The instrument is tuned by sliding movable bridges ( ji) and sounds are made by plucking the strings with finger pick plectra ( tsume) worn on the thumb, index and middle finger of the right hand. The most common type of koto uses 13 silk (currently nylon is more common) strings stretched in parallel over the body. It gradually entered the homes of the rising commercial class, where it was considered a sign of refinement, reflecting the status of its owner.Ī koto is usually about 190 centimeters long but the length depends on the number of strings it has.
Koto music was introduced into Japan during the Nara period (710–794) and developed in the imperial court. The koto, also known as Japanese harp, stems from the similar Chinese instrument called zheng. Long, narrow bamboo plectra are also used, which allow a higher-pitched tone. Today some use a guitar pick or the nail of the index finger. Traditionally players wear a plectrum ( bachi) made of material such as the water buffalo horn, on the index finger. It also proves a great compromise for the use of sanshin in dryer, colder or hotter climates.
#Japanese stringed instruments skin
This sanshin has a natural python skin that is fitted and stretched with a strong, synthetic reinforcement fabric underneath. For this reason a type of sanshin with a hybrid skin called kyokabari style has been developed. The popularity of the sanshin is rapidly expanding all over the world, and players desire to have a most traditional sanshin (not to mention the legal issues). Traditionally, the skin of the Burmese python was used, but due to CITES regulations, the skin of the ‘python reticulatus’ is nowadays also used. The body of the instrument is smaller than that of a shamisen and is covered with snake skin. The sanshin is considered the soul of Okinawan folk music and it is said that there is a sanshin in almost every Okinawan home. It is an Okinawan musical instrument and antecedent of the more widely known shamisen found on mainland Japan. Sanshin literally means, like shamisen, ‘three strings’ and also has the same origins from China. There are three basic sizes which are named after the thickness of the neck ( sao): hosozao (‘thin neck’), chuzao (‘middle neck’) and futozao (‘fat neck’). The construction of the shamisen varies in shape and size depending on the musical genre in which it is used. The sound from the strings, body and sawari combined, produces the unique shamisen sound. Shamisen has a distinctive sitar-like sound called sawari, which is the resonance from the thickest string lightly touching the neck. Traditionally, skins were made using dog or cat skin but the use of animal skins has gradually fallen out of favor and contemporary shamisen skins are often prepared with synthetic materials, such as plastic. The skin used depends on the genre of music and the skill of the player. The front and back of the body is covered with skin. The drum-like square body of a shamisen is hollow and amplifies the sound of the strings. The neck of the shamisen is fretless and slimmer than that of a guitar or banjo and is usually divided into three or four pieces that fit and lock together, so that they can easily disassembled. The construction of a shamisen follows the model similar to that of a guitar or banjo, with a neck and strings stretched across a resonating body. The strings of the shamisen are traditionally made of silk but nowadays nylon strings are often used, since they last longer than silk and are less expensive. In some genres the shamisen is not played with a bachi but plucked with the fingers. Different types of plectrums produce distinct tone colors for specific types of music. The bachi is often used to strike both string and skin, creating a highly percussive sound. Shamisen are played with a large triangular-shaped plectrum, called a bachi. The s hamisen derived from the Chinese sanxian.
Shamisen or samisen (and also referred to as sangen) means ‘three strings’ and the instrument thus has three strings.
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