Scan 22
Musical Courier 1895-07-17: Vol 31 Iss 802, 1895
84 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 23. See the scan on archive.org.
1(Japan); how is it then that Ama no Udsoome has given herself up to dancing while the gods are shouting with laughter?"
3"Whence cometh the light of which I have a glimpse?"
5"I dance and we rejoice," answered the singer, "because we are in the presence of a goddess more beautiful and more powerful than thou art," and at the same time Ama no Foutadama no Mikoto brought the mirror nearer the cavern; the goddess, enchanted with her own image reflected in it, advanced as if fascinated, and as soon as she had left her asylum the entrance was barred with a rope of rice straw. It was then that Ama no Foutadama, taking Ohongamee by the hand, implored her in the name of all the gods not to deprive them of her charming presence, to remain with them, and to taste the enchanting pleasures of music, which the pacified goddess consented to do.
7The return of the sun is the first benefit which is attributed to music in the study of its origin, as told by the Japanese.
9Such is the legend; and now as to the system that they use and the importance of music in private and public life. Up to date the Japanese have retained without alteration the musical system which was in vogue with them ages ago and is still dependent on celestial signs and divisions of the year. Their cabalistic sign is number five, considered sacred, and so the tonal system is also pentatonic; * it is called Goin and the following are its five tones:
11First tone, called Kioo (temple—lord), the most important.
12Second tone, called Ssho (commerce—servant).
13Third tone, called Kakoo (home—peasant).
14Fourth tone, called Tshie (signe—physical matter).
15Fifth tone, called Oo (feather—abstract substance); of the lowest rank.
17These five tones have no positive pitch, but starting with Kioo as fundamental they correspond to the Chinese pentatonic scale formed with the tonic, supertonic, mediant, dominant and supermediant of the major scale; thus starting for example with Do, the remaining tones of the scale should be re, mi, sol, la, and such a succession is the Japanese normal astronomic scale.
19The Japanese, who think that the whistling of the wind is different in each month, have assigned the fundamental tone of every scale to each of the twelve months when the whistling of the wind is supposed to be in that particular key.
21These twelve keys are:
23For January, Tairio, or approximately our E.
24For February, Taisokoo, or approximately our F.
25For March, Kiosko, or approximately our G flat.
26For April, Kossen, or approximately our G.
27For May, Tschoorio, or approximately our A flat.
28For June, Soosheen, or approximately our A.
29For July, Ringsho, or approximately our B flat.
30For August, Isokoo, or approximately our C.
31For September, Naoorio, or approximately our C.
32For October, Booekeee, or approximately our D flat.
33For November, Osho, or approximately our D.
34For December, Kosho, or approximately our E flat.
36Each tonality embraces different modes, and the pentatonic scales which represent these modes are formed by substituting altered tones in place of one or more tones of the normal astronomic scale. One of the modes most in use in Japan is very much like our minor scale, and their most popular instrument, the Sono-Koto (most important of the Koto family—similar to our psalterion), is tuned accordingly. It is also best understood by our ears trained to what is called the modern scale. The strings, thirteen in number, are all of the same thickness and strung about 2 centimetres apart. They can be bought for very little; but if the performer wishes to play sacred music he has to use thirteen strings expressly manufactured and ordered at Kioto, and they will cost from $6 to $8 a set.
38Here is the way the Sono-Koto is tuned:
40First string to Ssho, which in January would be Isokoo or our B.
41Second string to Kioo (tonic), which in January would be Tairio or our E.
42Third string to Kakoo, which in January would be Kiosko or our F sharp.
43Fourth string to Oo, altered, which in January would be Kossen or our G.
44Fifth string to Ssho, altered, which in January would be Isokoo or our B.
45Sixth string to Tshie, altered, which in January would be Naoorio or our C.
46Seventh string to the upper octave of the second string.
47Eighth string to the upper octave of the third string.
48Ninth string to the upper octave of the fourth string.
49Tenth string to the upper octave of the fifth string.
50Eleventh string to the upper octave of the sixth string.
51Twelfth string to the upper octave of the seventh string.
52Thirteenth string to the upper octave of the eighth string.
53Sometimes the first string of the Sono-Koto is tuned one octave lower.
55To go back to the formation of different tonalities, in order to find the tones which belong to a given key the twelve months and the keys which dominate in them are written in a circle.
57The Kioo or tonic is taken as the fundamental of the month of which we seek the tonality, and we count forward: January (Kioo), February, March, April, &c., eight months to and including August, and the tonality in that eighth month will be Sho or the second note of the scale we wish to find; then we count backward, beginning with the month that gives us Sho till we reach the sixth month, and that is Kakoo or the third tone of the scale, and so on, counting eight months forward and six months back, which procedure reveals the five principal and five altered tones. The foregoing is most convincing that the musical system of Japan is based on the chromatic scale, and that the ordinary scales are the result of fifths ascending and fourths descending. It had its origin in China, where the twelve Lioo or fundamental tones are similar to those of the Japanese scale; the pentatonic scales of Japan also are similar to those used by the famous Chinese musician Lin-Len, and which depend on a succession of fifths ascending and fourths descending.
59The difference between the two systems is very slight; the two nations attribute a different origin to their respective theories, and, furthermore, while the Japanese make use of altered tones, which also exist in the Chinese theory, the latter make no practical application of them.
61The musical notation of the Japanese is not so complete as it might be, though it is practically so for writing what is called pure or sacred music. Numbers are used to indicate what string is to be played on, while when writing for wind instruments the numbers correspond with the holes that are to be stopped; occasionally the name of the tone in its relation to the principal tonality is also given. Accidentals are small accents written at the side of the graphic representation given of the sound, and imply a different position of the finger. One of the fixed rules in this class of music (the pure or sacred style) is that the instrument which accompanies shall follow the principal at the same interval with which it started; it is the same form which, used in Europe in the seventh century, was known as diaphonio cantilena or organum, and is considered as the first life pulse of modern harmony.
63In noting down secular music monosyllables are often added to the musical signs in use; these monosyllables are meant to indicate the pulsations that are to be given to the tones, and they differ according to the instrument that is to be played. All the music is written on vertical lines, which succeed each other from right to left, beginning always from the top. In vocal music the words are written to the left of the lines, while the accidentals are placed either at one side or the other.
65Japanese music contains no actual rhythmic divisions; however, most of their melodies or songs are in four-four time or two-four time, while a comma placed between one musical sign and another indicates a sforzando in a long sustained tone which is accompanied with a stroke of the Shikoo-bioshee (a sort of castenets).
67Most of their music is so written that an instrument can play it with or without the accompaniment of voices or other instruments; vocal music has so far received but a secondary consideration, being looked upon by national musicians as an accessory and not as a principal part, and is always in unison with the instrument, one strengthening the other.
69A Japanese orchestra (Bayasshee) is generally composed of nine musicians, as follows:
71Two drums, two flutes, two reed instruments, one triangle, two singers, called Koonene-bayasshee.
73If there is only one man to each part it is called Gonene-bayasshee. The usual form of composition differs considerably from what we are accustomed to hear; the triangle begins and finishes a piece of music; the pipes (reeds) which follow are succeeded by the flutes, and these by the drums; then the entire orchestra is heard excepting the singers, while the triangle is played only at intervals. After this follows duos, solos, &c.
75The reed instrument in use is much like the fistula of the Romans or the ugab of the Hebrews; it is composed of three, six or twelve (when complete) short bamboo tubes, with a reed within each tube, attached in such a manner that the vibrations are free as in our harmonium.
77For home use the Bayasshee embraces usually only three instruments, the Kokioo (violin), Sono-Koto (a string instrument played upon with three ivory nails) and Shameeseng, also a string instrument most common in Japan, the body of which is square and covered on both sides with the skin of a cat; in cheaper instruments the skin of young dogs is substituted for that of cats; it has three strings of different thicknesses and a plectrum is used for playing upon them. The instruments of the Japanese can be divided into three classes: first, the wind—some of wood and others of shell; second, string; third, percussion. Instruments with valves or keyboards do not exist in the native development.
79For sacred music the following are used: The Tsheng, a species of accordion; Heetsheerekeee, a small oboe; Komafooye, a flute with four holes; Fooye, a flute with seven holes; Kenno-Koto, a psalterion with seven strings; Beeva, a large guitar with four strings; Taeko, a bass drum; Yoko and Kakko two small drums; Shoko, a species of tom-tom.
81All other instruments belong to a class known as impure. As I have said before, music plays an important part in all Japanese ceremonies, whether public or private, and there is scarcely a home of any importance which does not possess several musical instruments; it is considered as an inseparable companion of man in the most important moments of his life, it is the faithful friend of woman, and the marriage portion of the poorest girl embraces a Koto with thirteen strings and a Samhin; this instrument of Hindoo origin resembles somewhat the Shameeseng, the body being elliptic and covered with the skin of a boa.
83The musicians in Japan form corporations of varied importance. Some assemble at stated periods to take part in the grand religious or secular ceremonies; others hire themselves out for different events, mostly in private families, while still others serve humbler masters. The relation between the children of Melpomene and the public is very much the same as in other countries; they are divided into four classes, which diminish in importance, though often times able musicians belong to the lowest order, because they have not the financial means (the open Sesame) to rise higher. Considering the extremely fallacious statements that have recently appeared in numerous periodicals as well as magazines ament music and musicians in Japan, statements which are not only erroneous, but misleading in every respect, it is interesting to know that the leading
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