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The azumagoto or yamatogoto was called the wagon, the kin no koto was called the kin, and the sau no koto (sau being an older pronunciation of 箏) was called the sō or koto. The modern koto originates from the gakusō used in Japanese court music . It was a popular instrument among the wealthy; the instrument was considered a romantic one.
More recent theory [2] emphasizes that it is more useful in interpreting Japanese melody to view scales on the basis of "nuclear tones" located a fourth apart and containing notes between them, as in the miyako-bushi scale used in koto and shamisen music and whose pitches are equivalent to the in scale: [3]
Hirajōshi scale, or hira-choshi (Japanese: 平調子, Hepburn: hirachōshi, chōshi = tuning and hira = even, level, tranquil, standard or regular) is a tuning scale adapted from shamisen music by Yatsuhashi Kengyō for tuning of the koto. [1] "The hirajoshi, kumoijoshi, and kokinjoshi 'scales' are Western derivations of the koto tunings of ...
Shamisen – a banjo-like lute with three strings; brought to Japan from China in the 16th century. Popular in Edo's pleasure districts, the shamisen is often used in kabuki theater. Made from red sandalwood and ranging from 1.1 to 1.4 metres (3 ft 7 in to 4 ft 7 in) long, the shamisen has ivory pegs, strings made from twisted silk, and a belly ...
Shamisen are classified according to size and genre. There are three basic sizes: hosozao, chuzao and futozao. Examples of shamisen genres include nagauta, jiuta, min'yo, kouta, hauta, shinnai, tokiwazu, kiyomoto, gidayu and tsugaru. Shamisen used for traditional genres of Japanese music, such as jiuta, kouta, and nagauta, adhere to very strict ...
Yatsuhashi, who was born and died in Japan, was originally a player of the shamisen, but later learned the koto from a musician of the Japanese court. While the instrument was originally restricted to the court, Yatsuhashi is credited as the first musician to introduce and teach the koto to general audiences.
However, the koto had taken a larger role in compositions in place of the shamisen, and pieces in the jiuta style accompanied by shamisen were far fewer in number. One notable composer was Michio Miyagi. Up to today, composers habe tried to introduce various forms (such as Western sonatas) to the jiuta style.
In min'yō, three-stringed lute known as the shamisen, taiko drums, and a bamboo flute called shakuhachi typically accompany the singers. [10] Other instruments that could accompany include a transverse flute known as the shinobue, a bell known as kane, a hand drum called the tsuzumi, and/or a 13-stringed zither known as the koto.