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 types of songs. This is also the case since the koto works so well as a solo instrument; it's very versatile and can be used in a lot of creative ways. For a long time in Japan's history, the koto was mainly for blind men, therefore the song range was relatively low. In this period, there were only about 6 traditional koto songs. Around the 1600's a blind musician named Yatsuhashi Kengyo expanded the limited range of songs to a much larger range. He used the pentatonic scale that he learned from the shamisen to change the genre of koto music to what it is today. There were 2 significant koto schools during this time period, the Ikuta school and Yamada school. Later, during the 19th century, the non-blind was finally able to play the koto, and since then many outstanding performers have come to light. Artists such as Michio Miyagi, composed many great works and developed the 17-string bass koto.
This is Tegoto by Michio Miyagi performed by Kaori Kimoto, uploaded 29 October 2008
Modern-day koto music is a blend of the old, the new, and even some very new. Since the koto has been popularized by a lot of the Western world, it has become markedly less popular in Japan. This isn't to say that it's abandoned, many people are still writing music for these beautiful instruments. The koto is now being used for jazz, indie, and even some pop music. One really fun example of this is a cover of Shape of You by Ed Sheeran performed by TRiECHOES, uploaded on 12 February 2019. They use the unique sound of the koto to put a new and interesting twist on the song.
Thanks so much for sharing the koto. I had never heard of this instrument or the beautiful music it makes! Sakura is so peaceful and it reminds me of the music played at a spa while you're getting a massage. Tegoto is a much more intense piece; I wish I knew the story behind its composition but I couldn't find much online.
I also enjoyed the totally modern take on The Shape of You, as well. I wrote about Mariachi this week and over the years, it has also morphed to encompass modern songs and styles. Embracing modernity seems absolutely crucial to keeping younger generations interested in carrying on the study and practice of traditional instruments or genres.
When I was a kid, my family would take trips up to our family cabin. Since these trips would take several hours, and I was an impatient kid, my dad would set up his iPod and keep the music going the whole way there. One of my favorite songs at the time, and still is, is the song Bless the Broken Road sung by Rascal Flats. The song was originally written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd, and Jeff Hanna in 1994, and has had numerous covers done over the years. By far my favorite is the 2004 Rascal Flatts version, however. The Rascal Flatts cover was the only version of the song to reach #1 on the U.S. and Canada Billboard's Top 100. The original song was good, but Rascal Flatts brought it into the limelight, and it seems that everyone loved it. A video of Rascal Flatts performing Bless the Broken Road live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-vZlrBYLSU Lyrics This song is very nostalgic for me since it's a song that I've known since I was a small child, but also the lyrics are a
Hi there! I'm Carson Myren, a sophomore petroleum engineering major at UAF. I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and moved to Fairbanks last year for college. I started out in the dorms, but my girlfriend and I decided to move off campus this year due to the cramped nature of the dorms, and it's about comparable in price. I have quite a few hobbies, but to name a few, I like working on cars, shooting, hunting, and being outside. Since coming up here for college, most of these have had to go on hold to complete my degree, but once I get that piece of paper, I'll have to get back into my hobbies. My relationship with music is pretty normal. I used to play an instrument in elementary and middle school but dropped it after that. Since then I have almost completely forgotten how to play the trumpet and moved on to just listening to music, not playing it. I listen to many different genres of music and don't have one particular favorite. Some of my favorites a
Castle of Glass by Linkin Park is another throwback for me. Not quite as far as my childhood, but it still goes back to when I was about 12 years old. I've always liked this song. There are some songs that I listen to because of the lyrics, but for me, many songs are such that I just listen to them because I think they sound good. I think this song is a good blend of both. It has a really nice beat, it's pretty catchy, and the lyrics are also good. I think it's a great song overall. It wasn't the most popular of their songs, however, since its highest position on the U.S. Billboard was #16 on the U.S. Alternative Airplay Billboard. Since it was featured in a video game, it was nominated for best "song in a game" by Spike Video Game Awards and TheB30Web says that the song is a 9/10. Music Video of Castle of Glass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScNNfyq3d_w Timbre The tone color of this song is somber, yet also kind of hopeful, like something sad happened, bu
Thanks so much for sharing the koto. I had never heard of this instrument or the beautiful music it makes! Sakura is so peaceful and it reminds me of the music played at a spa while you're getting a massage. Tegoto is a much more intense piece; I wish I knew the story behind its composition but I couldn't find much online.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the totally modern take on The Shape of You, as well. I wrote about Mariachi this week and over the years, it has also morphed to encompass modern songs and styles. Embracing modernity seems absolutely crucial to keeping younger generations interested in carrying on the study and practice of traditional instruments or genres.