2.

Tsuzumi (hourglass-shaped) – there are two varieties, the

smaller kotsuzumi and the larger otsuzumi. They are used in
both noh and kabuki performances. The kotsuzumi is held
on the right shoulder and the player alters the tone by
squeezing the laces. The otsuzumi is placed on the left
thigh.
Image 9:https://tinyurl.com/y4d5km8x

3. Tsuridaiko- a large hanging barrel drum.

Image 10: https://tinyurl.com/y69ztl2j

4. Taiko – is a Japanese drum that comes in various sizes

and is used to play a variety musical genre.

Image 11: https://tinyurl.com/y3xfl9tr

String Instruments (Chordophone)

1. Koto – is a 13-string zither, about two meters long 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
gagaku or
as a solo instrument.
Image 12: https://tinyurl.com/hldqp32

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 a shamisen is fretless and is slimmer than that of a guitar or a
banjo.

Image 13: https://tinyurl.com/y52zrwqq

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 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.

Image 14: https://tinyurl.com/y3n9tr67

Wind Instruments (Aerophone)

2. Shakuhachi – the most famous flute made from

bamboo. It has four or five finger holes on the front face
and a thumbhole on the rear face.

Image 15: https://tinyurl.com/y3n9tr67

2. Nokan – a parallel, bamboo flute is the only melodic

instrument in noh. The melody of the flute has no
specific pitch relationship with the melody of the
chanting.

Image 16: https://tinyurl.com/y3x2n3oh

3. Hichiriki – is a double reed Japanese flute used as

one of the two main melodic instruments in Japanese
gagaku music, other than ryuteki.

Image 17: https://tinyurl.com/y45ptwfq

4. Sho – is a Japanese free reed musical instrument that was

introduced from China during the Nara period

Image 18:https://tinyurl.com/y23ooa63

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5. Shinobue – is also called takebue in the context of
Japanese traditional arts. It is a Japanese transverse
flute that has a high-pitched sound.

Image 19: https://tinyurl.com/y38j37wx

2. Ryuteki – literally means “dragon flute” is a

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

Image 20:https://tinyurl.com/y6m8aos6

B. CHINA
For several 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 and of dispelling unrest and lust, rather than as a form of amusement.
Traditionally, the Chinese believed that the 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 through standard of pitch. A result of this
philosophical orientation was that the Chinese theoretically opposed music performed solely
for entertainment.

Chinese Musical Instruments

1. Yueqin – a moon-shaped lute with shorter neck

and four strings, played with a spectrum,
used for accompanying local operas.

Image 21: https://tinyurl.com/y559af6m

2.Pipa – a four-stringed lute with 30 frets and a pear-shaped body.

This instrument has an extremely wide dynamic range and
remarkable expressive power.

Image 22:https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6685124

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3. Erhu – a two- stringed fiddle and one of the most popular
Chinese instruments. It is used as a solo instrument as well
as in solo ensembles or large orchestra, and by various
ethnic groups.

Image 23: https://tinyurl.com/y54b7lvp

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 gongs
are generally of equal diameter but different thickness. The thicker
gongs produce a higher pitch.

Image 24: https://tinyurl.com/y5xso3yb

5. Sheng – also called as Chinese mouth organ and 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.

Image 25: https://tinyurl.com/y26bcy26

6.Dizi – is the traditional Chinese flute. It can have a

membrane over an extra hole to give the characteristic rattle
effect. The plater plays the dizi by blowing across the
mouthpiece and produces the different notes by stopping
the six holes found in the rod.

Image 26: https://tinyurl.com/y5jmah7o

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.
Image 27::https://tinyurl.com/y4k59whh

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 theater music, bringing an effect
of peaceful dreams.

Image 28:http://chinese-instrument.blogspot.com/

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C. KOREA

Korea’s folk 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.
Folk music represents the soul and the sound of traditional Korean villages with an eclectic
array of music forms including numerous folk songs, various forms of instrumental pieces,
pansori and shaman ritual music.

Chong-ak

Means literally “right (or correct) music and its tradition include both instrumental and
vocal music which were cultivated mainly by the upper-class literati of the Joseon society. It
also refers to ensemble music for men of high social status outside of the court. In this
category, three important terms are a-ak, tang-ak and hyang-ak.

Sog-ak or minisogak 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 musical presented to audiences by skilled vocal
singers and drummers. They sang when they worked in the rice paddy or fields. Sang when
they went off with their lover, and sang when their life was troubled and weighing them
down.

Korean Musical 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
number of strings. It is probably the best known traditional
Korean musical instrument.

Image 29: https://tinyurl.com/y2nuww4d

2. Geomungo – this six-string plucked zither is a

traditional Korean stringed musical instrument of the
zither family with both bridges and frets. Scholars
believe that the name goguryeo and translates to
goguryeo zither refers to the color that translates to
“black crane zither”. Image 30: https://tinyurl.com/y3w27ffu

3. Haegum – (two-string vertical fiddle) – has a rod-like neck, a

hollow wooden sound box, two silk strings and is held vertically
on the knee of the performer and played with a bow.

Image 31: https://tinyurl.com/y46z84xx

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