how do you play koto

How to play the KOTO

• Sit in front of the KOTO. The sitting position for playing the KOTO is directly in front of, and on the right of the instrument.
• Put three picks on your two fingers and thumb of the right hand. The strings are plucked by using ivory picks called TSUME, meaning nail in Japanese. ...
• Make the base pitch. ...

Full Answer

How to play koto with koto picks?

You will wear the koto picks on your thumb, index, and middle finger. Keep your fingers curved gently and pluck the strings with the edges of the finger picks. The tone you create will depend on the thickness of your koto picks. In the beginning, you will mostly pluck the strings with your thumb.

What is the basic knowledge of Koto?

Koto - Discover The Sound Of An Amazing Traditional Instrument 1 History of the Koto. The koto stems from the similar Chinese instrument called zheng and shares many of its features in terms of playing style and sound. 2 The Structure of a Koto. The koto is a wooden instrument with strings made of silk or nylon. ... 3 Learn to Play the Koto. ...

How do you tune a koto?

As stated above, you tune your koto according to the song being played. Each piece of koto music states the proper tuning scheme. The strings are numbered and tuned according to the song.

What is a koto instrument?

The koto (Japanese: 箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from the Chinese zheng, and similar to the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about 180 centimetres (71 in) length, and made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa).

How hard is it to play the koto?

The koto is not overly difficult, though it does present a challenge. Those who have played other stringed instruments may find it hard to grow accustomed to the change in picking and pressing the strings. The koto must first be tuned, but it is not tuned like other stringed instruments.

Do koto players sit or stand to play?

How to play the koto. Traditionally, the musician kneels in the formal sitting position called seiza, while the koto is placed horizontally on the floor. However, since Meiji era (1868) and the introduction of western habits in Japan, koto can now be played seating on a chair with the instrument placed on a stand.

What note does koto play?

The basic tuning of the koto is called hira joshi, and it is most often in the key of D: with ascending pitch, except: String 1 is in unison with string 5 in classical pieces. String 1 is usually an octave below string 5 in modern pieces.

How does the koto sound?

WHAT DOES A KOTO SOUNDS LIKE? The koto has a unique sound that is similar to a harp and also a guitar. It is plucked like a harp or like hand picking on a guitar. The movable bridges produce dynamic scales.

What is unique about the koto?

The koto, also known as "Japanese harp", is a Japanese stringed instrument with a rich and detailed history. Unlike western stringed instruments such as violins and guitars, the koto actually consists of 13 strings that are strung over 13 bridges. There is actually one type of koto that has even 20 strings.

How heavy is a koto?

Product informationItem Weight15 poundsProduct Dimensions72 x 5 x 10 inchesASINB00CJKCWPUItem model number04Date First AvailableApril 26, 20134 more rows

Is koto only performed by men?

The koto of the chikuso was made for the Tsukushigato tradition and only for blind men. Women could not play the instrument in the professional world, nor were they allowed to teach it.

What is the tuning of a koto?

Tuning on the koto is accomplished by first setting string No. 1 to the desired pitch. Then the fifths, fourths, octaves, firsts, and minor seconds are tuned, creating a scale close to the Pythagorean scale. Like piano tuning, inharmonicity is observed.

How many strings does koto have?

13 stringsThe standard koto is a zither (an instrument with strings stretched the length of the sound box) with 13 strings. It is about 6 feet long, 10 inches wide and 2 inches thick.

What are the two patterns of koto?

The koto has two types of patterns: metrical and non-metrical patterns.

What kind of music does koto make?

Koto music is known in general as sōkyoku. In the koto solo instrumental music (shirabemono), the most important type is the danmono, a variation piece in several sections (dan), each normally of 104-beat length. The term for koto chamber music, sankyoku, means music for three.

What is the most popular instrument in Japan?

According to the survey results, the koto is the most popular traditional Japanese music instrument played by 2.1 percent of female survey participants, followed by the Shamisen with about 0.6 percent among men and women.

What is the koto used for?

The koto is played with tsume, small plectra or picks, attached to three fingers on the right hand. In gagaku, traditional Japanese court music, the koto was played as part of an ensemble, after that, as an accompaniment for temple ballads, and actively came to be performed solo during the Edo period (1603-1868).

Who plays the koto?

The Koto is a traditional Japanese musical instrument. It originated from the Chinese Guzheng but developed its own tradition in Japan since the 8th century. It was traditionally played as a form of entertainment in the imperial courts.

Is koto and guzheng the same?

Unlike Guzheng strings, koto strings are all the same thickness on a typical instrument, ranging in weight classes from 16-19 momme (匁, a measurement for silk fabric.) Every string is set to the same tension; the pitch is controlled by the placement of the bridges. Strings were originally silk, then tetron or nylon.

What is Japanese koto music?

The term for koto chamber music, sankyoku, means music for three. The standard instrumentation today consists of a koto player who also sings, along with performers on a three-stringed plucked samisen lute and an end-blown shakuhachi flute.

How Do I Learn to Play the Japanese Koto?

Instruments like the koto are gaining interest all over the world. People want to learn this instrument that is steeped in Japanese tradition. Learning this instrument requires a concerted effort and time.

What do you wear to play the Koto?

To play this beautiful instrument, musicians wear finger picks and pluck the strings. The finger picks for the koto are very similar to the guitar, but they are worn differently.

How Much Does a Koto Instrument Cost? Why Are They So Expensive?

A traditional full-sized koto instrument will vary in cost but typically hovers around $1000. A travel-size compact version will cost around $200-$300.

Why is the Koto called Koto?

The instrument gets its name because koto was a general term for all stringed instruments around the time the guzheng first arrived in Japan. The koto was used to create romantic music and was a popular instrument among the wealthy class of Japan.

How to wear Koto picks?

You will wear the koto picks on your thumb, index, and middle finger. Keep your fingers curved gently and pluck the strings with the edges of the finger picks. The tone you create will depend on the thickness of your koto picks. In the beginning, you will mostly pluck the strings with your thumb. As you gain confidence, you can add in your index and middle fingers.

How many strings does a Koto have?

The koto is a sizeable instrument that features thirteen strings. This instrument is approximately 160 centimeters long and about twenty centimeters wide.

What is a Koto?

The koto is an exquisite instrument when it is adorned. Artisans use ivory, tortoise shells, ebony, and metal, to create stunning instruments.

What is a Koto guitar?

The Structure of a Koto. The koto is a wooden instrument with strings made of silk or nylon. Depending on the wood type, the quality of the sound and the price of the koto will vary. One of the most common materials for the body of the koto is paulownia wood. Like a guitar, the strings are strung over bridges, but unlike traditional western ...

What is the Japanese koto?

The koto is a traditional Japanese instrument with a rich history that enchants music lovers from all around the world with its sound. Learn more about the history of the koto and where you can learn to play it in Japan. The koto, also known as "Japanese harp", is a Japanese stringed instrument with a rich and detailed history.

How many strings does a Koto have?

Unlike western stringed instruments such as violins and guitars, the koto actually consists of 13 strings that are strung over 13 bridges. There is actually one type of koto that has even 20 strings. The koto is played with your fingers using plectra on three of the fingers to pluck the strings, while the other fingers will hold down ...

What is the Ikuta style of playing the Koto?

One is the Ikuta style, which uses square-edged picks , and the other style is the Yamada style, which uses round-edged picks.

What is a Koto class?

The koto is part of traditional Japanese culture, and courses will often cater to visitors from abroad as well. During a one-hour course, you can learn to play a traditional song. Most often these types of classes will be instructed in English are have an English interpreter available.

How long is a Koto?

Usually, the instrument is about 190 cm long, but the more strings it has, the longer it will be and more space it will require.

When was the Koto introduced?

After the instrument was introduced in Japan in the 7th century, it developed in size and shape reaching the 13-string version which is the standard now. Until the Meiji period, koto music was very popular within aristocratic circles. During and after the Meiji period when western musical styles started to influence Japanese culture, the koto lost some of is popularity.

How to play Koto?

The koto is played by plucking the strings with the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand, which are fitted with ivory plectrums called tsume. The left hand, in traditions after the 16th century, may alter the pitch or sound of each string by pressing or manipulating the strings to the left of the bridges.

What is a koto?

The koto, a 13-stringed zither with movable bridges, has been mentioned as one of the basic instruments of the court ensembles as well as a common cultural accoutrement for court ladies. The development of independent solo and chamber music genres…

How many strings does a Koto have?

Koto, also called kin, long Japanese board zither having 13 silk strings and movable bridges. The body of the instrument is made of paulownia wood and is about 190 cm (74 inches) long.

When was the Koto established?

The koto appeared in the Japanese court during the 8th century and was called the gakusō. Schools for the bourgeois were established in the 16th century. Two of these—Ikuta (started in the 17th century) and Yamada (opened in the 18th century)—continue to the present day.

When was Koto first used?

The koto appeared in the Japanese court during the 8th century and was called the gakusō. Schools for the bourgeois were established in the 16th century. Two of these—Ikuta (started in the 17th century) and Yamada (opened in the 18th century)—continue to the present day. Solo ( danmono) and chamber ( sankyoku) music dominate the repertory, and in the latter form the koto player often sings as well.

Can a Japanese zither be tuned?

The Japanese zither ( koto ), for example, can be tuned according to a number of fixed systems; nevertheless, its player produces many microtonal (using intervals that differ from the equally spaced semitones of Western music) variations on these fixed pitches by manipulation of the strings. The person who plays…

What is the character for Koto?

Names and types. The character for koto is 箏 , although 琴 is often used. However, 琴 usually refers to another instrument, the guqin ( 琴の琴; kin no koto ). 箏, in certain contexts, is also read as sō ( 箏の琴; sō no koto ). The term is used today, but usually only when differentiating the koto and other zithers.

What is a Koto?

The koto ( 箏) is a Japanese plucked half-tube zither instrument, and the national instrument of Japan. It is derived from the Chinese zheng and se, and similar to the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and ajaeng, the Vietnamese đàn tranh, the Sundanese kacapi and the Kazakhstan jetigen. Koto are roughly 180 centimetres (71 in) in length, and made from Paulownia wood ( Paulownia tomentosa, known as kiri ). The most common type uses 13 strings strung over movable bridges used for tuning, different pieces possibly requiring different tuning. 17-string koto are also common, and act as bass in ensembles. Koto strings are generally plucked using three fingerpicks, worn on the first three fingers of the right hand.

What is a Koto made of?

A koto is typically made of Paulownia wood (known as kiri ), although treatment of the wood varies tremendously between artisans. Koto may or may not be adorned. Adornments include inlays of ivory and ebony, tortoise shell, metal figures, etc. The wood is also cut into two patterns, itame (also called mokume ), which has a swirling pattern, or straight-lined masame. The straight lined pattern is easier to manufacture, so the swirl raises the cost of production, and is therefore reserved for decorative and elegant models.

How many strings does a Koto have?

Koto are roughly 180 centimetres (71 in) in length, and made from Paulownia wood ( Paulownia tomentosa, known as kiri ). The most common type uses 13 strings strung over movable bridges used for tuning, different pieces possibly requiring different tuning. 17-string koto are also common, and act as bass in ensembles.

Why is the Makura Ito important?

The commoners did all the innovations that made the koto not only a sturdy instrument, but more sonically adept. The makura ito was used in paper so the fine silk was in abundance in Japan. As of the beginning of the 19th century, an ivory called makura zuno became the standard for the koto.

What is the origin of Koto?

The ancestor of the koto was the Chinese guzheng. It was first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th and 8th century. The first known version had five strings, which eventually increased to seven strings. The Japanese koto belongs to the Asian zither family that also comprises the Chinese zheng (ancestral to the other zithers in the family), the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. This variety of instrument came in two basic forms, a zither that had bridges and a zither without bridges.

Why did women not play the chikuso?

With the relief of the rule, women started to playing the koto, but not the chikuso because it was designed for the blind which led to a decline in use; other koto proved more useful.

How to raise the koto pitch?

From a functional standpoint, the koto pitch is raised by pressing down on the string on the left side of the “ji” (柱) / bridge, with the left hand. One can lower the pitch by using their left hand, pulling the string toward the bridge and releasing it to its original pitch.

What is the instrument of a Koto called?

Moreover, since the instrument itself is made in the image of the dragon and embodies much of the sacredness of this creature, the parts of a koto are thus called “ryūtō / ...

What type of music did Yamada Kengyo use?

Influenced by the joruri music, Yamada Kengyo embarked upon composing koto music which was focused on singing.

What are the two koto schools?

It should be noted that there are two historically significant koto schools that developed in Japan: the “Ikuta-ryu” (生田流) / Ikuta school and the “Yamada-ryu” (山田流) / Yamada school. A member of the tōdō named “Ikuta Kengyo” (生田検校) founded the Ikuta-ryu / Ikuta school based in the Kansai region (ie. Osaka, Kyoto).

How is the tuning of a Koto determined?

The tuning of the koto instrument is determined by several factors such as the scale depicted in a particular song, the nature of instrument accompaniment at hand, and the measure and pitch of the singer’s vocal articulation.

How many strings does a Koto have?

While the original koto prototype consists of 13 strings, the instrument has adapted over time to include 17-string koto / bass koto, 20-string koto, 25-string koto, and other variations. Traditionally, koto strings were made from silk, however, more durable materials such as tetron strings are frequently used today.

When was Koto introduced to Japan?

History. Possessing a long and storied pedigree, the koto was first introduced to Japan during the 7th and 8th century from China. When the koto was first imported to Japan, it was used only by the Japanese court music called “gagaku” (雅楽). The koto used in gagaku is called “gakuso” (楽箏). Over time, it came to be used not only as an ensemble ...

Which is better, UniWS or Kotor?

Flawless Widescreen makes KOTOR highly unstable and crash all the time. UniWS is better.

Is there a Kotor 2 mod?

KOTOR 2 had a restoration mod that added so much missing content to the game, so on a whin I searched to find if there was also one for KOTOR 1. And there is!

Overview

History

Names and types

Construction

Koto today

Recordings

See also

Further reading