Music of Japan
The Many Styles of Traditional Japanese Music
Japanese music often involves a wide variety of instrumentation including woodwinds, percussion and strings. The timbre of many traditional Japanese styles would be considered crisp and bright. Japanese Hogaku is often either dramatic (usually in theatre performances) or very serene. Simple melodies are commonly used with multiple instruments creating a polyphonic texture. The tempo can range from quick to slow, often with changing dynamics, depending on the song.
Japanese music styles are usually a general description, with many sub-styles that have a more specific meaning. Only a few of them are named here:
Gagaku: Founded in the Heian period, traditional Japanese court music was one of the first styles of Japan. If this type of elegant music is played during a dance, it is called Bugaku.
Nohgaku: The music that accompanies Japanese Theatre known as Noh.
Biwagaku: Music played with the Japanese instrument Biwa, which is a lute.
Minyo: Traditional Japanese folk music.
Shamisenongaku: A type of traditional Japanese music played with teh Shamisen, a three stringed Japanese instrument.
Kabuki: A traditional Japanese theatre in which males play all roles, including female parts. Kabuki music is played during these types of performances.