One of the most wide spread instruments in the world is the drum. Drums have surpassed the many limitations that other instruments have been bound by. Some instruments are only used in certain hemispheres, certain genres of music, and even limited to finances and resources. But though the course of history, drums have and are being used all around the world. And can be used for nearly all aspect of what we understand to be music. The drum is so broad that to do any research on just the drum as a whole would be very extensive. So my focus will be on the, taiko, a Japanese style of drum deeply associated with Japanese culture and music. We will examine some drum history, Japanese culture, and finally the taiko style of drums itself.. …show more content…
The continent of Asia for many centuries has been a place of great trade and the mixing of cultures. With countries like Russia, China, and Korea, which all share a rich great music history, one can assume they had influence on Japanese music. Japan is a chain of islands that is separated by water, but home to thousands of people. The islands have a dense population of people, but due to seclusion, they did not begin to advance until other countries came to them. Most research suggest that music, as westerners recognize it, was not in Japan until roughly the third century. A large influence on Japanese drumming came from outside influence. Religion and spiral beliefs, Shinto for example, gave the idea that drums had a voice and spirit and could communicate with nature. Buddhism also had a great effect on music and drumming in Japan, the Japanese believed the drum HW,d the voice of Buddha. We also see the cultural use of drums in marriage ceremonies, burial rituals, different festivities and even to excite fighters or soldiers. In earlier Japanese culture drumming was seen as high class and a art to be admired. In Japan there are so many different kinds of drums, some with membranes attached to intricately tied ropes. Overall the drum in Japanese culture has had many influences and over the course of centuries has developed into an art of culture, …show more content…
The taiko are very special in Japanese culture, being used in many different scared contexts. Obviously with such admiration for a form of music, only the elite could play it. Those of high rank and social status used the taiko, as it was used in ceremonies and battle. However as the taiko grew in popularity and achieved mainstream status, more people began to play them. This of course led to groups, non professionals, and regular people playing taiko increasing its
Beck, John. Encyclopedia of Percussion. 2nd ed. New York: Taylor and Francis Group, LLC, 2007. Accessed May 15, 2014. http://books.google.com/books?id=8U83AgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false.
Percussion has evolved from a small category to a wide variety of simple and technical instruments. Percussion is a category of musical instruments that is played using the hands or with a handheld stick/beater. Percussion started thousands of years ago when people played rhythms on random objects to please their friends and scare their enemy’s. People over the years discovered different ways to hit the objects.
In Africa, music helps define its culture by expressing emotions through each song. Drums play a very important significance in African culture; they are always present in ceremonies such as births, deaths, and marriages along with a ritual dance. Ompeh is an organized system with many rules and is performed by recreational amateur ensemble of singers and percussionists. Maru-Bihag is loosely structured, performed only by experts, and is used more for entertainment. In India, the sitar instrument is taken very seriously; a student must apprentice with a master for 15-20 years before being allowed to play this
Popular instruments include clay panpipes, flutes, conch shell trumpets, and puma-skin drums”(Falconer, Kieran, and Quek 102). The music follows themes of religion, war, and profanity. Peruvians are always found dancing, whether at a festival, carnival, or just for fun. Music shows important parts of Peruvian culture. There are many types of dance in Peru.
The Japanese warrior, known as the samurai, has played a significant role in Japan's history and culture throughout the centuries. Their ancestors can be traced back to as far as can be remembered. Some stories have become mysterious legends handed down over the centuries. In this report you will learn who the samurai were, their origins as we know them, how they lived and fought and their evolution to today. It will be clear why the samurai stand out as one of the most famous group of warriors of all times.
Samurai have played a big part in Japans history. There have been supreme samurai or Shoguns whose rule shaped Japan in early times. These shoguns ruled in different eras or periods. There are three main periods concerning the samurai usage. They are the Kamakura, Ashikaga and the Tokugawa period. The samurai were introduced as a part of the government in the Kamakura period.
Percussion instruments are by far the most dominant of the four major instrument families. There are many different types of cymbals and drums, which are ...
Music plays a huge role in the structure of a society. It can have both negative and positive influence on cultures and communities. First, musical sounds and instruments can be a dividing factor between the people within the same culture. These opposing social and economic identities within these cultures can lead unnecessary animosity between the members. However, music can also be one of the forces that unite members of a culture and provide a sense pride for everyone. This makes it easier for people to display their identification to that culture.
...lled by the drum layer, and paraphrased through different types of melodic variations by the elaborating layers and the vocal-tone layer. The elaborating layers are two, one suitable for a rigorous and rhythmic loud-playing style and one for a more subtle and refined soft-playing style. Conclusion Both the big countries, China and Indonesia, have rich musical heritage. They play different complex musical instruments. The soft kind of music is common between both the countries. References China Seeks Managers' Advice.; By: KOVSKAYA, MAYA., Billboard, 11/18/2000, Vol. 112 Issue 47, p10, 1/3p Music.; By: I.C.., Mother Jones, Sep/Oct98, Vol. 23 Issue 5, p84, 2p, 1c; When pink turns to blue.; By: Doskoch, Peter., Psychology Today, Mar/Apr97, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p12 Woodstock East' Has Music and Lots of Mud.; By: Kuo, Kaiser., Time, 9/2/2002, Vol. 160 Issue 10, p8
It has been scientists' belief that music must have been present in the ancestral population prior to the dispersal of humans around the world. Therefore it is believed that music must have been in existence for at least 50,000 years, with the first music being invented in Africa and then evolving into becoming a fundamental constituent of human life. Any culture of music is influenced by the aspect of their culture, including their social and economic organization, climate, and access to technology. People express their emotions and ideas through their music. Music expresses the situations and how music is listened to and played. The attitude towards music players and composers varies between regions and periods of history. Music history" is the distinct subfield of musicology and history which studies music (particularly western art music) from a chronological perspective. ("History of Music")
Indeed, for the predominantly white Canadian participants, for whom drums may be more closely associated to
Mainly the West Africans used percussive instruments. These drums came in all sizes ranging from ten to twelve inches to ten to twelve feet. Their drums were made out of hollowed out logs and gourds with a tight skin over the hollow. They also used idiophones to make music. They used a variety of bells, castanets, gongs, and sometimes they made small xylophones or small pianos. Aerophones weren't as prevalent as the percussions or idiophones. Some explorers made small flutes, horns and trumpets from elephant tusks.
The influence that music has throughout the world is immeasurable. Music evokes many feelings, surfaces old memories, and creates new ones all while satisfying a sense of human emotion. With the ability to help identify a culture, as well as educate countries about other cultures, music also provides for a sense of knowledge. Music can be a tool for many things: relaxation, stimulation and communication. But at the same time it can also be a tool for resistance: against parents, against police against power. Within the reign of imported culture, cross cultivation and the creation of the so-called global village lies the need to expand horizons to engulf more than just what you see everyday. It is important to note that the role of music in today’s world is a key tool in the process of globalization. However, this does not necessarily provide us with any reasons that would make us believe that music has a homogenizing affect on the world.
There are many historical aspects of the Japanese, but the most interesting is the history of the Samurai. In Japans history war played a large role in the country. Controlling clans fought for parts of the land and overall control of the country. These clans were powerful families that resided in the country and who all wanted power and control of Japan for themselves. The families that would be in control were known as Shoguns. These shoguns would have warriors that fought for them if any of the other clan families would try to attack him in order to overthrow him and take his power from him. The Samurai followed a code that developed from Chinese beliefs when in battle. The Samurais code was known as the Bushido. This code was also known as “The Way of The Warrior” which was the main belief s...
Music is a form of communication, letting others knows what is going on in the country, political, social or economic and any other problems the people of the Caribbean faced. With so many different ethnic backgrounds in the Caribbean, they are people with Asians, Indians, and Africans descents. This created a language and culture barrier but each ethnic background shared a common link music. Music bridged the gap between the different ethnicities Music is part of everyone’s culture especially here in the Caribbean. Our culture is recognized worldwide for its music. The Caribbean has different genres of music such as calypso, reggae, dance hall, zouk and many others. Our music has roots in both African and European cultures. The drum rhythm comes from the African in...