Japanese Instruments Pt. III: Yokobue

The final installment in my mini-series on Japanese instruments will be about the third instrument we were introduced to that summer, yokobue, the art of the Japanese flute. This was the only instrument that came with an additional fee for participation, but being only 1,000 yen (approximately $10 USD), it was worth it. That small fee bought each of us our own flute for us to keep following the program.

This was the shortest set of lessons we had, only meeting four times in the latter half of our summer. We were scheduled for more lessons, but a few had to be cancelled. Our summer was packed to the point of overscheduling, so unfortunately some sacrifices had to be made. That being said, although our time was short, yokobue was actually a lot of fun. A lot of that had to do with the energy our sensei brought to our lessons. (Below: Our senseis gave a performance at our farewell ceremony, performing a few of the songs we learned. This also included a short taiko performance. Photos by David Parker).

Both were professional yokobue players and members of a taiko troupe, so their performances and abilities were beyond impressive.

Japanese Instruments Pt. II: Taiko Drums

Here we are at part two of my mini-series on Japanese instruments. While I have no musical background, I've always found myself thinking that if I was to learn one, it would be a string. This explains why the koto was my favorite instrument we learned. However, at a close second and near to my heart is the art of taiko, also known as Japanese drums. Taiko is used as a general term in Japanese for drums, while the authentic drums are known as wadaiko, and the performing art known as kumidaiko. Where the music of the koto is soft and serene, the pure adrenaline in a taiko performance is very intense. The beats can range from a light, quick hop to a frenzied pounding.

In case its not obvious in the name, taiko is a percussion instrument and for many, the seemingly-simple act of beating a drum doesn't appear to be as difficult as something more precise in the brass or woodwind section. But that is the distinction in the Japanese performing art. For someone like me, getting the rhythm of the drumbeats down in time with pace-setter, in conjunction with the heavy amount of movement involved in taiko, it could, at times, be as frustrating as kyuudo could be for a beginner. (Below: An example of the basic taiko drum, a chuu-daiko. Photo by Wikimedia Commons / Oiwake2727).

We started as everyone else does, from the basics. Before we learned any beats or movements, we had to practice proper stance and rhythm for playing the taiko. The drums themselves are rather massive, dual-side about 3 foot in diameter and could weigh upwards of 100 pounds, often requiring two people to carry them due to their bulky size. Drums are traditionally

Japanese Instruments Pt. I: The Koto

This post will be the first in a small, three-part mini-series talking about my experiences learning the basics of Japanese instruments. During the course of our summer program in Iida in the heart of the Nagano Prefecture of Japan, we were afforded the opportunity to deepen our cultural understanding of Japan through music. This involved taking lessons in a variety of Japanese instruments, namely the koto, taiko drums and yokobue, the Japanese flute. This first post will talk about my favorite instrument, the koto. (Below: A Japanese koto. Photo by Smgregory)

The koto is a long, stringed musical instrument generally close to 6 feet in length and made of a specialized wood, called kiri wood. This comes from a specialized tree traditionally reserved for ornamental purposes. The wood is lightweight and very delicate. We always had to take the utmost care in handling the koto during practice and our later performance. It is also the national instrument of Japan.

String pitch is achieved as a result of careful adjustment of bridges for each string. The koto is played in a seated position at a slight angle to the koto. The player

Kyudo: A Bow, Two Arrows and Self-Discovery

Cultural immersion was a central theme of our summer program through the University of Missouri. In order to give us a better understanding and appreciation of Japan's rich, historical culture, we were afforded a variety of opportunities to experience it first hand. This came in the form of our participation in a variety of Japanese cultural arts during our stay in Iida beyond our weekly puppet practice. This would include arts such as kendo, taiko and ikebana.Through this we were given the opportunity to practice perhaps my favorite, kyuudo - the Japanese martial art of archery. (Below: a snapshot of a photo which appeared with a story about our kyuudo studies. Photo courtesy of Sean Noble).

For some it may seem odd to consider archery an art, but the Japanese form of archery extends beyond simply drawing a bow and attempting to hit a target. As we learned during our lesson, each shot was more of a performance; a ceremony in its own right. Growing up around my family, I had been around guns and bows most of my life and knew how to use them in the more common sense, but that didn't necessarily translate to kyuudo prowess. It was actually somewhat frustrating for me that I didn't adapt as quickly to this different form, given my background with a bow and arrow. (Below: During our first lessons, we used a device similar to a slingshot to practice the draw-and-release technique).

As such, I might as well have been a fledgling archer