The Koto is a stringed instrument that came to Japan from China during the 7th and the 8th centuries. It is a large instrument that is about six feet in length and it has a hollow wooden body and 13 strings. The strings are ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu, ju, to, i and kin respectively. These strings are tied over the top of bridges that are on each end of the instrument's body and they are all the same size as well as the same tension. The ji is a movable bridge on the instrument that is placed somewhere along each string's length. When the strings are lifted away from the body of the instrument by this bridge, it allows them to resonate when the player strikes them using plectrums on the thumb and two fingers.

Because of the fact that Koto music has a long history, this type of music has seen a great many changes through the years. During the Japanese Heian period, for example, which ran between 794 and 1185, the Koto appeared to be played in the form of a solo instrument for the court. However, as court life began to disappear during subsequent periods of time, the Koto music still remained to be played in the world of noblemen and priests. For a long period of time, Koto music was regarded as an official occupation for men that were blind, and this form of music seems to have been confined to them.

Adding vocal accompaniment to meditive forms of music finally began to appear near to the 16th century, but the performance of this style of music was largely limited only to use in temples. Koto music began to be played outside of its once restricted audience in the 1600s by Yatsuhashi Kengyo. He invented brand new tuning styles for the Koto, and began to compose a variety of new pieces for the instrument as well. In fact, it has been said that Yatsuhashi Kengyo is one of the greatest Koto music composers that ever lived. After the death of Yatsuhashi Kengyo, the Koto was not only opened to blind professional male musicians, but rather it also became an interesting musical instrument among female members belonging to well to do families across Japan.

Ikuta Kengyo, who lived from 1666 to 1716 worked on merging Koto music with traditions associated with the much more popular, much more widespread and much livelier instrument known as the shamisen, which is an instrument that is similar in nature to the lute and that was quite popular during this time period especially in the many entertainment districts within Japan. Today, the Ikuta school, or Ikuta ryu puts emphasis on ensemble music between the Shamisen and the Koto instruments.

Photo Credits: buyalex

Originally posted 2009-10-08 03:38:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Acoustic Musical Instruments, Instrument History, Koto

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1600s, 16th century, hachi, japanese heian period, koto music, kyu, male musicians, movable bridge, music composers, noblemen, period of time, priests, six feet, solo instrument, stringed instrument, style of music, temples, two fingers, type of music, vocal accompaniment