MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

JAPANESE
Japanese vocal music is quite different from the Western vocal music, and is based on the intervals
of ften used in nrratahuman breathing rather than mathematical timing, and how Japanese musicians
show their spiritual self-mastery in mastering his or her instrument more than simply perfecting a
technique of some sort and how they give value to their performance and exposure.

Instrumental music of Japan:

MEMBRANOPHONE:
1. Odaiko- Big drum. The physical energy and sheer excitement of an odaiko performance is an
integral part of many Japanese matsuri. FESTIVALS
2. Tsuzumi- Hour glass shape. There are two varieties; the smaller kotsuzumi is held on the right
shoulder and the player alters the tone by squeezing the laces. The (bigger) otsuzumi is placed
on the left thigh.
3. Tsuridaiko- a large hanging barrel drum.
4. Taiko- is a Japanese drum that comes in various sizes and is used to play a variety of musicl
genres.
STRING INSTRUMENTS (CHORDOPHONE):
1. Koto- is a 13-string zither, about two meters long and made of Paulowinia. Wood. It is plucked
using picks on the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand, while the left hand can be used
to modify pitch and tone. Koto is used in an ensemble in gagaku or as a solo instrument.
2. Shamisen- is a plucked stringed instrument. Its contruction follows a model similar to that of a
guitar or a banjo, employing a neck, and strings,stretched across a resonating body. The neck of
the shamisen is fretless, and is slimmer than tht of guitar or a banjo.
3. Biwa- is a Japanese short necked fretted lute, often used in narrative storytelling. The biwa is
the chosen instrument of Benten. The goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in
Japanese Shinto.
WIND INSTRUMENTS (AEROPHONE)
1. Shakuhachi- the most famous flute made from bamboo. It has 4 or 5 finger holes on the front
face and a thumbhole on the rear face,
2. Nokan- a parallel, bamboo flute is the only melodic instrument used in noh. The melody of the
flute has no specific pitch relationship with the melody of the chanting.
3. Hichiriki- is a double reed Japanese flute used as one of two main melodic instruments in
Japanese gagaku music, the other being the ryuteki.
4. Sho- is a Japanese free reed musical instrumental that was introduced from China during the
Nara period.
5. Shinobue- also called takebue (in the context of Japanese traditional arts) is a Japanese
transverse flute or fue that has a high-pitched sound.
6. Ryuteki- literally “dragon flute”is a Japanese transverse fue made of bamboo. It is used in
gagaku.
CHINESE MUSIC
For several thousand years Chinese culture was dominated by the teachings of the philosopher
Confucius, he conceived music in the highest sense as a means of calming the passion of dispelling of
unrest and lust, rather than as a form of amusement.
CHINESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
1. Yueqin- Moon shaped lute with shorter neck and four strings, played with a spectrum, used for
accompanying local operas.
2. Pipa- Four-stringed lute with 30 frets and a pear-shaped body. This instrument has an extremely
widely dynmic range and remarkable expressive power.
3. Erhu- Two- stringed fiddle and one of the most popular Chinese instruments. It is used as a solo
instrument as well as in small ensembles or large orchestra, and by various ethnic groups.
4. Yunluo- Literally “cloud gongs” or “cloud of gongs”, the yunluo is a set of ten small tuned gongs
mounted in a wooden frame.
5. Sheng- Chinese mouth organ looks like a set of panpipes, with twelve to thirty six bamboo pipes.
Each pipe is of diff. length with a brass reed at the bottom and a hole that must be blocked in
order for the note to sound.
 6. Dizi- is the traditional Chinese flute. It can have a membrane over an extra hole to give the
characteristic rattle effect.
7. Zheng- an ancient Chinese instrument that has an arched surface and an elongated-trapezoid
with 13 to 21 strings stretched over individual bridges.
8. Pengling- these are two small bells made of high-tin bronze, without internal clappers, and
hemispheric or bottomless gourd-like in shape.

KOREAN MUSIC
Korea’s folk music tradition, with its generous use of bright rhythms and melodies, offers a more
energetic and capricious contrast to the nation’s collection of classical music works.
Chong-ak
Means literally “right or correct music”, Chong-ak also refers to ensemble music for men of high
social status outside of the court.
SOG-AK OR MINSOGAK
Is a category of Korean music traditionally associated with the lower classes or for the general
public and are vibrant and energetic. It includes genres such as pansori and minyo.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC OF KOREA
has rich vocal tradition, and diverse instruments and music form. Folk songs, religious works, court
music, and shaman rituals all express the soul of a nation whose history is filled with colorful and
fascinating tales.
STRING INSTRUMENTS
1. Kayagum gayageum- is a traditional Korean zither-like string instrument, with twelve
strings, although more recently variants have been constructed with twenty one or
more numbers of strings. It is probably the best-known traditional Korean music
instrument.
2. Geomungo- Six string plucked zither. Is a traditional Korean stringed musical
instruments of the zither family of instruments with both bridges and frets.
3. Haegum- Two string vertical fiddle. It has a rodlike neck, a hollow wooden sound
box, two silk strings, and is held vertically on the knee of the performer and played
with a bow.
WIND INTRUMENTS
1. Piri- It is made of bamboo. Its large reed and cylindrical bore gives it a sound
mellower than that of many other types of oboe.
PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS
1. Changgo- is the most widely used drum used in the traditional music of Korea. It is
available in most kinds, and consists of n hourglass-shped body with two heads
made from animal skin.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSICS
KOREA
Sakura- Cherry Blossom, Is a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring the season of cherry
blossom.
Mo Li Hua- Is a traditional Chinese song with a beautifully gentle and lyrical melody. The lyrics is about
“the jasmine flower” also turn it into love song
Arirang- Is a Korean folk song sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea. It is used
as a symbol of Korea and Korean culture. Arirang is in essence a song of farewell. The origin of the word
ARIRANG is “ the hill”. An emotion of deep regret is imbued in the rhythm of Arirang. The song evokes
the feeling of the tears shed by Koreans and the remembrance of their sad stories.
JAPAN
Hōgaku as a category separate from other traditional forms of music, such as Gagaku (court music)
or Shōmyō (Buddhist chanting), but most ethnomusicologists view Hōgaku, in a broad sense, as the
form from which the others were derived. [1] Outside of ethnomusicology, however, Hōgaku usually
refers to Japanese music from around the 17th to the mid-19th century.[2] Within this framework,
there are three types of traditional music in Japan: theatrical, court music (called gagaku), and
instrumental.
 CHINA

 Woodwind and percussion

dizi, suona, sheng, paigu, gong, paixiao, guan, bells, cymbals, hulusi

 Bowed strings
erhu, zhonghu, dahu, banhu, jinghu, gaohu, gehu, yehu, cizhonghu, diyingehu, leiqin

 Plucked and struck strings

guqin, sanxian, yueqin, yangqin, guzheng, ruan, konghou, liuqin, pipa, zhu

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCE OF EAST ASIN

MUSICS
Those used instrument, some of their music is based on their culture and their difference
are all of the countries used different types of intruments, and some of their song is not
bsed on their culture.

HOW MUSICAL ELEMENTS REFLECT EAST ASIAN

CULTURE
Using instrument type alone as a measure, it is sometimes possible to note cultural
influences and mixtures of the major traditions in smaller units. For example, the
physical structure and playing positions of various bowed instruments in
mainland Southeast Asia can often mark clearly Chinese influence, as in Vietnam, or
Muslim and Chinese forms in confluence, as in the various bowed lutes of courtly
ensembles in Cambodia and Thailand. By the same token, the appearance of flat gongs
in mainland Southeast Asia shows Chinese connections, while the knobbed gongs
clearly stem from Southeast Asian culture proper.

EAST ASIA IS REVEALED THROUGH THE MUSICAL

ELEMENTS USED. WHAT ARE THOSE?
Vocal Timbre- nasal and throaty
Rhythm- duple, triple, quadruple
Melody- pentatonic scale, diatonic scale
Texture- monophony (a capella); homophony (with chordal accompaniment);
heterophony (same melody but ornamented by several instruments.)
Forms- strophic (using the same tune but diff. verses)
WHAT IS YONSEN AND INSEN?
Insen (or In Sen) is a tuning scale adapted from shamisen music by Yatsuhashi
Kengyō for tuning of the koto. It only differs from the hirajoshiscale by one note.
In D mode it consists of: D-E♭-G-A-C[1] so it has the same notes as the Phrygian chord
(7sus♭9).
Other chords compatible with insen scale include M7♯11 when the scale is played half
steps lower (for example B in sen scale for CM7♯11 chord) and Cm6 and Cm when the
scale is played one full step above (for example D insen with Cm6 or Cm chord).
Other scales related to koto instrument include the Hirajoshi, Iwato and Kumoi-
choshi scales
The Yosen scale belongs to the group of Japanese scales because of the geographical
location where it was born and its typical sound. ... This scale be very useful when
playing suspended chord or any chord that does not have a third. It can be great for
improvising ethnic or modal music.