In contrast, shime-daiko used in ohayashi ensembles for Noh or kabuki theater uses twine to prevent too much tightening. When shime-daiko is performed in a drum ensemble, it is often times tightened with ropes, bolts or turnbuckles.
The sound quality and pitch can be adjusted with the thickness of the drum skin and the degree of tightening the rope or bolt. It has iron rings attached to its drum head and fastened with rope or bolt. “Shime-daiko” (締太鼓) is a drum with a hollow body carved out by hand. It is made from a single piece of wood and a single piece of leather that is fastened with “byō” (鋲/びょう), metal studs. Nagadō-daiko is made from wood that has been cut into round slices and carved out by hand. This drum is also referred under its alias name, “miya-daiko (宮太鼓), when used at festivals, shrines, temples and in “ohayashi” (お囃子), the musical accompaniment for the Japanese theater. One of the most widely used taiko drums is the “nagadō-daiko” (長胴太鼓), or “barrel body-drum” seen in most drum ensembles. Listed below are some of the more representative types of taiko. The two wooden drum sticks called “bachi” (ばち), strikes both sides of the drumhead to create a sound. The construction of taiko is made by stretching cow skin on both sides of a wooden body. Since ancient times, these percussive drums played a significant role in religious ceremonies at shrines and temples, and continue to be used today to commemorate national cultural events. In addition, taiko drums play an indispensable role in Japan’s seasonal festivals, “min’yō” (民謡) folk songs, and all forms of folk art throughout the country. This style of large communal performance represents the current mainstream drum performance showcase. In modern times, there are numerous live taiko performative ensembles commonly referred to as “kumi-daiko” (組太鼓). Furthermore, flutes and percussive type of instruments used to accent loud acoustic sounds came to be known as “ohayashi” (お囃子). These percussive instruments had a vital role in highlighting and revitalizing the shamisen music in “nagauta” (長唄), which subsequently developed as a form of Japanese classical music in kabuki theater. Shibyoshi (Noh theater’s four instruments as stated above) were also incorporated into kabuki. Various types of drums were used in kabuki. These four, instruments in Noh are referred to as “shibyoshi” (四拍子).ĭuring the 16th century, theater and dance troupes called “kabuki” (歌舞伎) became popular. Noh theater uses a flute called “nohkan” (能管), along with the percussion instruments: “ō-tsuzumi” (大鼓), “ko-tsuzumi” (小鼓), and “shime-daiko” (締太鼓). During the 5th century, various musical mediums migrated to Japan from China and Korea, where numerous types of percussive instruments were incorporated in an orchestra ensemble called “Gagaku” (雅楽), the early embodiment of Japanese court music.ĭrums were also used in the music for dance theaters called “Noh” (能), which appeared during the 14th century. The history of drums dates back several centuries, as evidenced in some such drums being excavated from ancient ruins.