PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Koto
The 17-string koto (十七絃 or 十七弦 Jūshichi-gen?, lit. "seventeen strings") is a traditional Japanese musical instrument, a zither with seventeen strings. It is a variant of the koto, which traditionally has thirteen strings.
The instrument is also known as jūshichi-gensō (十七絃箏), "seventeen-stringed koto," or "bass koto" (although kotos with a greater number of strings also exist). The jūshichi-gen was invented in 1921 by Michio Miyagi, a musician who felt that the standard koto lacked the range he sought. His seventeen-stringed creation, sometimes described as a …
Hyoshigi
The hyōshigi (拍子木?) is a simple Japanese musical instrument, consisting of two pieces of hardwood or bamboo that are connected by a thin ornamental rope. The clappers are played together or on the floor to create a cracking sound. Sometimes they are struck slowly at first, then faster and faster.
Hotchiku
Hotchiku (Jp: k. 法竹 h. ほっちく?, "bamboo of [the] dharma"; lit. "dharma bamboo"), sometimes romanized as hocchiku or hochiku, is a Japanese end-blown flute (a fue), crafted from root sections of bamboo. After cleaning and sanding, the heavy root end of the bamboo stalk reveals many small circular knots where the roots formerly joined the stalk. The same part of the bamboo plant is also used to produce the shakuhachi but, unlike the shakuhachi, the hotchiku's inside (bore) and outside surfaces are left unlacquered and its mouthpiece is not inlaid. The membranes at the nodes inside a hotchiku bore are generally left more intact than those of a shakuhachi. Together, these characteristics make for a visibly and audibly raw and organic instrument. Hotchiku are sometimes referred to as jinashi nobekan, meaning "without ji (a paste made of clay and lacquer, used to smooth the bore on shakuhachi), one-piece" (hotchiku are not cut in two pieces for crafting or storage, unlike shakuhachi).
Bipa
The bipa is a pear-shape lute that is a traditional Korean musical instrument which is related to the Chinese pipa, the Vietnamese đàn tỳ bà and the Japanese biwa.
The bipa fell out of use in the early 20th century. Attempts to revive it initially failed in 1988/89 due to fact that there are no existing professional players [1] but recently was successful. The recreation uses the existing modern Chinese pipa as a basis and the two modern bipa version were constructed almost exactly like pipa but modified to the Korean form, even with the use of fake nails and techniques. There are versions made that follow more closely to the original lines, not made like pipa, using silk strings and being plucked with bare fingers.
Sogeum
The bipa is a pear-shape lute that is a traditional Korean musical instrument which is related to the Chinese pipa, the Vietnamese đàn tỳ bà and the Japanese biwa.
The bipa fell out of use in the early 20th century. Attempts to revive it initially failed in 1988/89 due to fact that there are no existing professional players [1] but recently was successful. The recreation uses the existing modern Chinese pipa as a basis and the two modern bipa version were constructed almost exactly like pipa but modified to the Korean form, even with the use of fake nails and techniques. There are versions made t…
Yanggeum
The yanggeum is a traditional Korean string instrument. It is a hammered dulcimer. Unlike other traditional Korean instruments (most of which have silk strings), the yanggeum has metal strings. It is played by striking the strings with a bamboo stick. Yanggeum means a stringed instrument of the West (yang). The yanggeum is also called seoyanggeum ("Western stringed instrument") or gura cheolsageum ("European metal stringed instrument"). The origin of the yanggeum is the santur in Middle East. The Chinese introduced it into Korea in the 18th century. Its body is flat and trapezoidal, with seven sets of four metal strings. The right hand strikes the strings with a thin bamboo strip.…
Guqin
The guqin (simplified/traditional: 古琴; pinyin: gǔqín; Wade–Giles ku-ch'in; pronounced [kùtɕʰǐn] ( ); literally "ancient stringed instrument") is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favored by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote "a gentleman does not part with his qin or se without good reason,"[1] as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. It is sometimes referred to by the Chinese as "the father of Chinese music" or "the instrument of the sages". The guqin is not to be confused with th…
Xiao
The xiao (simplified Chinese: 箫; traditional Chinese: 簫; pinyin: xiāo; Wade–Giles: hsiao, pronounced [ɕi̯ɑ́ʊ̯]) is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute. It is generally made of bamboo. It is also sometimes called dòngxiāo (simplified Chinese: 洞箫; traditional Chinese: 洞簫), dòng meaning "hole." An ancient name for the xiāo is shùzhúdí (豎竹笛, lit. "vertical bamboo flute", [ʂûtʂutǐ]) but the name xiāo in ancient times also included the side-blown bamboo flute, dizi.
Erhu
The erhu (Chinese: 二胡; pinyin: èrhú; [ɑɻ˥˩xu˧˥]) is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular of the huqin family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. A very versatile instrument, the erhu is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as in pop, rock, jazz, etc.[1]…