Crystal Au
MUSI-103-005
Professor Sarmientos
3 December 2014
Shamisen in Traditional Japanese Music The shamisen plays a prominent role in kabuki and Bunraku dance and dialogue. The shamisen is part of the chobo that consists of the singer, gidayu, and the shamisen player. The shamisen is a three stringed lute with a lengthy neck. It originated from the sanxian, a Chinese instrument that was introduced to Japan through the Ryukyu Kingdom during the 16th century. It turned into the sanshin that is the transitional relationship between the sanxian and the shamisen. When the shamisen is played with singing, it is called a nagauta. The shamisen is not restricted to being played by one gender and is open to men and women. The sanxian is …show more content…
Gidayu-bushi is also used in Bunraku puppet theatre. In Bunraku, the singer and the shamisen player provide the background music. In most Bunraku performances, the musician and the chanter perform the music for an act. The chanter is called the tayu, and this person is meant to portray and express the personalities and emotions of the puppets through exaggerated facial expressions and voices. The tayu narrates as well as creates the voice for the puppets. The shamisen player accompanies the tayu, and the type of shamisen that is use din Bunraku is called the futo-zao shamisen. This is the shamisen that plays the lowest register of …show more content…
Western culture influenced Japanese culture to the point of ¬teaching people that “real” music was based in this western culture. It created a rift between people and the vocals of the gidayu and rokyoku along with the shamisen. People associated western-style vocals with being beautiful and turned away from the traditions. This also explains why so many people have been exposed to the guitar, while many people have not been exposed or even touched a shamisen. This is also very similar with the traditional koto compared to the piano. Western influence has changed the interests and drives of Japan musically. Eventually, after World War II, the meshing of Western and traditional Japanese music led to the re-emergence of the shamisen and an interest in Japanese musical traditions from the younger
MUSI-103-005
Professor Sarmientos
3 December 2014
Shamisen in Traditional Japanese Music The shamisen plays a prominent role in kabuki and Bunraku dance and dialogue. The shamisen is part of the chobo that consists of the singer, gidayu, and the shamisen player. The shamisen is a three stringed lute with a lengthy neck. It originated from the sanxian, a Chinese instrument that was introduced to Japan through the Ryukyu Kingdom during the 16th century. It turned into the sanshin that is the transitional relationship between the sanxian and the shamisen. When the shamisen is played with singing, it is called a nagauta. The shamisen is not restricted to being played by one gender and is open to men and women. The sanxian is …show more content…
Gidayu-bushi is also used in Bunraku puppet theatre. In Bunraku, the singer and the shamisen player provide the background music. In most Bunraku performances, the musician and the chanter perform the music for an act. The chanter is called the tayu, and this person is meant to portray and express the personalities and emotions of the puppets through exaggerated facial expressions and voices. The tayu narrates as well as creates the voice for the puppets. The shamisen player accompanies the tayu, and the type of shamisen that is use din Bunraku is called the futo-zao shamisen. This is the shamisen that plays the lowest register of …show more content…
Western culture influenced Japanese culture to the point of ¬teaching people that “real” music was based in this western culture. It created a rift between people and the vocals of the gidayu and rokyoku along with the shamisen. People associated western-style vocals with being beautiful and turned away from the traditions. This also explains why so many people have been exposed to the guitar, while many people have not been exposed or even touched a shamisen. This is also very similar with the traditional koto compared to the piano. Western influence has changed the interests and drives of Japan musically. Eventually, after World War II, the meshing of Western and traditional Japanese music led to the re-emergence of the shamisen and an interest in Japanese musical traditions from the younger