Koto by Naoko Kikuchi

The Japanese koto is a simple instrument made by hollowing out a large piece of paulownia wood. 13
strings extend the length of the slim box shaped instrument. When played, then entire piece of wood acts
as a resonance body.
The koto is about 180cm long, 40cm wide and 5cm deep. The body is slightly bowed, with the seventh
(most central string) rising highest.
The shape of the instrument is likened to a Chinese legendary animal, a dragon. For example, parts of the
instrument have names such as "head of a the dragon", "tongue of the dragon", "eyes of the dragon" and
"horn of the dragon".
In the past silk thread was most often used for string, but today a type of nylon material called Tetron is
most popular. This material is much stronger and durable than silk, and the tone is quite similar.

The strings of the koto are all stretched tightly across the top of the instrument.
The tension on the strings is relatively uniform, and the instrument has no real "tuning" until you place
bridges under the strings. The placement of the bridges - towards one end of the koto or the other -
determines the pitch of the string. The player sits behind the instrument, at the far right end (where the
permanent, "ryukaku" bridge is located). Generally, strings are tuned to the right of the movable bridges
("Ji" in Japanese), with the string to the left remaining untuned. If a bridge is placed towards the far (left)
end of the koto, the length of the playing area on the string is long, resulting in a pitch low, and if it is
placed near the player, the length of the playing area on the string is short, making the pitch high.
The koto is tuned by moving the bridges under the strings until the desired note is acheived when the
string is plucked.

When playing, picks are worn on the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of the right hand. Koto picks are
called "Tsume" in japanese. Tsume are made by fastening the pick inside a band called a "Wa." The bands
are made from thickly lacquered paper, or sometimes leather. And the picks are usually ivory or plastic.

The range of the koto depends on the tension of the strings, but generally three octaves can be obtained,
with the lowest note being the C below middle C on the piano. The most common tunings start with the
the bridge under the first string (string farthest from the player) placed far to the left, and the remaining
strings (moving closer to the player) tuned consecutively higher (in ascending order). The bridges at the
high end (to the right, closest to the player) are placed relatively closely together, and it is generally
possible to obtain a difference of a half tone.
Considerable adjustment of tension is necessary, should it be necessary to tune a string to both the right
and left (usually untuned) side the bridge.
As the strings of the koto are traditionally tuned only on the right side of the movable bridges, a
permanent bridge exists only at the far right end of the instrument. There is no true bridge at the left end,
and as such, sound quality when playing to the left is totally different.
Bridges can be placed out of order (in both ascending and descending order), but this results in uneven
heights for the strings, sometimes making it difficult to play.


techniques
The koto is generally played by plucking the strings with the picks attached to the first three fingers of the
right hand. A variety of tone qualities are possible, from the very soft and warm to something quite hard
and strong. Tone quality and volume can be varied by changing the playing area (distance from bridge), and
the speed and strength with which a string is struck.

Picked chords, using the thumb and middle finger, are possible to a width of up to eight strings. When the
index finger is also used (for a three note chord), a width of up to six strings is possible. Chords of a
greater width (more than eight strings) can be made possible by playing as an arpeggio. Also, fingers of the
left hand (unpicked - pizzicato) can be used to increase the number of notes in a chord.

The pitch of a string can be temporarily raised by pushing down on the string to the left side of the Ji.
Generally it is possible to raise the pitch up to one whole step. If the tension of a string is very low
however, the pitch may be raised up to one and a half steps. When a press is released, and the string is
left to ring, the pitch returns to the original tone (For example, a string tuned to D can be pressed to
raise the pitch to E, and then released, resulting in a ringing tone of D.) Timing for presses and releases
can be varied, resulting in great differences in nuance.

When a string is played with the thumb, the string directly below that string is struck with the thumb pick
and is dampened. When this lower string is a pressed string, the tone is cut off (by the playing of the
higher string) and the left hand press can be immediately released, freeing the left hand for further use.
When this is not the case we must either wait for the tone to naturally fade, or else dampen the string
before releasing the press.
It is possible to press on two strings at the same time, the width between the strings being up to about
five strings.

Continuous use of presses, in rapid concession requires an extremely high degree of skill.
The pitch of a string can be raised or lowered by moving the Ji (movable bridge) to the right or left.
Such changes can be made during the course of a piece, when the left hand is free. It is very difficult (and
sometimes not possible), to change many strings in a short period of time. Also, it is much easier to
change pitches of strings (with the left hand) in the higher (or lower) range when playing with the right
hand in the same (high or low) range.
The most common performance method involves striking the the string squarely with the pick (using the
whole pick). A variety of other playing techniques, such as a tremolo using just the corner of the pick,
using the side of the pick for a scraping effect, and sweeping down across the strings with the backs of the
picks (a common classical technique) are also possible.
A variety of modern techniques are also used. These include, bartok, pizzicato, harmonics and muted
techniques. Recently a number of artists have come to use various prepared techniques, inserting
materials such as piano wire, sticks, paper and metal objects between the strings. Other interesting effects
can be created by using the instrument in more percussive ways, striking or rubbing not only the strings,
but the wood and various parts of the instrument with the hands or other objects.


a brief history
What we know of today as the Koto first came to Japan from China in the 7th century. It is thought that
there was also a koto-like zither which already existed in Japan, evidenced in a small, clay figurine dating
from some time between the 3rd century BC and 3rd century AD.

Like all of the other cultural influences originating in China and brought to Japan at this time, the Koto
was given a very high status, and was immediately incorporated into the Imperial Court Ensemble.

The Imperial Court Ensemble music, called Gagaku was a highly stylized, ritualistic music which was
performed solely for the enjoyment of the emperor and his court. Because of its sacred status, only a
select few were allowed to study the instrument, and today the music has been carefully but loosely
reconstructed without the aid of written scores. The Koto played a significant role for many centuries
within the confines of this small ensemble, which consisted of various wind, string, and percussion
instruments.

The 13-string paulownia wood koto played today remains essentially the same in size and shape today.
The beginnings of Koto music in Japan are cloaked in a very elite,
elegant atmosphere, and associated with the luxurious, unhurried lifestyles of the ruling class.
Kenjun (1547-1636), a Buddhist priest, is acknowledged as being the first person to take Koto - against all
rules- outside of the Gagaku tradition. He developed a repertoire for koto and voice called Kumiuta, and
a style of Koto playing called Tsukushi-style. Yatuhashi Kengyo, who learned Tsukushi-style Koto music,
changed the Kumiuta repertoire, and is credited with writing the koto classic, "Rokudan no shirabe"
(study in Six steps) and other important koto works, several of which are still commonly played.
Yatsuhashi wrote new tunings for the Koto which made the music lighter and more pleasing to the
untrained ear, including the most common tuning used today, Hira-joshi (pentatonic tuning ). He also
developed the "17 Koto
Techniques," a series of right hand koto playing methods which are
today considered to be basic to Koto playing. In all, Yatsuhashi is said to have made 100 important
contributions to the Koto.

Yatsuhashi's "Dan-mono" (section) works are extremely systematic and mathematically symmetric; each
section has the same number of measures, for example, and certain strings are played the same number of
times in those sections. Today he is called the "Father of Modern Koto" because of his contributions to
both Koto music and koto playing techniques, without which the instrument might never have successfully
survived the transformation from the restricted confines of the court ensemble.

Two Schools Develop Perhaps because there were so few opportunities open to them, many
blind people took up the study of Koto, so much so that the name " Kengyo" began to be awaarded
exclusively to blind kotoists who had achived mastery of the instrument. One of Yatsuhachi's disciples,
Ikuta Kengyo, was the first to write music which combined koto and
the three stringed shamisen. The "jiuta" singing style was thus further developed with these two
instruments. Ikuta began his own scholl of Koto, which uses square picks. Yamada Kengyo, who was from
the southern Osaka region of Japan's main island, developed a style of Koto playing which emphasized the
voice. Today the Yamada school is mainly distinguished from the Ikuta school by the shape of its picks,
which are rounded at the ends, and its
emphasis on singing jiuta pieces. For several hundred years, both Yamada and Ikuta schools performed
primarily solo and "sankyoku" works for koto and voice combined with shamisen and shakuhachi(usually
shamisen plyer sing) with subtle differences in the performance styles.

In 1867,Japan underwent one of the most dramatic changes any country has ever gone through. After
over 200 years of self-imporsed isolation, it was forcibly opened by Commadore Perry, who insisted that
ports be opened for trade with the outside world. The system of irreconcilable shofunates collapsed and
the emperor was reinstated to unite the country, while at the ssame time Japan began to moderinize-i.e.
westernize- at an incredible pace. Everything from clothing to schooling to lifestyles were transformed to
be more like the west, in an effort to " catch up" with the outside world. Many of Japan's traditional arts
were abandoned along with everything else "old-fashioned" in the national rush to westernize. The study
of koto was no exception, and was relegated to a back burner, to be carried out mainly by young
upperclass women wht wanted to give their marriage resume an elegant touch. The sound of the koto
could barely be heard amongst the growing din of machinery , trains and bargaining traders.


koto today
There are numerous schools of both Ikuta-style and Yamada -style koto in Japan today, with over 2millon
players officially registered. all of the major schools have now been joined by players of various
nationalities. It became required to take in a traditional Japanese music caliber by Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology all over the compulsory education period for four years and
increased at the opportunity when a primary and secondary student mentioned koto. In addition,
departments of traditional Japanese music specialty continue increasing in College of Music for these past
several years, and it can call that interest to traditional Japanese music.