Tuesday, August 7, 2012

3 Minutes Free Vacation to Japan! Japanese Traditional Music: Koto & Shakuhachi (Japanese flute)



Wow! Grab a beer. Turn the lights down low and turn the music up.


This is fantastic Koto and Shakuhachi music!




The koto () is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese zheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan.[1] Koto are about 180 centimetres (71 in) length, and made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). They have 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the string pitches by moving these bridges before playing, and use three finger picks (on thumb, index finger, and middle finger) to pluck the strings.


The shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of suizen (吹禅, blowing meditation). Its soulful sound made it popular in 1980s pop music in the English-speaking world.
They are often made in the minor pentatonic scale. 

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