雅楽 GAGAKU

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  • 舞楽
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Wind Instruments (Fukimono, ‘Blown Things’)Types of Wind Instruments

The wind instruments, used in all the sub-genres of gagaku, can be divided into two types according to whether or not they have reeds. In the case of instruments with a reed, the vibration caused by the reed is transmitted to the column of air enclosed within the pipe. The pitch produced depends on the size of the reed, the length of the column of air, and the shape of the bore of the pipe. Timbre is conditioned by many complicated factors, including the size and material of the reed, and the inner surface of the pipe.

Rich timbre from a short reedpipe
Hichiriki

Size:

Pipe of approximately 18 cm; reed of 5.4 cm

Structure

The reed (rozetsu) is inserted into the upper end of the pipe

The hichiriki, used in almost all sub-genres of gagaku, is a double-reed pipe held vertically. It has two parts: a pipe or body of bamboo and a reed (rozetsu) made from the stem of a water reed. The outside of the pipe is wrapped with a binding of bark, cherry or wisteria, cut into thin strips and fixed to the instrument with black lacquer.

The reed, surprisingly large for such a short pipe, is flattened at one end, sanded down, and held in position with a band called seme.

The cylindrical bore of the pipe means that it sounds an octave lower than a conical instrument of the same length. It thus surprises us with its deep pitch and rich timbre.



A mouthorgan capable of playing single tones and ethereal chords
Shō

Size:

Diameter approx. 7 cm; height approx. 50 cm

Structure:

The mouthorgan shō is a free-reed instrument that can be sounded either by exhaling or inhaling. Bamboo pipes of differing length are inserted into a wind chamber ( or kashira) with an attached mouthpiece. There are 17 pipes in total. Two are mute; the other 15 have metal reeds (shita) close to their base (i.e. inside the wind chamber) and small fingerholes a little further up. A pipe sounds when the fingerhole is covered and the air inside the pipe resonates. Each pipe has only one pitch.

Since the instrument is thought to resemble the mythical Chinese phoenix (Jp. hōō) with its wings folded, it is also called hōshō. The Chinese counterpart of the shō is the sheng; similar instruments can be found in Viet Nam, Laos, and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Transverse flutes in three different sizes, with differing timbres
Ryūteki, Komabue, and Kagurabue

Size:

Ryūteki approx. 40 cm

komabue approx. 36 cm

kagurabue approx. 45 cm

Construction:

The word yokobue (transverse flute) is used to refer to the all of the flutes of gagaku, which have the specific names ryūteki,, komabue, and kagurabue. All are constructed of a length of bamboo, hollowed out and lacquered. The mouth-hole (utaguchi) is near the end of the instrument described as its head; inside the head is a piece of lead that helps balance the instrument in the player’s hands. The timbre of the flutes is clear, sometimes piercing.

The kagurabue, the longest of the three, is played in mikagura. The ryūteki, or ōteki, intermediate in length but the thickest of the three, is played in tōgaku (both kangen and bugaku), saibara and rōei, and the indigenous song and dance genres other than mikagura and azuma-asobi. The komabue, the shortest of the three, is used in komagaku (bugaku) and azuma-asobi.

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