太鼓Taiko

Traditional Japanese Drumming

Origins

• Century old style of drumming (1400 yrs)

• Rumbling sound of the drum associated with the gods– Drum is inhabited by a god

• “It is said that the furthest point at which the village could be heard marked the edge of the village.”

• Originated in temples and shrines– Festival related– Holy men allowed to drum

Okede-daiko

• Nebuta festival in Aomori

• Multiple sizes– Extremely large to very small– Not ALL sizes are possible

• Produces a “ka” sound when struck

• Strike the outermost metal ring of the body– Weak wood, easy to damage

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/TaikoDrummersAichiJapan.jpg

Taiko in Warfare

• Used to motivate troops, set marching pace, make announcements

• Six paces per beat of the drum

• Nine sets of five = ally summon

• Nine sets of three = pursuit– Sped up x3 or x4

Taiko as an Art

• Pre-1950s not viewed as an art form

• Previously used in courts to perform Gagaku music

• Most popular current use is in a taiko ensemble– Post war phenomenon in Showa (1951)– Daihachi Oguchi (kumi-daiko style)

Taiko Terms• Bachi ( ばち） sticks used to play the Taiko

• Ma ( ま） a Japanese term for “space,” used in music to describe periods of rest

• Oroshi ( おろし） series of hits, sped up into a roll

• O-uchi ( おうち ) main rhythm

• Ji or Jiuchi ( じうち） basic supporting rhythm, described as the meter– Jikata is a person who plays the Ji rhythm

Taiko Drums

• The word taiko （太鼓） means “fat drum” in Japanese

• Daiko is a suffix used to describe a type of drum or ensemble

• The nagado-daiko ( 長胴太鼓、 long body drum) consists of two pieces of cow hide stretched over a wooden barrel

• Tsukeshime-daiko ( 付締め太鼓） heads are stretched over iron rings with smaller body, tight ropes

Other Drums

• Okede-daiko (桶胴太鼓 , barrel-body taiko)

• Uchiwa-daiko (内輪太鼓、 fan taiko)

• Hira-daiko (平太鼓 , flat taiko)

• O-daiko (大太鼓 , big taiko)

• The okede-daiko can be played on a stand, but are often strapped to the body so a drummer can walk as he plays

Kodo

• An elite taiko drumming ensemble

• Based in Sado, Japan they helped to revitalize taiko drumming post WWII

• Kodo （こど） means heartbeat, and also children of the drum

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-M18Rb98So&search=kodo

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwceyfSrXU0&search=taiko