Non Western Music Japan

List one of the four primary islands of Japan.

Honshu/Kyushu/Hokkaido/Okinawa

List one of the four largest Japanese cities.

Tokyo (formerly Edo)/Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto

What are the two major Japanese religions?

Shintoism and Zen Buddhism

The Shinto belief that a spirit resides in living and non-living things

is known as what?

animism

What Japanese group combined Buddhism with martial arts practice?

Samurai

Where did Buddhism first begin?

India

List one of the eight beliefs of Zen Buddhist philosophy.

Understanding, Thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration

How many lines of text are in a Japanese haiku?

What is the syllabic phrase rhythm?

3 lines, 5-7-5 syllables

What is Ukiyo-e?

simple art, wood carvings/ornamentation, influenced from french impressionism

List one of the general characteristics of Japanese music.

continued tradition, composed, pentatonic scale, limited harmony, simple rhythms, slower tempos, heterophobic, small groups, theater represents levels of society

What Japanese instrument evolved from the Chinese pipa?

Biwa (4 strings, pear shape, used for percussive effect in imperial courts and later by blind monks)

What Japanese instrument is a 13-string zither with moveable frets?

Koto (used in imperial courts, later in the homes of the wealthy, for traditional songs, silk strings were used before nylon)

What Japanese instrument has a banjo shape?

Shamisen (banjo-shaped chordophone, 3 strings, use of plectrum, 16th century, folk music, theater/entertainment/geisha)

What Japanese instrument was used as a defensive weapon by Buddhist

monks?

Shakuhachi (recorder-like, samurai, bamboo, warm sound, monks used for breathing exercises and to conceal papers from spies)

What Japanese instrument evolved from the Chinese sheng?

Sho (aerophone, bamboo, sounds like a harmonica, used for imperial courts)

What small Japanese aerophone is similar to an oboe?

Hichiriki (double-reed, bamboo pipe)

What Japanese aerophone is known as the “Dragon Flute”?

Ryuteki (aerophone, side-blown, bamboo, chinese origin)

What Japanese drum is connected to ropes that are squeezed to raise its

pitch?

O-tsuzumi (associated with Noh theater)

What is the ‘most standard’ musical ensemble called?

Sankyoku (trio- koto, shamisen, shakuhachi. used for entertainment, 1500’s, performed by geishas at teahouses)

What instruments are included in the Sankyoku ensemble?

koto, shamisen, shakuhachi

What are the four different types of Japanese theater discussed in this unit?

Gagaku (imperial class), Noh (Samurai class), Kabuki/Bunraku (middle class)

Which theater began with female Shinto dancers and has storylines that

focus on kings, queens, and other royalty?

Gagaku (costumes, no singing, associated with shintoism, ritualized, slow tempo)

What theater features large puppets as main characters?

Bunrako (2-3 puppeteers per puppet, dressed in black, plots, music, scenery, spoken/sung narration, koto, shakuhachi, shamisen)

Which theater was begun by a retired emperor around 600 CE?

Gagaku

Which is the “Theater of the Gods”?

Noh (began by Samurai, based on zen buddhism, chant-like, taiko/shakuhachi, sparse sets, male performers, deliberate dance, hand carved masks)

What is “the glare”, and what theater is it found in?

character performs a static pose (cross-eyed stare at the audience), Kabuki

Which theater features court music, but no singing?

Gagaku

In what city did Bunraku develop?

Osaka

Gagaku Netori and Etenraku listening example

old sound, wailing, flute-like, plucking and drumming

Noh “Hagoromo” (the Robe of Feathers)

Voices, drum, warbling, many people, louder over time

Kabuki, Music from the play “Dojoji”

plucking, one voice, warbles, eventually flute, drum, one more voice, disjointed

Sokyoku, Rokudan No Shirabe

High quality audio, mulitple string lines, hint of flute as music progresses, plucking strings

What are the two major religions practiced in

Japan?

Shintoism, Zen Buddhism

What musical scale is most common in

traditional Japanese music?

Pentatonic

What religion is most associated with the

Japanese Imperial class?

Shintoism

List two beliefs of the Zen Buddhist philosophy.

Proper: understanding, thought, speech,

action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness,

concentration

What Japanese lute evolved from the Chinese

pipa?

biwa

To what Hornbostal-Sachs class does the

Japanese koto belong?

Chordophone

What wind instrument is the Samurai most

associated with?

Shakuhachi

Buddhist monks are known to perform the

shakuhachi with what placed on their heads?

Baskets

In what non-musical capacity did Japanese

spies use the shakuhachi?

To conceal and transport important documents

The Japanese sho evolved from what Chinese

instrument?

sheng

Which instrument is used for breathing

exercises?

Shakuhachi

The Japanese taiko belongs to what

Hornbostel-Sachs category?

Membranophone

What Japanese instrument is a type of three

string banjo that is played with a very large

pick?

Shamisen

What three instruments are found in the

Sankyoku ensemble?

Koto, Shamisen, Shakuhachi

What are the four different types of Japanese

theater discussed in this unit?

gagaku, Noh, Kabuki, Bunraku

What form of theater is considered “elegant

music”?

Gagaku

The o-tsuzumi drum is most associated with

what type of Japanese theater?

Noh

in which style of Japanese theater are puppets

used?

Bunraku

What social class is Kabuki theater most

associated with?

middle Class

What type of theater was begun by a retired

Japanese emperor?

Gagaku

Where did Bunraku theater develop?

osaka

What type of Japanese theater contains the

cross-eyed stare pose?

kabuki

Which type of Japanese theater is most

associated with the Samurai class?

Noh

What does a pine tree in the background of a

Noh play represent?

Longevity