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Asian Music
What is it?
What instruments are used in it?
Asian Music
Where is Japan?
Japan
• Koto- a string instrument with 13 strings and 13
bridges; played with finger picks
• Finger picks are placed on thumb, index finger and
middle finger
• National instrument of Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75uAD-XYs6U
Japan
• Taiko Drums – Taiko means drum in
Japanese
• Drums are typically made of wood and
played with sticks
• They are typically very large instruments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n-6KC2RdGQ
Where is China?
China
• Qin or Guqin – stringed instrument that is
plucked
• Soft Dynamic instrument
• Range of about four octaves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Zf_RrEqx4
China
• Dizi – instrument made out of bamboo or
wood
• Played like a flute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxsOks4V35w
China
• In America, we have four instrument families
(brass, woodwind, percussion and string).
• In China, they have three instrument families
(woodwind, percussion and string).
• *String family is MOST IMPORTANT!!!
• In America, we have a conductor typically.
• In China, there is usually NO conductor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4VEuTM_gBI&feature=related
Where is Indonesia?
Indonesia
• Gamelan Ensemble – from Indonesia that uses
percussion instruments
• The word ‘gamelan’ comes from the word
‘GAMELS’ which means to hammer.
• Metallophones, Xylophones, Drums and Gongs are
used.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55_ngjs8prU
Pentatonic Scale
• Pentatonic Scale- scale commonly used in
Asian music
• Built on five notes (Do, Re, Mi, Sol and La)
• Penta = five
Tonic = Notes
Why does Asian music sound different?
• Government - Communism
• Government control of the spread of Western ideas
(including music) into Asian culture kept Asian
music from developing and modernizing.
• Government isolated/shielded Asian culture from
the influence of Western cultures/arts.
• Instruments and techniques did not develop like in
the Western cultures. Instruments used today are
the same as instruments used in ancient Asia.
• Today, China is more open (still Communist), and
Japan is democratic; therefore, some more modern
ideas/techniques are coming into Asian culture.