Miyako Itchu　「School of Japanese Music」　Season1 (8 episodes)

We received a subsidy from the Agency For Cultural Affairs under its support program for continuation of cultural and artistic activities, so we produced the video “School of Japanese Music ”. In this video, Miyako Itchu XII talks about the characteristics of Japanese music in layman’s terms, and also plays the shamisen.

Musical Scale ①　 The Minyō Scale：　The Minyō ScaleJapan’s Oldest Minyō Scale
Musical Scale ②　 The Ritsu Scale：　The Ritsu Scale from overseas
Musical Scale ③ The Miyako-Bushi Scale： The miyako-bushi scale: the predominant type of shamisen music
Musical Scale ④　 The Ryūkyū Scale：　The ryūkyū scale was developed in Okinawa.
Rhythm：　Japanese music has no strong or weak rhythms.
Harmony：　Harmony does not occur in traditional Japanese music. 
Score：　Japanese music does not rely on music scores.
Components：　The components of Japanese music  

1　Musical Scale ①: The Minyō Scale

Japan’s Oldest Minyō Scale
Of several scales, the Minyō Scale is Japan’s oldest.

2　Musical Scale ②: The Ritsu Scale

The Ritsu scale was brought to Japan with Gagaku music. It was new to Japan. “Kimigayo,” our national anthem, uses the Ritsu scale, which gives it an official touch.

3　Musical Scale ③: The Miyako-Bushi Scale

The miyako-bushi scale, the predominant type of shamisen music, was created in Japan after the introduction of shamisen from abroad. Only the instrument was introduced, but not the music.

4　Musical Scale ④: The Ryūkyū Scale

The ryūkyū scale was developed in Okinawa. The formation of language and the formation of musical scales are very similar. Understanding the beauty of music leads to the understanding of its people. I will explain the ryūkyū scale, which does not appear in shamisen music.

5　Rhythm

Japanese music has no strong or weak rhythms, so it does not have the rhythm, melody or harmony found in Western music. The rhythm in Japanese music takes larger forms, such as with spring, summer, autumn, and winter, which flow naturally to embrace the people.

6　Harmony

Harmony does not occur in traditional Japanese music. It can be said that Japanese music is listened to in lines, while Western music is listened to in surfaces.

7　Score

Japanese music does not rely on music scores. Many types of music scores exist in the world, not just five-line musical scores. Musical styles around the world each have their own scores and teaching methods.

8　Components

This is a lecture on Japanese music by Miyako Itchu XII, the head of the Itchu-bushi school of shamisen. The sound of shamisen is called te (hand), and the lyrics are called fushi (tune). Almost all shamisen music is made up of te and fushi.