World Music Name__________________________

Study Guide: Japan

1. ______Gagaku____________ is the general name for traditional music in Japan.

2. The voice, the ___shamisen____________, and the _____ koto_____________ seemed to share basic
melody, but each performed the melody in a somewhat different fashion, rhythmically as well as
melodically resulting in a texture that may be described as ______ heterophonic.___________.

3. Classify and describe the following primary Japanese instruments:

Koto a thirteen-stringed traditional Japanese instrument that is played with three finger picks. In
traditional group music, it is frequently employed.

Shamisen a three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument used in folk and classical music genres that is
played with a plectrum.

Shakuhatchi a bamboo flute used in Japanese classical music that has five finger holes.

4. Since 1652, _________Kabuki_______ has been performed by adult males, as it still is today, and
female roles are impersonated by male actors.

5. Kabuki has borrowed a lot from other types of theater, such as the classical ___Noh_______ theater
and the puppet theater ___Bunraku._____________.

6. Describe some of the interesting features of a kabuki stage. How are these features utilized during a
performance?

Hanamichi, is an elevated platform that connects the audience area to the back of the stage and
enables performers to make spectacular entrances and departures through the crowd. It is frequently
employed during pivotal points in the play to enable performers to interact more personally with the
audience.
Mawari-butai : a platform that may turn, giving the performance a dynamic and ever-changing
background. By revealing several scenes or points of view, this element enhances the visual appeal and
facilitates the narration.

Lifts & Trapdoors: Kabuki stages have lifts and trapdoors that let actors magically appear and vanish. For
dramatic or otherworldly effects, like actors soaring into the sky or sinking into the underworld,
trapdoors are frequently employed.

Tachimawari : The stage is made to support extravagant sword-fighting scenes, or tachimawari, that
feature fast motion, acrobatics, and stylized swordplay. These sequences are a kabuki performance
highlight because of the features and arrangement of the stage, which heightens their visual impact.

Kuroko. They help with changing scenes, shifting props, and even interacting with puppets and other
performers. They are typically not regarded as members of the visible cast; rather, their presence is
acknowledged as a component of theatrical tradition.

7. On-stage musicians in kabuki theater are called degatari. This group is divided functionally into two
separate ensembles, called _____"geza"______________ (storytellers) and
_________ongyoku________________ (ensemble specializing in performing long songs).

8. The bunraku puppet, made of wood, is moved by _____three____ puppeteers who manipulate its
arms, fingers, legs, body, head, eyes, mouth, and even eyebrows with extreme realism.

9. Exclusively an art of the ruling samurai class from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries,
_____Noh_____, is a performance style of elegant simplicity and restraint with major themes of
redemption of human suffering through the love of _________gods.________.

10. ______________"Hayashi"_________ is the generic name for Japanese ensembles of flutes and
drums.

11. List and describe the instruments used in noh theater:

(a) Kotsuzumi,
With just one hand, you can play this little hand drum. It adds accents to the song and emits a high-
pitched sound. Protests, fingertip rolls, and various other expressive motions are among of the playing
methods.

(b) Ōtsuzumi

The Ōtsuzumi is a bigger hand drum that requires two hands to play. Compared to the Kotsuzumi, it has
a deeper sound, and it's frequently employed to provide the music a stable beat and basis.

(c) Shimedaiko,

Smaller and tensioned, this drum is frequently utilized to create staccato, sharp sounds. It adds dramatic
accents to the musical arrangement and is performed with sticks.

(d) Fue

Japanese flutes are referred to as fue in general. Certain flutes, like the Nohkan, are utilized in Noh
theater. The fue's sound enhances the other instruments' tones and gives the performance a lyrical
touch.

(e) Taiko:

Japanese customary music and Noh drama both heavily rely on the taiko drum. Taiko drums come in
various sizes and varieties, and they are used to create a wide range of sounds, from sharp, percussive
rhythms to deep, resonating tones. The performance's rhythm is emphasized by the drumming rhythms.

12. Buddhism came to Japan in the ____6th_____ century from ________________ Korean
Peninsula________. By this time it was already a thousand years old and a highly developed religion.

13. Popular koto-and-vocal music of the Edo Period is known under the generic name of
__________"Joruri."___.
14. The common instrumental koto ensemble today is called sankyoku, meaning trio, and consists of
what three instruments?

Koto: A 13-string ancient Japanese string instrument strung across movable bridges.

Shamisen: A three-stringed device with a distinct sound that resembles a guitar and is played with a
plectrum.

Shakuhachi: A bamboo trumpet used in ancient Japanese music, including five finger holes.

15. Listen to the sokyoku audio track and describe how the musicians are creating a heterophonic
texture.

Multiple voices or instruments play the same melodic line in heterophony. The shared tune is
interpreted differently by each singer, creating a rich and diverse sound.

To layer the primary melody in a heterophonic texture, musicians may add ornamentations,
variations, or embellishments. Instruments and voices may slightly depart from the main line, giving
nuances and character.

16. ________Gagaku_____, meaning elegant or refined music, is the instrumental and choral music and
dance that has been under the continual patronage of the imperial court for more than a thousand
years. Influenced by the ancient music of ____________China and Korea_______________________, it
has been carefully transmitted by generations of court musicians to the present day and is perhaps the
_____________ oldest_____ ensemble music in the world.

17. Gagaku music, like most Japanese music that came after it, was conceived in an aesthetic scheme of
introduction-exposition-denouement known as ________ jo-ha-kyu.___________________.