Score

In the old days, there was not a musical score to play Koto.

Not only Koto, but also most of Japanese instruments.

People were initiated into the music as “vocal music” which imitated the melody and sounds of these instruments.

Especially, It was permitted only blind people to teach Koto in Edo period.

So there was no other way for the students to imitate the teacher’s play to learn Koto.

We can imagine that’s hard work to master one piece of music.

In the Meiji period (1907), Koto score was invented.

For those who have learned the only staff notation, Koto score looks like a secret code.

But it expresses the music very easily by logical method.

Look at the score of “Sakura Sakura”

You can see the two lines enclosed in parentheses.

The first line is phrased for Part1. And second one is for Part2.

Kanji (Chinese characters) shows the numbers of strings.

The box marked by a simple line expresses one beat. And one bar is separated by the double line.

It’s not difficult, is it?

Koto player also uses the staff notation when they play with other western instruments,

Koto player can use both score!