Traditional Music Instruments Quiz

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Questions and Answers

Which type of instrument is the Hichiriki classified as?

Keyboard Instrument

Stringed Instrument

Wind Instrument (correct)

Percussion Instrument

What is the primary method used to produce sound in the Shinobue?

Bow stringing

Plucking the strings

Blowing air through a mouthpiece (correct)

Beating with a mallet

Which of the following instruments is classified as a Ryuteki?

Flute (correct)

Clarinet

Dizi

Trumpet

In which category does Traditional Music primarily fall under regarding instrument classification?

Both Folk and Classical Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes Percussion Instruments from other musical instrument types?

They are sounded by striking or beating. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following instruments is characterized as a traditional Japanese wind instrument typically made of bamboo?

Hichiriki Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the shinobue as a traditional Japanese musical instrument?

It is primarily a bamboo flute. Signup and view all the answers

Ryuteki is categorized under which type of instrument in traditional Japanese music?

Wind Signup and view all the answers

What is the core basis of traditional Japanese vocal music according to the provided content?

Intervals of human breathing Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between traditional music and historical influences in Japan?

It blends elements from early Chinese and Buddhist music. Signup and view all the answers

Which traditional Japanese instrument is recognized for having 13 strings?

Koto Signup and view all the answers

What is the commonly accepted role of Japanese musicians in relation to their instruments?

Mastering spiritual self-control through performance is emphasized. Signup and view all the answers

The term 'Hogaku' refers to what aspect of Japanese music?

Traditional music bases Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic distinguishes the Hichiriki's melodic style?

Loose but controlled embouchure Signup and view all the answers

Which cultural practices commonly feature the shinobue?

Folk songs and festivals Signup and view all the answers

What is a key physical feature of the ryūteki?

A body length of approximately 40 cm Signup and view all the answers

What materials are primarily associated with the construction of musical instruments in Arctic regions?

Bones, skin, and stone Signup and view all the answers

What type of musical instrument is the shinobue classified as?

Side-blown flute Signup and view all the answers

Which classification of musical instruments includes instruments that produce sound by vibrating air?

Woodwind instruments Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the traditional music featuring the ryūteki?

It is associated with traditional Japanese music. Signup and view all the answers

What common element influences the type of musical instruments used in a culture?

The availability of materials in a certain period Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Music of Japan Introduction

Japan has one of the longest and most complex histories of any country on earth
Its colors, sights, and traditions have fascinated visitors for thousands of years.
Japan holds strong to its traditions while still making room for innovation and new trends.

List of Contents

Koto
Taiko
Tsuridako
O Daiko
Tsūzumi
Shamisen
Biwa
Shakuhachi
Nōkan
Hichiriki
Shō
Shinobue
Ryūteki

What is Sakura?

Sakura is an ancient Japanese children's song, also known as "Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms"
It depicts spring and the season of cherry blossoms.
It's often sung in international settings.
Traditionally accompanied by a koto (a long 13-stringed instrument), or a shamisen (a 3-stringed lute), and various gongs, drums, and bells.
Represents a different musical culture.

Music of Japan - Vocal Music

Japanese vocal music is based on the intervals of human breathing rather than mathematical timing.
Musicians demonstrate spiritual self-mastery in mastering their instrument beyond just perfecting technique.
Value is placed on performance composure.

Music of Japan - Important Music Bases

Hogaku is the traditional music base, incorporating early Chinese and Buddhist music.
Shimyo refers to chants and religious hymns created by Buddhists.
Yo-sen is a hard mode, and In-sen is a soft mode (each has 7 tones but only 5 are used)

Koto

The koto is a type of Japanese zither.
It's the most popular Japanese musical instrument.
The character [琴], read as 'koto', is used to refer to the Japanese zither.
Introduced from China, it has a standard of 13 strings, but also includes 7-string kin and 6-string yamatogoto.

Taiko

Taiko may simply mean "drum" or "the art of Japanese drumming" in Japanese.
These wooden, barrel-shaped instruments symbolize the powerful, rhythmic, and dynamic energy of Japanese percussion.
Taiko have played an important role in many local festivals across Japan and accompany religious rituals
Often used in kagura (a category of music and dance stemming from Shinto practices) alongside other performers during local festivals.

Tsuridako

The tsuri-daiko is a large Japanese hanging drum.
It's played with two mallets on one side.
Hung from a round tama-form stand, it’s made of lacquered wood, and a wooden gilt gold painted attachment in the shape of a flame.
The word tsuri means 'suspended' and daiko/taiko is a generic term for drum/s.
The skin heads are painted, with a dragon on one side and the mitsudomoe design on the other. This double-headed cowhide drum is used primarily in a bugaku orchestra

O Daiko

The Odaiko is a large Japanese barrel-shaped drum.
Taut skins are stretched across both ends, though usually only one end is struck.
It may rest on a stand and is played with two sticks whose ends may be padded.
It's used as a bass drum in many styles of Japanese music, especially in the theater and for some types of festive dances.

Tsuzumi

In kabuki music both kotsuzumi and ōtsuzumi are referred to as tsuzumi.
These consist of a wooden body between two skins, held together by a cord (shirabe).
Played with two mallets, kotsuzumi is held in the left hand by the shirabe and rested on the right shoulder.
The different grip on the shirabe produces various tones when striking the front skin with the right hand.
Tsuzumi are struck percussion instruments used in both noh and kabuki music, categorized into kotsuzumi and ōtsuzumi.

Shamisen

The shamisen (three strings) is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument.
Derived from the Chinese sanxian, it's played with a plectrum called a bachi.
The Japanese pronunciation is usually shamisen. Shamisen varies in shape depending on its use with kabuki requiring a thinner neck and a thicker one for puppet plays and folk songs.

Biwa

Biwa is a Japanese short-necked lute.
Distinguished by its graceful, pear-shaped body, shallow, rounded back and silk strings (usually four or five) attached to slender lateral pegs.
Played with a large wedge-shaped plectrum called a bachi.

Shakuhachi

Shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown bamboo flute.
It was originally derived from the Chinese xiao in the 8th century.
The blowing end is cut obliquely outward, and a small piece of ivory or bone is inserted, producing subtle tone varieties.

Nōkan

The nokan (flute) is a transverse bamboo flute with 7 finger holes on the front.
The conical bore tube has an interior coating of tempera paint.
It's bound with thin lacquered strips of twisted cherry bark (kabamaki).
Played by blowing across the oval embouchure hole.
Used in Japanese 'Noh' theatre besides other Japanese dance music, music for kabuki theatre (geza), and various folk music.
Notably, the nokan's 'throat' (nodo), a short tube, results in the overblown octave being sharp at the lower end and flat at the top.

Hichiriki

Hichiriki is a double-reed aerophone specific to Japan.
Used as a melodic instrument alongside the fue (flute) in gagaku music.
It's often played at Shinto weddings.
Its reed is broad and thick, placed in a widened pipe end. This gives an external conical shape .
It's primarily cylindrical, played with loose but controlled embouchure and finger movements.

Shō

The Shō is a Japanese free reed musical instrument introduced from China during the Nara period.

Shinobue

Shinobue is a Japanese side-blown bamboo flute producing a high-pitched sound.
It's traditionally vital within festivals, folk songs, Shinto rituals, and kabuki and Noh performances.

Ryūteki

The ryūteki is a seven-holed transverse flute made of bamboo.
Approximately 40 cm long and 1.3 cm (0.5 inch) wide.
The inside of the bamboo is hollow and lacquered, and the outside is wrapped with strands of bark.

Music of Japan - Origins & Materials

Musical instruments' origins and materials relate to the culture and availability of materials in a specific region and time period.
Different cultures use different materials to create their instruments.

Major Types of Musical Instruments

Percussion instruments make sound by striking, scraping, rubbing, or beating with beaters. Examples include triangles and bells.
Stringed instruments (chordophones) make sound when strings vibrate, either when plucked or otherwise struck. Examples include guitars and violins.
Wind instruments (aerophones), resonate with the flow of air. Examples include clarinets, flutes, and trumpets.

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Description

Test your knowledge of traditional music instruments with this quiz. Questions cover classifications, sound production methods, and distinctions among various types. Perfect for music enthusiasts and learners alike!