The Koto A Traditional Japanese Instrument

Heather Hull Ayaka Kato Clint Wood A.J. Castillo

The Koto The history of the koto Scores Three-piece band The two schools of koto playing The make-up of a koto

The History of the Koto Originated in China 5 strings BLIND musicians

7 th century: The Koto came to Japan 17 th century: Yatuhashi-Kengyo 20 th century: Michio Miyagi

Scores weren’t written down Strings were named by numbers Japanese characters Modern pieces written in Western notation

Three-person Ensemble THE KOTO THE SHAMISEN THE SHAKUHACHI

The Two Schools Instrumental Angle Square Narrative Perpendicular Pointed

Just some more facts…. –N–No harmony –N–No steady beat –S–Sign of culture

The Koto itself is made up of… A 6’ X 1’ piece of Paulownia wood 13 silk or nylon strings 13 plastic or ivory moveable bridges A 6’ X 1’ piece of Paulownia wood 13 silk or nylon strings 13 plastic or ivory moveable bridges

The koto resembles a dragon. The body parts of the koto are still referred to as dragon head, dragon back, & dragon legs!!

Bass Koto Jûshichigen 17 strings Nijûgen 20 or 21 strings

THE KOTO Where did the koto originate? Why weren’t there originally any scores for koto music? How many strings is on the traditional koto? What is the three-person ensemble the koto is part of? Name one of the two schools of the koto. China Because the musicians were blind. 13 Sankyoku Ikuta or Yamada