Introduction

Introduction
Introduction
Gagaku, was first made in the 582 century. This
music is clamed to be unique in its own way and is
a great way to relax. The 1st instrument is the
Koto, and made by Kenjun in the 7th century. A
koto now cost about a $1,000 . The koto is a 13
Japanise Music, pronounced, Ongaku, and spelled 音楽 , Scientist thought from traces that was 1 st
string instrument
played about in the 17 century.that
th
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made Japanese like a guitar
Music relaxing later
and is very unique. Japanese
on
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was first played were
by the instrument made, anyway, its time
called koto

that we move on into our history classroom

 History
Welcome to History, now, time to be back on topic, Historically, Japanese folk music was strongly
influenced by music from China, with some of its forms being imported from China more than a thousand
years ago. The 1st instrument made was the Koto and the Biwa, which is in the bottom right picture and the
Koto is the bottom left. The koto is made by Kenjun is 3f and 7in inches long! It normally has 13 strings
and it’s 5in long. The biwa was made evolved from the Chinese pipa. It was made by Kinshi Tsuruta and
has 5 strings. Shōmyō ( 声明 ) is a style of Japanese Buddhist chant. There are two styles: ryokyoku and
rikkyoku, described as difficult and easy to remember. chorus and rhythm instruments, the ritual music is
truly multicultural: Sanskrit text from India, bells and gongs from China, and wooden percussion from
Japan. Eventually the ancient style grew to include lyrics in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Japanese.
 Different types
Many popular Japanese musical instruments originated in China and were then adapted to meet local
needs. Traditional Japanese music usually refers to Japan’s historical folk music. Two forms are
recognized as the oldest forms - shōmyō, or Buddhist chanting, and gagaku, or theatrical court music.

Shōmyō is a ritual music sung in a Buddhist ceremony by a group of Buddhist monks – literally
translated, the word ‘shōmyō’ combines the characters for ‘voice’ and ‘wisdom’.

Gagaku is the oldest of Japan's musical traditions and includes dances and songs in two styles –
kigaku, which is instrumental music, and seigaku, a form of vocal music.

There are several Japanese dramatic forms in which music plays a significant role. The main ones are
kabuki and noh. Kabuki is known for its highly stylized dancing and singing, together with its elaborate
make-up (sported by a predominantly male cast).

Noh is a form of classical Japanese musical drama which has been performed since the 14th century.
Noh is often based on tales from traditional literature, with a supernatural being transformed into
human form as a hero narrating the story – usually involving a mask being worn.
 Koto
The Koto is a normally 13 string instrument made by Kenjun. It’s long as 3f and 7in and
is 7in tall ! Historians think the koto was born around the fifth to third century B.C. in
China. Originally it had only 5 strings but increased to 12 strings and then to 13. It was
the 13-string koto that was carried to Japan during the Nara period (710-794). The
instrument was originally used for court music. Thereafter, it came to be played by
Buddhist monks, and eventually, reached the general populous. The koto is made of
silk strings (although today, synthetic strings are used), which are stretched across a
body made of hollowed out Paulownia wood..
 Biwa
The Biwa is a pear-shaped instrument that has 5 strings. It is said to have arrived from the Nara Period, it
also evolved from the Chinese Pipa like the Koto did. It was mostly used when telling stories. There are
many types of Biwas, there are the Classic Biwa, the Gagaku Biwa (very big), Gogen-Biwa, any many
more! The biwa is normally 60 centimeters to a hundred centimeters in length and is made with wood.
The biwa, considered one of Japan's traditional instruments, has both influenced and been influenced
by other traditional instruments and compositions throughout its long history; as such, a number of
different musical styles played with the biwa exist.
Hōgaku ( 邦楽 , Japanese traditional music),Gagaku ( 雅楽 , Japanese court music), and Shōmyō ( 声明 ,
Buddhist chanting)
 Shakuhachi
Shakuhachi, a Japanese end-blown bamboo flute that
was originally derived from the Chinese xiao in the 8th
century. It is 30.3 centimeters. It costs about $300 and
up. The shakuhachi's blowing end is cut obliquely
outward, and a small piece of ivory or bone is inserted
at the edge so that subtle varieties of tone color can be
produced. It is made from bamboo.
 Thank you so much for

listening to my presentation,
enjoy your day and I hope you 

now have learned more

about Japanese Music…
