World Music Japan & Tibet

sankyoku

"Three instruments" Japanese chamber music played on the koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi, often with a vocal accompaniment

ma

"gap", "space", "pause" or "the space between two structural parts."

Tantric Buddhism

(Tibet) Use of symbols, ritual objects and yoga in quest for enlightenment.

Less is Best

8th Century importation of Buddhism (Zen Buddhism) believes in what principle?

Gagaku

A Confucian-derived ritual court ensemble from Japan. "Elegant Music"

Sho

A Japanese free reed musical instrument based on Chinese sheng.

ryuteki

A Japanese transverse fue made of bamboo used in gagaku.

Hichiriki

A double reed Japanese flute used as one of two main melodic instruments in Japanese gagaku music

Dung chen

A long metal trumpet with low tones blown durring Tibetan ritual.

Tokugawa (Edo) Period

A period of peace & stability in which social order was based on traditional confucian order. Broke down Isolationism. (1600-1876)

Ronin

A samurai with no lord or master during the feudal period (1185-1868) of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege.

Yatsuhashi Kengo

Blind koto player & composer (1614-1685) He changed the limited selection of six pieces to a brand new style of koto music. He changed the Tsukushi goto tunings, which were based on tunings used in gagaku, and with this change a new style of koto was born.

Scholars/officials (samurai), farmers, artisans, merchants

Four Social Classes of Tokugawa period in order of importance.

Shinto

Indigenous animistic spirituality of Japan and the people of Japan. Means "spiritual"

Koto

Japanese 13-stringed zither.

D-Eb-G-A-Bb-D

Japanese IN scale

D-E-G-A-B-D

Japanese Yo scale.

taiko

Japanese big drum. A drum ensemble.

Ritualistic

Japanese gagaku performances could be described as _________

Chobo

Narrator/singer and shamisen player

Kabuki

Popular music theatre form developed for Japan's middle class in 17th-18th century.

Bunraku

Puppet theatre with a Chobo. Characterized by elaborate plots and favored by rising merchant class.

Dalai Lama

Spiritual and political leader of Tibet

Dung chen

Symbolized Elephant Power

Kang Dung

Symbolized morality.

Dung Har

Symbolized the sea (far away)

Samurai

The military nobility of pre-industrial Japan during the Tokugawa Period.

Kang dung

Trumpet made of human bone.

Death without Dying

Using chanting to alter the state of consciousness and address and conquer the fear of death.

shakuhachi

Vertically held Japanese bamboo flute

Shamisen

a three-stringed, Japanese lute

Dung Har

trumpet made of conch shell.