taiko drums

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TAIKO Drums

"Taiko" simply means "big drum", and has come to mean any small or large drum used to make taiko music. As such, it is notsurprising that the term "taiko" encompasses a very large group of percussion instruments. There is no one source for all the drums used inmodern taiko.

The Taiko drums have many forerunners spread out over a broad tract of geography and history -- the truth is that taiko's earliest ancestorswere born wherever and whenever a new drum was first struck.

Over the centuries, as taiko music developed into a uniquely Japanese form of expression, it was nourished by many musical forms bothforeign to Japan and domestic. And, as taiko evolved, a larger and larger stable of drums came into its domain.

In our own time, when taiko is on its way to becoming a truly international art form, it is likely to incorporate even more stylistic influencesand instruments. In addition to drums, there is a vast assortment of flutes, bells, gongs, rattles, and string instruments that have been incorporatedinto taiko performance practice. These instruments balance the thunderous roar of the drums and fill out the sound with high, delicate, andluminous tones.

Some taiko are native to Japan, others are descendants of those imported from places like Korea and China. Some are rustic, others ornate andsophisticated. Some have a fixed sound, while others are tuned. Among taiko's array of instruments are found both small hand drums as well assome of the largest drums on earth. What follows is a sampling of some of the most common drum types and instruments used by contemporarytaiko artists.

The variety of drums used in taiko is vast. Yet, as bewildering as their number may seem, most roughly can be divided into two categories:those with drumheads tacked to their rims, called "byou-daiko", and those with drumheads at either end and held tight with tension cords, called"shime-daiko."

The Drums -

Note the word "daiko," a variant of "taiko," which means "drum," is used as the latter part of a compound word that designate a particular typeof drum, such as a "shime-daiko" or "o-daiko."

Byou-daiko is the name for a major category of drums that are carved from a single log. "Byou" means "tacks." As the name implies, their drumheads are tacked to their rims. Thus, they produce one fixed tone, unlike the other main category of drums, the shime-daiko, which can betuned. Among the byou-daiko category of drums is the nagado-daiko family (which contain the most commonly known taiko), the ko-daiko,shaku-daiko, and the o-daiko.

Chu-daiko are medium-sized members of the Nagado-daiko family of drums, with the diameter of their drumheads ranging in size from roughly1.6 shaku to 2.8 shaku (approximately 19" to 33.5" or 48.5 cm to 85 cm).

Daibyoshi are short-bodied drums of the oke-daiko style. Their relatively high-pitched voice was used widely in Kabuki Theater.

Gaku-daiko is an ornately decorated version of the hira-daiko. It was originally used in ancient Gagaku Theater, from which it derives its name.Suspended in a frame, the instrument is played vertically while the musician is seated.

Hira-daiko is a term used to describe a type of drum that is wider than it is long, the literal meaning of "hira" being stout or flat. They are of the byou-daiko category of taiko in that they are carved from a single piece of wood and have drumheads that are tacked to their rims. Like the drumsof the more elongated nagado-daiko family, their sizes vary greatly, some being as large as the great o-daiko. These larger sized hira-daiko areoften used by modern taiko groups in place of an o-daiko.

Ko-daiko are the smaller members of the Nagado-daiko family of drums, with the diameter of their drumheads ranging from one shaku to one-and-one-half shaku (a shaku measures about one foot or 30 cm).

Kotsuzumi are small, hand-held drums of the tsuzumi family. Kotsuzumi have two drumheads at either end of its hourglass-shaped body. Thesedrumheads are made of calfskin stitched to supporting loops. The loops are held in place over each of the drum's openings by a suspension cordlaced around the drum's body. The instrument's pitch can vary during a performance by the player tensing a second cord, which is wrappedaround the first cord and the drum's body.

Kotsuzumi are customarily made of fine cherry wood, decorated with gild designs. This drum, as with similar drums in the tsuzumi family,comes from traditional Japanese Theater and only occasionally is used in modern taiko.

Nagado-daiko, which means "elongated drum," is perhaps the most popular type of taiko used by modern groups. Their bodies have a barrel-shaped appearance, with a maximum diameter roughly equivalent to their head-to-head length. Their drumheads are made of cowhide and set oneither side of the midsection of their bodies are handles composed of a ring and plate, which are called "Kanagu." A marvelously versatileinstrument, nagado-daiko can be positioned and played a number of ways on a variety of stands or "dai," and more than one musician can play onthem simultaneously. Their distinctively deep and resonant voice is familiar to everyone who loves taiko music. The nagado-daiko, like allmembers of the "byou-daiko" to which it belongs, is carved from a single piece of wood. It comes in a wide range of sizes, from one shaku (aboutone foot or 30 cm) to over six shaku (about six feet or 180 cm.) There are three main types of nagado drums, all designated by their relative sizes:the small ko-daiko, the medium sized chu-daiko, and the giant o-daiko.

Tsuzumi are all the various hourglass-shaped drums. Among the many drums of the tsuzumi family are the ikko and its larger brother the sanko,which come from traditional Japanese theater. Both are elaborately decorated, with two drumheads at either end that are supported and tuned bytension cords. The kotsuzumi are also a tsuzumi.



O-daiko are the largest members of the nagado-daiko family of drums. The "O" syllable in Japanese signifies exactly what the shape of itscharacter in the Roman alphabet visually suggests, something "big" or "fat." And these drums are among the biggest and fattest in the world, withtheir drumhead's diameters ranging from about three shaku to over six shaku (approximately between three to over six feet or 88 cm to over 180cm). Their great size robs them of much of the versatility that other nagado-daiko possess and they are usually played horizontally. Some are solarge that they are not often moved, but have an established place of residence in a temple or shrine. Because an o-daiko is made from a singletree trunk, the trees from which they come can be hundreds of years old and the largest of them come from trees over a thousand years old.Understandably, they are also the most expensive of taiko drums with prices that can reach into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today, the term"o-daiko" sometimes is applied broadly to any taiko of mammoth size, such as the largest of the okedo-daiko.

Okedo-daiko is a term for all shime-daiko that are made with stave construction as opposed to being carved out of a single block of wood. As

with all shime style drums, the okedo-daiko can be tuned. (Please see "Shime-daiko" below) Their drumheads are usually stitched over metalhoops and laced to the drum's body with tension cords, by which the tone of the drum is adjusted. There are many types of okedo-daiko butgenerally, these drums are more elongated than those of the nagado-daiko family (although okedo-daiko with short bodies are becomingincreasingly popular). Among the long-bodied okedo-daiko are ojime, nambu-yoo, and nebuta drums (which are usually placed on a stand and

played horizontally). Among the short-bodied okedo-daiko are daibyoshi, nenbutsu, tsuchibyoshi, and the eitetsu-gata drums. The terms okedo-daiko and oke-daiko are interchangeable and sometimes are used to simply describe drums of stave construction that are not necessarily of theshime-daiko family. This term often is used to designate all drums that resemble the shape and construction of traditional Japanese barrels,whether the drumheads are attached by cords or tacked to the drum's body. (Please see "Barrel Drums" below)

Paranku are small, thin, hand-held drums. They have one drumhead and greatly resemble tambourines.

Shime-daiko is a major category of drums that have their drumheads pulled taut over a hoop by a lace of tension cords.The word "shime" comesfrom the verb "shimeru", meaning to bind or make tight. Adjustments to their tone are made by pulling the cords. Shime-daiko are drums that can

be tuned, as opposed to drums in the Byou-daiko category that have a fixed drumhead and therefore a fixed tone.

Tsukeshime-daiko constitute a large variety of the shime-daiko. They are slung from the neck and shoulders, allowing the performer to dance

while playing.

Barrel Drums -

Although making drums from empty barrels is a very old practice (a practice even found in ancient myth, see Taiko: Myth and History), it has become particularly popular today. Because of the expense of the fine woods required to build traditional taiko and the highly skilledcraftsmanship involved in producing these exquisite instruments, many of today's taiko artists have turned to making drums from barrels as wellas other cylindrical objects. This practice especially is widespread in North America where the art of taiko is becoming very popular.

These staved drums can be divided into two categories: oke and taru:

Oke describes the conventional Japanese barrel drums. These drums are constructed of narrow staves and have a straight cylindrical shape. Theylook like the traditional containers for miso soup stock.

Taru describes wooden barrel drums with a bulging, tapered body, constructed of wide staves. The word refers to the wine and whiskey barrelsfrom which many American taiko are made.

Other Instruments Used in Taiko -

Biwa. A three-stringed lute with four frets and a distinctive rounded back. It is played with a large pick or "bachi."

Hyooshigi: Wooden clappers.

Ita-sasara: A rattle constructed of several wooden slats anchored to the instrument’s main shaft by cords. When repeatedly flicked by its twohandles, the slats strike each other making a distinctive rasping sound.

Kagura suzu: A hand-held bell tree with three tiers of pellet bells.

Kane: A gong used to keep musical beat. Either hand-held or hung by a cord, it is struck with a mallet.

Koto:A stringed instrument resembling the zither. It usually has thirteen strings.

Shakuhachi:This traditional bamboo flute is often used by the Shumei Taiko Ensemble during performances, and the refined sonic balance between drums and flutes is a signature of the Ensemble's performance style. Shakuhachi come in a variety of sizes and have four holes at their front and one at their back. Their evocative sound is delicately nuanced and breathy. Shamisen:One of a number of Japanese stringed instruments that resembles the banjo. It has three strings and is playedwith a pick or "Bachi."

Yotsutake: Bamboo clappers.



Taiko Drums

There is a vast variety of taiko drums that are used in Japan. Some have been based on drums imported from other cultures, and

some have been developed natively. Some have tacked heads, others have head that are laced to the body. There are ornate taiko

used in gagaku (imperial court music) and rustic drums for folk music. In short, there is a rich and diverse tradition of percussion

in Japan. This page will give you an overview of the various taiko types. Also take a look at the Taiko Glossary for detailed

descriptions of the various taiko as well as Japanese non-percussion instruments.

Taiko Drum Overview

"Taiko" in general is often used to mean the relatively modern art of Japanese drum performances (kumi-daiko), but the word

actually refers to the taiko drums themselves. Literally, taiko means "big/fat drum," although there are many shapes and sizes of

taiko. People are sometimes confused by the frequent usage of the word "daiko", which is a suffix used to indicate a type of

drum, a taiko group, or a style of taiko playing in a compound word. When used in a compound word, the "T" sound in "taiko"

changes to a "D" sound. Thus, a taiko in the nagado style is a nagado-daiko, for example.

Although traditionally, taiko have been used in very specific ways and in certain combinations of instruments, modern kumi-

daiko groups do not suffer such restrictions. Taiko selection is based on the style of taiko music you are playing as well as personal style. However, the nagado-daiko is overwhelmingly the most common style of taiko used. Most taiko groups will also

have one or more shime-daiko as well. Other taiko styles such as hira-daiko, oke-daiko are also freely used.

A variety of other instruments are also used in kumi-daiko to fill out the sound. Small hand cymbols (called chappa or

tebyoushi), small hand held gongs (call atarigane or chanchiki), flutes (fue or shakuhachi), gongs, and various clappers and

rattles are all used to wonderful effect. The high, bright sounds of these instruments add great contrast to the sound and are easily

heard above the roar of the big drums.

As a general rule, all taiko are struck with some sort of stick called bachi. The only hand drums in Japan seems to be the

kotsuzumi and ootsuzumi used in Japanese classical music. All other taiko are hit with bachi, and there is a tremendous variety

of bachi to choose from. Hard oak bachi are typically used for nagado-daiko. Larger bachi made of softwood are used for odaiko,

and smaller, lighter bachi are used for shime-daiko. Beyond that, there are bachi made from bamboo, bachi with shiny

decorations and tassels, and bachi with jingles and rattles. The proper selection of bachi can add great aural and visual interest toa performance.

Most taiko are measured in the traditional Japanese measure of shaku and sun. One shaku is 30.3 cm (about twelve inches), and

is divided into ten sun. Usually only the diameter of the head is measured.

There are many kinds of Taiko drums in Japan, but they can be broadly divided into two catagories: Taiko with a nailed head

( byou-daiko), and Taiko with heads stretched over a hoop and tensioned with ropes (shime-daiko).



Byou-daiko

Byou-daiko (also called byou uchi-daiko) have bodies that are traditionally carved from a single log, and heads that are stretched

onto the taiko and tacked in place. This style of taiko cannot be tuned after the head is stretched. The nagado-daiko (long bodied

taiko) is the most representative style of byou-daiko. It seems very likely that this style of taiko has its roots in Chinese or

Korean antecedents.

The favored wood for byou-daiko is keyaki (zelkova, a Japanese relative of the elm) which possesses all the qualities a taiko

maker looks for: hardness; good tone; and a beautiful grain pattern. Other woods such as sen, tochi (horse chestnut), kusu

(camphor) and toboku (from Camaroon) are also used on less expensive taiko. Since the bodies of byou-daiko are carved from a

single log, making a large taiko typically requires a large tree that has grown for a minimum of two hundred years; the largest

odaiko ever produced required a tree that was 1,200 years old. However, with proper care, a body can last for hundreds of years.

The increasing scarcity of old growth forests has driven prices up and spurred some taiko makers to use modern, unorthadoxconstruction techniques. These makers can now stack-laminate several pieces of wood together, or use a stave construction to

save wood and lower prices. Several varieties of plastic bodied taiko are also available, although the vast majority of taiko being

made are still carved from one piece of wood.

The heads are made from cowhide, and it is said that three to four year old black Japanese cows produce the best hides. Proper

preperations of the hide and the process to stretch the heads are typically considered trade secrets are guarded carefully. Verylarge odaiko requires the full hide hide from a holstein bull.

Nagado-daiko

The nagado-daiko (long-bodied taiko) is by far the most popular taiko used in the modern kumi-daiko style of playing. They are

also very common in festivals and in temples and shrines (where they are often called miya-daiko). They have a

characteristically deep, reverberant sound. These drums are often refered to by their size: ko-daiko is are roughly from 1.0 shaku

to 1.5 shaku; chu-daiko translates as medium drum (roughly 1.6 shaku to 2.8 shaku); and odaiko (big fat drum) range from 2.9

shaku on up to 6 shaku or more. There are many styles of playing this taiko, with a wonderful selection of different stands that

hold the nagado-daiko in various positions.



Odaiko

Odaiko literally means "big fat drum" and can refer to any large taiko drum. However, the term is usually reserved for nagado-

daiko that have a head over three feet in diameter. Odaiko are typically placed on a stand and played horizontally, often by two

people at once. Typically, one player will beat out a basic rhythm while the second player solos.

Odaiko can reach huge proportions, sometimes weighing in at over three tons and spanning six feet in diameter. These Mammoth

Odaiko are often built for shrines or temples, and their cost can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Hira-daiko

The hira-daiko tends to be a small drum, but they can reach extremely large proportions as well. The big versions are popular among many taiko groups who can buy an odaiko sized hira-daiko for much less than an equivilent nagado-daiko. Smaller hira-

daiko are not used much in kumi-daiko, but have a place as an orchestral instrument, used in Hayashi music. They have a boomy,

reverberant sound like the nagado-daiko, but it decays much faster due to the shallow body.

Shime-daiko

Shime-daiko is a general term for a rope-tensioned drum (now sometimes bolt, or turnbuckle tensioned as well). The term

includes the okedo style taiko, as well as specifically refering to the small rope tuned drum often used used in Noh, Kabuki,Hayashi, Kumi-daiko, etc. The word "shime" comes from the Japanese verb "shimeru", which means to bind or tighten up. It

seems likely that the shime-daiko is a native Japanese invention, unlike the byou-daiko.

Shime-daiko have two heads which are sewn over steel rings and laced to a body with a rope or cord. They are tensioned with

another rope or cord that is wound around the lacings of the first rope. The pitch can be changed by adjusting the tightness of thissecond rope.

Used specifically, the term shime-daiko means a small drum used in Japanese classical music. It has a one piece body carved out

of a hardwood, typically keyaki. The body is often beautifully lacquered and decorated. Heavier, undecorated versions for folk

music are used by almost every taiko group. This heavier versions is properly called a tsukeshime-daiko, but most people just

call it a shime. The tsukeshime daiko has a thicker, stronger body and uses much thicker leather for the heads than a classical

shime. This allows the tsukeshime to be tensioned to remarkably high pitches.

Using the term broadly, shime-daiko can range in size from the small, hand held kotsuzumi to titanic okedo style drums over ten

feet in diameter. Small shime tend to have bodies carved from a single piece of wood similar to byou-daiko. Larger shime such

as Oke-daiko have lightweight bodies made from made staves of a softwood such as Hinoki (Japanese cypress).

Shime-daiko

Shime-daiko used for classical Japanese music (right) such as Noh, Kabuki and Nagauta are sometime called "taiko" or

"wadaiko," and have relatively lightweight bodies and thin heads, often with a circular patch of deer skin in the middle of the

head. Shime-daiko used for folk music and kumi-daiko (left) are called tsukeshime-daiko; they are much heavier, have thicker

skin, and are capable of being tensioned to a very high pitch.

In taiko groups, the shime is often used to keep the basic rhythm and establish time, but they are a versatile solo instrument as

well.



Oke-daiko

The oke-daiko, or okedo, is made with a stave construction - not carved from a single piece of wood as is the case with the

nagado-daiko. They tend to be larger than a typical nagado-daiko, often around six feet in length and three feet in diameter. They

are usually played horizontally, raised up on a high stand. There are also short bodied styles which are becomming increasingly

popular. They have a loud, flat, booming sound, and are often played with slats of bamboo which produces a sharp, slapping

sound.

Learning TaikoTaiko is a dynamic art form that appeals to many people. For experienced musicians, there is also some taiko sheet music

available at no charge.

Kuchi-showa

Kuchi-showa (also kuchi-shoga or kuchi-shoka depending on the area of Japan or tradition you come from) is a phonetic system

used to teach most Japanese instruments. Each note or sound that an instrument produces is assigned a different syllable. The

student is then taught the verbal pattern corresponding to notes to be played on the instrument. While there are completely

adaquate written notation for most, if not all, instruments, many traditional Japanese instructors firmly believe that the oralmethod of instruction is the best. It is often said, "if you can sing the kuchi-showa, then you will have no problem playing the

passage on a taiko, even if you haven't touched a drum before."

In the case of taiko, each of the different syllables tells the student how to hit the drum, along with the timing for each drum beat.

For example, the syllable "don" refers to striking the middle of the drum (the hara), while "ka" refers to striking the edge of the

drum (the fuchi).

The following chart summarizes the syllables typically used for most taiko. The first section gives the kuchi-showa that is used

for most drums. The second section lists any kuchi-showa that applies to a particular instrument. Since there are regional

differences of kuchi-showa, all variations are given where known. All notes are played with alternate hands unless otherwise

noted.



Syllable Meaning

Don A beat to the hara (center of drumskin) of large taiko. For the purposes of this chart, "Don" can be considered to be aquarter note.

Do-KoDo-Ro

Two alternating beats to the hara, starting with the strong hand, played twice as quickly as a single "Don". If a Don isa quarter note, Do-kon is two eighth notes.

Don-go Two alternating beats to the hara, starting with the strong hand, played twice with a swing beat.

Do-Kon Two beats to the hara, emphasizing the second beat. Same time value as Do-Ko.

Do-don Two beats to the hara with the strong hand, emphasizing the second beat. Same time value as Do-Ko.

Ko-Don Two alternating beats to the hara starting with the weak hand, emphasizing the second beat. Same time value as Do-Ko.

Ka A beat on the fuchi (edge of the drum). Same time value as Don.

Ka-TaKa-KaKa-Ra

Two beats on the fuchi. Same time value as Do-Kon.

I-Ya (pronounced "ee-yah")

A rest, a pause. Same time value as Don.

Su A rest, a pause. Half the time value as Don.

Tsu A note played lightly. Same time value as Don.

Tsu-Ku Two notes played lightly. Same time value as Do-Ko.

Zu A note where the bachi is left on the drum head after impact, to muffle and deaden the sound. Same time value as

Don.

Zu-Ku Two notes played where the bachi is left on the drum head after impact to muffle and deaden the sound. Same timevalue as Do-Ko.

Shime-daiko specific kuchi-showa

Ten A beat to the hara of a shime-daiko. For the purposes of this chart, "Ten" can be considered to be a quarter note.

Te-KeTe-Re

Two beats to the hara of a shime-daiko. If a Ten is a quarter note, Te-Re is two eighth notes.

Kozutsumi specific kuchi-showa

Ta

Chi

Pu

Pon

Atarigane (Chan-chiki) specific kuchi-showa

Chan A beat to the center of an atarigane.

Chi-kiChi-ri

Two beats to the edges of an atarigane. This is played with and up-down or side to side motion of the shumoku(mallet), and each edge of the atarigane is struck once.

Listening Exercises

Click on the following examples to hear them played on a taiko. These sound files are in the .aiff format and range from 44k to88k in size. If you need help configuring your browser to listen to these files, try the Underground Internet Music Archive, a

wonderful source of great music. They have excellent help pages dedicated to the following machines: Mac, Unix, Windows.

• Don Don Do-Ro Don

• Don Do-Ro Do-Ro Don

• Don Don Ka Don

• Don Don Ka-ta Ka



• Don Su Don Su Don Don Don

• Don Don Zu-Ku Don Don Zu-Ku

Finding Taiko Instruction

One of the most frequently asked questions on The Rolling Thunder Taiko Resource is "where can I find a teacher in my area?"

While both the West and East coasts of North America have many fine Taiko groups and instructors, it is difficult to find a taikoinstructor in many parts of the US. It can be even more difficult in other parts of the world. The Taiko Instructon Database and

The Taiko Group Database have been set up to help you find Taiko instruction in your area.

The Taiko Group Database is a comprehensive listing of taiko group contact information worldwide. By finding and contacting

the closest taiko group to you directly, you can learn about their admissions policy.

Online Tutorial

Learning taiko is an process best carried out with a competent instructor. To look for an instructor in your area, please try the

Instruction and Taiko Group databases. While there is no substitute for learning taiko from an experienced teacher, many peopledo not have access to instruction. For people in this situation, there is a Online Tutorial to allow people to learn on their own.

Taiko Sheet Music

The growing interest in taiko among university music departments and professional musicians has led to an increasing amount of

requests for taiko sheet music. Rolling Thunder is pleased to be able to offer several freely distributable compositions at no

charge.

The Sansa-daiko rhythm is also notated in the Online Tutorial

Cheap Practice Drums

There are several practice drums that can be made inexpensively while you are a beginner. These drums will allow you to

practice at home, and they have the added advantage of being relatively quiet so you won't disturb your neighbors.

The most common practice drum is to take a used automobile tire (they can be obtained for free from most tire shops) and set it

on edge on a folding chair. The tire is then strapped in place with twine or a bungie cord. People will then play the tread (edge)

of the tire in place of a real drum. While cheap and easy to set up and store, practice tires are heavy, ugly and sound awful.

Another downside is that they turn your bachi black as you hit on them. Some groups use packing tape (the kind that is 2 incheswide) to cover the tire, creating a membrane of tape over the hole on both sides. This allow the center of the tire as well as the

edge to be played.

Another method is to use packing tape to cover the mouth of a 35 gallon plastic garbage can. The many layers of tape forms a

drum head that is surprisingly durable.

Rolling Thunder, working with Asano Taiko Co., now offers a small hira-daiko suitable for practice use. This drum is made from

keyaki, the traditional wood most desirable for taiko, and will is offered at a special price.



Online Tutorial

To help out the many people who are interested in learning taiko but have no access to an instructor, Rolling Thunder presents an

Online Tutorial. This tutorial will teach you the rhythm of Kitakami Sansa-daiko, a festival piece from the city of Kitakami in

Iwate prefecture.

About the Tutorial

Sansa-daiko Tutorial

Please also take a look at the information in Learning Taiko.

About The Tutorial

Learning taiko is an process best carried out with a competent instructor. There are many aspects beyond the rhythms that are

important to taiko as an art, and they are difficult to properly learn without the guidance of a teacher. Most of these aspects have

to do with the spirit, respect and approach of the player to the drums, the other players and to the art form itself. To merely play

the rhythms, would be to to miss the essence of the art.

To help introduce people to some of the visual aspects of taiko, Rolling Thunder has also produced the Introduction to Taiko video tape. This tape, the first of its kind in English, has an overview of the different drum types, examples of stances, how to

hold the bachi, instruction of basic rhythms, and instructions on how to tension a shime-daiko. The tape also includes short

examples of many different playing styles. Since the Online Tutorial does not include any information on stances or movement,

the Introduction to Taiko video is an excellent companion to the tutorial.

Sansa-daiko Tutorial

Sansa-daiko is a traditional festival piece from Iwate Prefecture. While the underlying rhythm is similar to many "Matsuri"

(festival) pieces all over Japan, Sansa-daiko has a unique variation to call its own. There are also several regional variationsthroughout Iwate. Sansa-daiko is often played with a special mid-size Sansa style okedo hung from the neck and shoulders of the

drummer. This allows the drummer to dance while playing. Morioka, the capital of Iwate, has a wonderful festival each summer

where the main street is filled with a seemingly endless parade of dancing Sansa-daiko drummers. The image above is from

Morioka's Sansa-Matsuri.

This particular variation of Sansa-daiko is from Kitakami's Geino Matsuri. There are three sections to the piece: The first section

is played twice, the second section is played once, and the third section is played three times. There is vocal part that is chanted,

but other than marking down the syllables on the notation, this tutorial will not deal with it. The choreography is also beyond the

scope of this tutorial.

Each note is marked R for right hand, or L for left hand.

• Section one

• Section two

• Section three

• Listen to Sansa Daiko, each section played once through.



Sansa-Daiko Tutorial Section One

This is the first section of Sansa-daiko. The first section is played twice through before going on to section two.

The music has been written out in western notation, and the Taiko syllables are written below. The X marks represent the Ka

syllable - or a beat on the fuchi (edge of the drum). Please pay attention to which beats are played with the right or left hand; the

beats on the fuchi can get a little tricky.

Click on any of staffs to hear it played, or click at the bottom of the page to hear one repetition of section one. These sound files

are 22.3MHz .aiff files, and range from 75-100Kb.

DON DON DO-KO DON KA-TA KA DON

DO-KO SU DO-KON DO-KO KA-TA KA DON

DON KA-TA KA-TA KA-TA DON KA-TA KA DON

DON DO-KO KA-TA KA DON

DON KA-TA KA KA KA-TA KA-TA KA DON

DON KA-TA KA KA KA-TA KA-TA KA DON



Sansa-Daiko Tutorial Section Two

This is the second section of Sansa-daiko. This section is only one bar long and is only played once.

The music has been written out in western notation, and the Taiko syllables are written below. The X marks represent the Ka

syllable - or a beat on the fuchi (edge of the drum). Please pay attention to which beats are played with the right or left hand; the


Click on the staff to hear it played. This sound file is a 22.3MHz .aiff file, and is 99Kb.

DON KA-TA KA DON DON KA-TA KA KA KA-TA KA-TA KA DON

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Sansa-Daiko Tutorial Section Three

This is the third section of Sansa-daiko. The third section is played three times and then the song ends. The last note is not plated

on the last repetition.

The music has been written out in western notation, and the Taiko syllables are written below. The X marks represent the Kasyllable - or a beat on the fuchi (edge of the drum). Please pay attention to which beats are played with the right or left hand; the


Click on any of the staffs to hear it played, or click on the bottom to hear one repetion of section three. These sound files are

22.3MHz .aiff files, and range from 55-100Kb.

DON DON DO-KO DO-KO DON KA-TA KA DON

DON KA-TA KA DON DON KA-TA KA DON

DON DON DO-KO DO-KO DON DO-KO DON DON



DON KA KA KA DON KA KA KA DON KA KA KA KA DON

DON DON DO-KO DO-KO DON DO-KO DON DON

DON KA KA KA DON KA KA KA DON KA KA KA KA DON

DON DON KA DON DON KA-TA KA DON

DON DON DO-KO DO-KO DON KA-TA KA SU

KA-TA KA-TA KA DON DON KA-TA KA KA KA-TA KA-TA KA DON

Hear section three of Sansa-daiko played through one time. This sound is a 22 second, 22.3MHz .aiff file, 462Kb.

taiko drums

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