Carson Mus 200X Blog

 The Japanese Koto was originally introduced to Japan in the 7th and 8th centuries from China. The original version had 5 strings, which then turned to 7, then 13. The instrument is a type of zither, which is basically just a type of stringed instrument. Anymore, this instrument has a standard of 13 strings, but many more variants have different numbers of strings. Since all of the strings are the same thickness, koto are tuned using a moveable bridge called a kotoji. The sound that these instruments produce is very unique, so the music that goes along with it is pretty unique too. It has a sound reminiscent of a harp, but definitely different. I think it has a bit of a twangy sound that provides quite a bit of depth to the music played by a koto. One song that I think shows off this instrument  is  Sakura  performed by Kasumi Watanabe, uploaded 10 July 2013 .     The koto isn't just an instrument, it's a wide genre of music that encapsulates many different...

     When people hear the name "hurdy gurdy" a musical instrument usually isn't the first thing that comes to mind. To my surprise, the hurdy gurdy definitely exists, and it's actually a really cool instrument. It consists of the body of a stringed instrument, but instead of being plucked by fingers, or stroked with a bow, the strings are vibrated with a rotating wheel. The gurdy usually has 3-6 strings. 1-2 strings produce a melody, while the others are used for drone strings. The melody strings can be used to play different notes via a number of keys that press on each of the strings. One other notable aspect of hurdy gurdies is that they usually have a "buzzing bridge" which is a string that passes over a movable bridge that engages when the wheel is accelerated quickly. This instrument originated in France and was the most popular in the European Renaissance Era. After the Renaissance, the hurdy gurdy became a commoner instrument, so I haven't found ...