Music of Asia China, Japan, and India
China and Japan Similarities: Music is tied closely to dance and drama Opera is important Instruments The Zither The Lute The Oboe The Flute Drums Gongs
The Zither An Stringed instrument played by plucking the strings with fingers of both hands Called “The Ch’in” in China Called “The Koto” in Japan- Larger and only has 13 strings
The Lute Stringed instrument similar to a guitar with 15 strings- used in many different cultures Predominant in Chinese and Japanese Music
Music Asian Music goes back over 3,000 years Many different styles of music due to the age of the countries Japanese dramatic music is important in Puppet theaters
Music of India Made up of 3 parts played by different instruments The Drone- Played by the Tambura 3 ½ to 5 feet tall! The Melody- Played by the sitar, sarod, and/or flute The Rhythm- Played by the Tabla
Test your understanding so far With the person next to you, please answer the following questions in your packet How many different parts is Indian Music made up of? What is a Raga? What is a Tala? Which instrument plays the drone, and explain what a drone is How is the tala different to western (American) rhythms?