Koto (instrument)

Thekoto(箏or琴)is a Japanesepluckedhalf-tube zitherinstrument, and the national instrument of Japan. It is derived from the Chinesezhengandse, and similar to the Mongolianyatga, the Koreangayageumandajaeng, the Vietnameseđàn tranh, theSundanesekacapiand the Kazakhjetigen.Koto are roughly 180 centimetres (71 in) in length, and made fromPaulownia wood(Paulownia tomentosa, known askiri). The most common type uses 13 strings strung over movablebridgesused for tuning, different pieces possibly requiring different tuning.Seventeen-string kotoare also common, and act asbassin ensembles. Koto strings are generally plucked using threefingerpicks(tsume), worn on the first three fingers of the right hand.
The character forkotois箏, although琴is often used. However,琴(koto) is the general term for all string instruments in the Japanese language,including instruments such as thekin no koto,sō no koto,yamato-goto,wagon,nanagen-kin, and so on.When read askin, it indicates the Chinese instrumentguqin.The term is used today in the same way.
The termkotoappears in theKojikiin reference to an ancient string instrument in this usage.Variations of the instrument were eventually created, and eventually a few of them would become the standard variations for modern day koto. The four types of koto (gakuso, chikuso, zokuso, tagenso) were all created by different subcultures, but also adapted to change the playing style.
One regional style of the koto is theTategoto(竪琴) from theAmami Islands. Unlike other varieties of the koto, it is held upright on the lap and played with one hand, may have more strings, is shorter, and is typically strung with steel strings.
The ancestor of the koto was the Chineseguzheng.It was first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th and 8th centuries.The first known version had five strings, which eventually increased to seven strings. The Japanese koto belongs to the Asian zither family that also comprises the Chinesezheng(ancestral to the otherzithersin the family), the Koreangayageum, and the Vietnameseđàn tranh.This variety of instrument came in two basic forms, a zither that had bridges and a zither without bridges.
When the koto was first imported to Japan, the native word koto was a generic term for any and all Japanese stringed instruments. As the number of different stringed instruments in Japan grew, the once-basic definition of koto could not describe the wide variety of these instruments and so the meanings changed. Theazumagotooryamatogotowas called thewagon, thekin no kotowas called thekin, and thesau no koto(saubeing an older pronunciation of箏) was called thesōor koto.
The modern koto originates from thegakusōused in Japanese court music (gagaku). It was a popular instrument among the wealthy; the instrument was considered a romantic one. Some literary and historical records indicate that solo pieces for koto existed centuries beforesōkyoku, the music of the solo koto genre, was established. According toJapanese literature, the koto was used as imagery and other extra music significance. In one part ofThe Tale of Genji, thetitular characterfalls deeply in love with a mysterious woman whom he has never seen before, after hearing her playing the koto from a distance.
The koto of thechikusowas made for theTsukushigatotradition, originally intended only for blind men. Women were forbidden from playing the instrument in the professional world, nor were they allowed to teach it. When these strict rules were relieved, women began to play the koto, with the exception of thechikuso, as its design for the blind led to a decline in use; other koto proved more useful. The two main koto varieties still used today are thegakusoandzokuso. These two have relatively stayed the same, with the exception of material innovations such as the use of plastic, as well as modern material for the strings. Thetagensois the newest addition to the koto family, surfacing in the 19th century. It was purposefully created to extend the range of the instrument and advance the style of play. These were made with 17, 21, and 31 strings.
Perhaps the most important influence on the development of koto wasYatsuhashi Kengyo(1614–1685). Yatsuhashi was a gifted blind musician fromKyotowho vastly extended the limited selection of only six traditional koto songs to a brand-new style of koto music which he calledkumi uta. Yatsuhashi changed thetsukushi gototunings, which were based on the oldergagakuways of tuning; and with this change, a new style of koto was born. Yatsuhashi is now known as the "Father of Modern Koto".
A smaller influence in the evolution of the koto is found in the inspiration of a woman named Keiko Nosaka. Nosaka (a musician who won Grand Prize in Music from the Japanese Ministry of Culture in 2002), felt confined by playing a koto with just 13 strings, and created new versions of the instrument with 20 or more strings.
Japanese developments in bridgeless zithers include the one-stringed koto (ichigenkin) and two-stringed koto (nigenkinoryakumo goto). Around the 1920s, Goro Morita created a new version of the two-stringed koto. On this koto, one would push down buttons above the metal strings like the westernautoharp. It was named thetaishōgotoafter theTaishō period.
At the beginning of theMeiji Period(1868–1912), Western music was introduced to Japan.Michio Miyagi(1894–1956), a blind composer, innovator, and performer, is considered to have been the first Japanese composer to combine western music and traditional koto music. Miyagi is largely regarded as being responsible for keeping the koto alive when traditional Japanese arts were being forgotten and replaced by Westernization. He wrote over 300 new works for the instrument before his death in atrain accidentat the age of 62. He also invented the popular 17-string bass koto, created new playing techniques, advanced traditional forms, and most importantly increased the koto's popularity. He performed abroad and by 1928 his piece for koto andshakuhachi,Haru no Umi("Spring Sea") had been transcribed for numerous instruments.Haru no Umiis even played to welcome eachNew Year in Japan.
Since Miyagi's time, many composers such asKimio Eto(1924–2012) andTadao Sawai(1937–1997) have written and performed works that continue to advance the instrument. Sawai's widowKazue Sawai, who as a child was Miyagi's favored disciple, has been the largest driving force behind the internationalization and modernization of the koto. Her arrangement of composerJohn Cage's prepared piano duet "Three Dances" for four prepared bass koto was a landmark in the modern era of koto music.
For about 150 years after the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese shirked their isolationist ideals and began to openly embrace American and European influences, the most likely explanation for why the koto has taken on many different variations of itself.
A koto is typically made ofPaulowniawood (known askiri), although treatment of the wood varies tremendously between artisans. A koto may or may not be adorned. Adornments include inlays of ivory and ebony, tortoise shell, metal figures, etc. The wood is also cut into two patterns,itame(also calledmokume), which has a swirling pattern, or straight-linedmasame. The straight lined pattern is easier to manufacture, so the swirl raises the cost of production, and is therefore reserved for decorative and elegant models.
The body of a traditional koto is made of Paulownia wood.Every piece of the instrument comes with cultural significance, especially since the koto is the national instrument. The wood is dried and cut into precise measurements. The size of the soundboard on a standard modern koto has remained approximately 182 centimetres (72 in), where in the past it ranged from 152 to 194 centimetres (60 to 76 in).
The bridges (ji) used to be made ofivory, but nowadays are typically made of plastic, and occasionally made of wood. One can alter the pitch of a string by manipulating or moving the bridge.For some very low notes, there are small bridges made, as well as specialty bridges with three different heights, depending on the need of the tuning. When a small bridge is unavailable for some very low notes, some players may, as an emergency measure, use a bridge upside down, though this is unstable and not ideal. Bridges have been known to break during playing, and with some older instruments which have the surface where the bridges rest being worn due to much use, the bridges may fall during playing, especially when pressing strings. There are, of course, various sorts of patch materials sold to fill the holes which cause the legs of a bridge to rest on an unstable area. About 6 feet (1.8 m) long and 1 foot (0.30 m) wide, the koto is traditionally placed on the floor in front of the player, who kneels.
The strings are made from a variety of materials. Various types of plastic strings are popular.Silkstrings, typically yellow in color, are still made, despite their higher price and lower durability than modern strings; some musicians prefer them, perceiving a difference in sound quality to modern strings. The strings are tied with ahalf hitchto a roll of paper or cardboard, about the size of a cigarette butt, strung through the holes at the head of the koto, threaded through the holes at the back, tightened, and tied with a special knot. Strings can be tightened by a special machine, but often are tightened by hand, and then tied. One can tighten by pulling the string from behind, or sitting at the side of the koto, although the latter is much harder and requires much arm strength. Some instruments may have tuning pins (like a piano) installed, to make tuning easier.
Themakura ito, the silk thread used in the instrument, is a pivotal part of its construction. This feature was not seen on the speculated nobility-style instruments because they used a more tension of theirs and valued the relict nature of their instruments. The commoners did all the innovations that made the koto not only a sturdy instrument, but more sonically adept. Themakura itowas used in paper so the fine silk was in abundance in Japan. As of the beginning of the 19th century, an ivory calledmakura zunobecame the standard for the koto.
For every part of the koto, there is a traditional name which connects with the opinion that the body of a koto resembles that of adragon. Thus, the top part is called the "dragon's shell"(竜甲,ryūkō), while the bottom part is called the "dragon's stomach"(竜腹,ryūfuku). One end of the koto, noticeable because of the removable colorful fabricshell, is known as the "dragon's head"(竜頭,ryūzu), consisting of parts such as the "dragon's horns"(竜角,ryūkaku)– the saddle of thebridgeor themakurazono(枕角)– "dragon's tongue"(竜舌,ryūzetsu), "dragon's eyes"(竜眼,ryūgan, the holes for the strings)and "dragon's forehead"(竜額,ryūgaku)– the space above themakurazuno. The other end of the koto is called the "dragon's tail"(竜尾,ryūbi); thestring nutis called the "cloud horn"(雲角,unkaku).
The influence of Western pop music has made the koto less prominent in Japan, although it is still developing as an instrument. The17-string bass koto(jūshichi-gen) has become more prominent over the years since its development byMichio Miyagi. There are also 20-, 21-, and 25-string koto. Works are being written for 20- and 25-string koto and 17-string bass koto.Reiko Obatahas also made the koto accessible to Western music readers with the publication of two books for solo koto using Western notation. The current generation of koto  players, such as American performersReiko ObataandMiya Masaoka, Japanese masterKazue Sawai, andMichiyo Yagi, are finding places for the koto  in today'sjazz,experimental musicand evenpop music. The members of the bandRin'are popular 17-string koto players in the modern music scene.
June Kuramotoof the jazz fusion groupHiroshimawas one of the first koto performers to popularize the koto in a non-traditional fusion style. Reiko Obata, founder of East West Jazz, was the first to perform and record an album of jazz standards featuring the koto. Obata also produced the first-ever English language koto instructional DVD, titled "You Can Play Koto". Obata is one of the few koto performers to perform concertos with United States orchestras, having done so on multiple occasions, including withOrchestra Novafor San Diego'sKPBSin 2010.
Other solo performers outside Japan include award-winning recording artistElizabeth Falconer, who also studied for a decade at theSawai Koto Schoolin Tokyo, andLinda Kako Caplan, Canadiandaishihan(grandmaster) and member of Fukuoka'sChikushi Koto Schoolfor over two decades. Another Sawai disciple,Masayo Ishigure, holds down a school inNew York City.Yukiko Matsuyamaleads her KotoYuki band in Los Angeles. Her compositions blend the timbres of world music with her native Japanese culture. She performed on the Grammy-winning albumMiho: Journey to the Mountain(2010) by thePaul Winter Consort, garnering additional exposure to Western audiences for the instrument. In November 2011, worldwide audiences were further exposed to the koto when she performed withShakiraat the Latin Grammy Awards.
In March 2010, the koto received widespread international attention when a video linked by the Grammy Award-winning hard rock bandToolon its website became a viral hit. The video showed Tokyo-based ensembleSoemonplaying member Brett Larner's arrangement of the Tool song "Lateralus" for six bass and two bass koto. Larner had previously played koto withJohn Fahey,Jim O'Rourke, and members of indie rock groups includingCamper Van Beethoven,Deerhoof,Jackie O Motherfucker, andMr. Bungle.
In older pop and rock music,David Bowieused a koto in the instrumental piece "Moss Garden" on his album"Heroes"(1977). The multi-instrumentalist, founder, and former guitarist ofThe Rolling StonesBrian Jonesplayed the koto in the song "Take It Or Leave It" on the albumAftermath(1966).
Paul Gilbert, a popularguitar virtuoso, recorded his wife Emi playing the koto on his song "Koto Girl" from the albumAlligator Farm(2000). Rock bandKagrra,are well known for using traditional Japanese musical instruments in many of their songs, an example being"Utakata"(うたかた), a song in which the koto has a prominent place.Winston Tong, the singer ofTuxedomoon, uses it on his 15-minute song "The Hunger" from his debut solo albumTheoretically Chinese(1985).
TherockbandQueenused a (toy) koto in "The Prophet's Song" on their 1975 albumA Night at the Opera. Ex-GenesisguitaristSteve Hackettused a koto on the instrumental song "The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere" from the albumSpectral Mornings(1979), andGenesiskeyboardistTony Bankssampled a koto using anEmulatorkeyboard for the band's song "Mama". A koto played by Hazel Payne is featured inA Taste of Honey's 1981 English cover of the Japanese song "Sukiyaki".A synthesized koto appears in their cover ofThe Miracles' "I'll Try Something New".Steve Howeused a koto  in the instrumental break ofAsia's single "Heat of the Moment", from theirself-titled 1982 album.Howe also played a koto on theYessong "It Will Be a Good Day (The River)", from the 1999 albumThe Ladder.
Dr. Dre's 1999 album2001prominently features a synthesized koto on two of its tracks, "Still D.R.E." and "The Message".A 2020 acoustic cover ofLed Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore" by PianoRock feat. Dean McNeillalso prominently features a synthesized koto.