thigh. Like all
part of many Japanese m other traditional arts in Japan, there are
atsuri (festivals). several schools of tsuzumimatsuri (festivals).
4. Taiko - is a Japanese drum thatcomes in
3. various sizes and is used to play a variety of
Tsuridaiko musical genres. It has become particularly
– a large popular in recent years as the central
hanging instrument of percussion ensembles whose
barrel drum repertory is based on a variety of folk and
festival music of the past.
 Japanese 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 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.
Japanese 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. As with
other instruments above, it was
imported from China for gagaku.
2. Nokan - a parallel, bamboo
flute (fue) 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 fue (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.

ACTIVITY 2: Answer the following on your notebook.

*How do these pictures show aspects of Japanese culture?

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.
*What similarities with other East Asian countries can you
identify in these objects?
* Why is Japanese culture important to us?

6. Ryūteki - literally "dragon

flute" is a Japanese
transverse fue made of
bamboo. It is used in gagaku.