The Rhythmic Orientation of Two Drums in the Japanese No Drama

Abstract

cerning a part of one of the vital aspects of this art-rhythm. No music consists of two types, one of which is the chanting of the text by the actors or the chorus, known as utai or yokyoku, the other being the music of the hayashi, an ensemble of three drums and a flute. The latter group is used in a variety of combinations, with or without singing, so that the music can be changed to suit the mood and action of the drama. The flute is called Nokan, and the drum which is set on a low stand and played with two sticks is the taiko. The two hand drums are o tsuzumi and the ko tsuzumi, and it is with the music of these two, particularly the latter, that this article is concerned, altho the basic organizational principles stated here are in general applicable to the music of the taiko drum. The o tsuzumi is an hour-glass shaped drum held on the left hip and hit with one to three fingers of the right hand. The two horsehide skins are bound very tightly to the body, and further tension is exerted by a smaller rope which draws together five strands of the lashing rope. The heads are heated before every performance to further harden the sound, and the player usually wears papiermache thimbles on the right hand fingers to increase the characteristic dry crack of the o tsuzumi tone. This drum has two basic sounds, chyon which is strong, and tsu which is weaker. The ko tsuzumi is a smaller hourglass drum held on the right shoulder and played with one to three fingers of the right hand. Its skins are made with greater care and are lashed more loosely against the body. Tonal variations are produced by combining weak and strong blows directed either to the edge or center of the skin, with tension and relaxation on a special rope which encircles the drum. There are four basic sounds. One is pon, played in the center strongly with the ropes loose; at the moment of impact, or just before or after (depending on the school of drumming), the ropes are squeezed so that the tone wavers in a lovely liquid manner. This technique is the piece de resistance of No drum music. A lighter blow to the center of the drum with one finger and the ropes loose is called pu. A light blow to the edge with the ropes tense is chi, and a