Atarigane | A hand gong often used to keep time. It is played held in the hand or suspended by a cord called a fusa and struck with a deer horn mallet called the shumoku. Also known as a chan-chiki. |
Bachi | General term for drum sticks. |
Chappa | Small hand cymbals, also called tebyoshi. |
Chochin | A paper lantern used for decoration by some taiko groups. |
Chu-daiko- | General term for a medium-sized taiko roughly two feet in diameter. |
Dai | General term used for a taiko stand. Also used as a suffix in a compound word indicating the style of stand: e.g. shikaku-dai, a stand of square shape. |
-daiko | Suffix used to indicate a type of drum, a taiko group, or a style of taiko playing in a compound word. The “t” in taiko is changed to “d” when used in a conjunction with another word. |
Do | “The Way.” Indicated a path of learning. |
Dojo | General term for a place of study. Literally it means “the place of the Way.” |
Don | Notation for a single stroke on the taiko. It can also be combined as Dogo, Doro, DoDon, etc. for multiple strokes. |
Fue | General term for a blown instrument including nohkan, shakuhashi and sho. Fue is widely used to refer to a transverse (horizontal) bamboo. |
Gassho | Placing both hands together as a sign of highest respect and courtesy. Holding hands together in gassho symbolizes harmony. |
Hachimaki | Headband often worn during festivals or by some taiko groups. |
Happi | Short kimono-like coat often used in festivals and performances. |
Hara | Belly. It’s thought to be the location of the Ki energy in humans. Also refers to the center of the drumhead. |
Hira-daiko | General term for a drum wider than it is deep, (Lit. “flat drum”) with nailed heads, and carved from a single block of wood. |
Hoko | Buddhist term for Dharma drum or taiko. |
Hora | General term for a large shell used as a trumpet-type instrument. A horagai is a Pacific Triton or a Shank Shell, while hora may mean a conch shell. |
Horaku | Buddhist term for combining the Dharma teachings with the enjoyment of music, and may be translated to “Dharma Entertainment.” |
Hyooshigi | Wooden blocks used as clappers, similar to Latin clave, but struck at the tips rather that in the middle of the block. |
Jikata | Someone who plays the jiuchi or base beat rhythm. |
Jiuchi | Also called ji, a base beat. Usually a simple double beat (do ko) or a swing beat (don go). |
Josuke | General term for medium sized taiko. Also referred to as chu-daiko. |
Ka | Striking the wood edge of the taiko. It can also be combined as Kara, Kaka, etc. for multiple strokes. |
Kakegoe | Shouts, used to accent the music, signal shifts in rhythm and to encourage other performers. Common kakegoe are: Sho! Hai! Yo! Iyo! Sore! Ha! Korakora! |
Kamae | Player’s ready position before playing the taiko. |
Kane | General term for a metal gong or large bell. |
Kata | Form or style. |
Ki | The body’s energy or spirit, and it is located in the belly. |
Kiai | Shout used to channel ki. |
Ko-daiko | General term for a small taiko about one foot in diameter. |
Koshi | Hips. |
Koto | Japanese zither usually made with 13 strings. |
Kushi shoka | Also known as kuchi shoga, or kushi showa. The memnonic syllables and system used in learning traditional Japanese music. One syllable will correspond with one sound/note of an instrument, such as Don, Ka and Su. |
Kumi-daiko | A taiko ensemble literally meaning “grouped drums”. The modern style of taiko playing that uses many drums and performers at the same time. |
Ma | Space. It is the space between two notes or beats on the taiko. It is somewhat equivalent to a rest in Western notation. |
Matsuri | General term for any type of festival. |
Obi | Sash or belt used to hold a kimono or happi closed. |
Odaiko | General term for a taiko larger than 84 cm in diameter. It can refer to a large taiko of any style. |
Odori | General term for Japanese dance. |
Okedo-daiko | General term for drums made form a barrel-stave construction, not to be confused with the North American wine barrel taiko. The heads are usually stitched over steel rings and then laced to the body with a rope, similar to the shime-daiko. The tone of the drum can be changed by the rope tension. |
Omikoshi | Portable Shinto shrine carried about on the shoulders of festival participants. |
Oroshi | Drum pattern of increasing rapid beats, often leading into a drum roll. |
Ouchi | Someone who plays the main rhythm. |
Shakuhachi | End-blown flute made of bamboo. |
Shime-daiko | General term for a rope-tensioned drum (now sometimes bolt or turnbuckle tensioned). Shime-daiko has two heads, which are sewn over steel rings and laced to a kuri-nuki body with a rope called the shirabeo. |
Shishi Mai | Traditional Lion dance. |
Su | Musical rest, unplayed beat. A single rest/space between two beats would be written don (su) don. |
Tabi | Split toed socks worn with Japanese dress, such as kimono. Tabi with rubber soles are known as jika-tabi. |
Taiko | General term for Japanese drums. |
Togen Daiko | Name of the Oxnard Buddhist Temple taiko group. Togen means “Heavenly Place” and daiko means “drum.” |
Tsuku | Lightly struck beat or a beat struck at the outer edge of the drumhead. |
Uchiwa-daiko | Handheld taiko that has the skin stretched and stitched over a hoop and attached to a handle. It literally means a “fan drum.” |
Uta | General term for singing. |
Yatai | Festival float pulled by festival participants and sometimes carries musicians. |
Zori | Traditional Japanese thonged sandals similar in design to the ubiquitous “flip-flops.” |
