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means "drum
Drum

The drum is a member of the percussion instrument group, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of implement such as a drumstick, to produce sound....
" in Japanese
Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
 (etymologically "great" or "wide drum"). Outside Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums (???, 'wa-daiko', "Japanese drum", in Japanese) and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming (sometimes called more specifically, "kumi-daiko").

nese taiko drums have been developed into a wide range of percussion instruments that are used in both Japanese
Music of Japan

The modern Japanese music scene includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern, ranging from rock, electro, punk, folk, metal, reggae, salsa, and tango to country music and hip hop....
 folk
Folk music

Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including:* Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous with the term "Traditional music", also often including World Music and Roots music; the term "Traditional music" was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the other definition...
 and classical
Classical music

Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of Western art history Religious music and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times....
 musical traditions.

Taiko, in general, are stick percussion instruments.






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Taikodrummersaichijapan
means "drum
Drum

The drum is a member of the percussion instrument group, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of implement such as a drumstick, to produce sound....
" in Japanese
Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
 (etymologically "great" or "wide drum"). Outside Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums (???, 'wa-daiko', "Japanese drum", in Japanese) and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming (sometimes called more specifically, "kumi-daiko").

Types of taiko

Taiko Drum Manufacturing
Japanese taiko drums have been developed into a wide range of percussion instruments that are used in both Japanese
Music of Japan

The modern Japanese music scene includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern, ranging from rock, electro, punk, folk, metal, reggae, salsa, and tango to country music and hip hop....
 folk
Folk music

Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including:* Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous with the term "Traditional music", also often including World Music and Roots music; the term "Traditional music" was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the other definition...
 and classical
Classical music

Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of Western art history Religious music and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times....
 musical traditions.

Taiko, in general, are stick percussion instruments. With the exception of the kotsuzumi and ootsuzumi, all taiko are struck with bachi
Bachi

Bachi is the name for the wooden sticks used to play Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum for stringed instruments like the shamisen and biwa....
. They have heads on both sides of the drum body, and a sealed resonating cavity. Taiko are also characterized by a high amount of tension on the drums heads, with a correspondingly high pitch relative to body size. This high tension likely developed in response to Japan's wet and humid summers when most festivals take place. Many taiko are not tunable, and a drum with high head tension would counteract the slacking effects of humidity.

Taiko are categorized into two types of construction. Byou-uchi daiko taiko have heads nailed to the body. Tsukushime-daiko have heads sewn onto iron rings, which are then laced to each other around the drum body.

Byou-uchi daiko are typically hollowed out of a single piece of wood. The preferred wood is keyaki
Zelkova serrata

Zelkova serrata is a species of Zelkova native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan.It is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree growing to 20-35 m tall, with a trunk up to 2 m diameter with smooth grey bark, becoming flaky and browner on old trees....
 due to its density and beautiful grain, but a number of other woods are used, grouped under the generic term meari. Byou-uchi daiko cannot be tuned, and their sizes are limited by the diameter of the tree they are made from.

The typical byou-uchi daiko is the nagado-daiko (????, long-body taiko). The nagado-daiko is an elongated drum, roughly shaped like a wine barrel, that can be shifted in many different ways that affect the sound of the instrument. The drum can also be played by more than one performer at the same time. This style of drum also signifies the family of drums that are made from a single piece of wood. Nakado-daiko are available in a variety of sizes, from 1.0 shaku
Shaku

The shaku is an archaic Japanese unit of length, approximately equal to the foot . As with other measurements, it was originally derived from nature: the average length between Node on bamboo....
 (12" in head diameter), to 3.0 shaku in 1 sun increments. The chu-daiko is a medium sized nakado-daiko. Nagado-daiko over 3.0 shaku are also available, but they are referred to as odaiko (??? great drum). Smaller byou-uchi daiko such as the sumo-daiko and hayashi-daiko also exist.

Giant Taiko Drum Nagoya
One of the most defining drums of any Taiko ensemble would be the odaiko. The odaiko is the largest drum in all of Taiko if not the entire world. Some of the drums are so large that they cannot even be moved so they’ve taken up residence inside of a temple or shrine. Made from a single piece of wood, some odaiko can come from trees that are hundreds of years old.

Tsukeshime-daiko are available in a wide variety of styles, and are tunable. This style of taiko is typically tensioned before each performance. The tensioning system is usually rope, but bolt systems and turnbuckles have been used as well. Tsukeshime-daiko can either have stitched heads placed on bodies carved from single piece of wood, such as the shime-daiko and tsuzumi, or stitched heads placed on a stave-construction body such as the okedo-daiko.

The shime-daiko
Shime-Daiko

The shime-daiko is a small Japanese drum. The word "shime-daiko" comes from a larger word "tsukeshime-daiko" often shortened to simply, "shime-daiko" or "shime." It has a short but wide body with animal skin drumheads on both its upper and bottom sides....
 is roughly snare-drum sized, and is generally available in five sizes - Namizuke, or number 1 size, is the lightest and is used in classical theater such as noh
Noh

, or is a major form of classic Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Together with the closely-related Kyogen farce, it evolved from various popular, folk and aristocratic art forms, including Dengaku, Shirabyoshi, and Gagaku....
 and kabuki
Kabuki

is the highly stylised classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers....
. Nichougakke, or number 2, are usually used by amateur players for its light and yet sturdy frame. sanchou - gochou; number 3 to number 5 are used by semi-professional to world class performance groups.

Other Japanese taiko include the uchiwa-daiko (?????fan taiko), hira-daiko (???, flat taiko), o-daiko (???, big taiko), and a host of percussion instruments used in Japan's traditional noh
Noh

, or is a major form of classic Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Together with the closely-related Kyogen farce, it evolved from various popular, folk and aristocratic art forms, including Dengaku, Shirabyoshi, and Gagaku....
, gagaku
Gagaku

Gagaku is a type of Music of Japan that has been performed at the Imperial court for several centuries. It consists of three primary bodies:...
, and kabuki
Kabuki

is the highly stylised classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers....
 ensembles.

The Aomori
Aomori Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Tohoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori, Aomori....
 region is famous for the Nebuta festival where huge okedo are played by many people while carted through the streets. The Okedo has its own upright stand which was invented by Asano Taiko Drum Company.

Again, like the nagado-daiko, the okedo has a rim sound, called "ka." When playing the rim of an okedo, however, it is important to only hit the outermost metal ring and not the actual rim of the drum body. The thin, light wood of the okedo is particularly susceptible to denting and will quickly deteriorate if hit.

The early history of taiko


Along with the martial use of the Taiko drums, they also held a strong foundation in the court style music called Gagaku
Gagaku

Gagaku is a type of Music of Japan that has been performed at the Imperial court for several centuries. It consists of three primary bodies:...
. You would expect to find this style of music held in the castles and shrines across ancient Japan. Gagaku alone is one of the oldest styles of court music that is still being played in the world today.

Modern taiko

Modern taiko is recognized as having been established in 1951 by Daihachi Oguchi
Daihachi Oguchi

was a Japanese drummer best known for popularizing taiko.He died on 27 June, 2008 after being struck by a car, he was 84....
. He is credited with forming the first actual Taiko ensemble referred to as kumi-daiko and starting the modern popularity of Taiko performances. Daihachi Oguchi was originally known for his jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 drumming performances. As the story goes, he was going to play a drumming piece for one of the local shrines and decided to add somewhat of a jazz style flare to the piece. Coming from a jazz background, Daihachi Oguchi speculated why the Taiko drums had never previously been played as an ensemble before. From this simple idea Daihachi Oguchi put together various Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and pitches to be included in his ensemble. The drums were also arranged in the same type of manner that a jazz drum set would be expected to look like. Since an actual Taiko ensemble had never really performed together and the people he had playing with him were in no way professional musicians, he based the rhythms of their performance on the simplistic arrangement of the shrine music that had been previously played; which allowed for nearly any person with the interest in Taiko could play along. It was from the foundation of the first Taiko ensemble that Daihachi Oguchi continued on to lead the successful Taiko group named Osuwa Daiko. At 84 years old, Daihachi Oguchi died on June 27th, 2008, after being hit by a car across from his home in Nagano, Japan. Oguchi is widely attributed as the GrandMaster of modern Taiko. He formed or helped to form nearly 200 taiko groups in Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, Singapore
Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country microstate located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands....
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 and the U.S.

Around the same time as Daihachi Oguchi’s Taiko ensemble's name was spreading around Japan via radio and television broadcasts, another pioneer in the field called, Sukeroku Daiko, emerged. Their performances consisted of speed, fluidity, and power. They also brought flashy choreography and solos. Despite the group’s eventual break up, one of its members, Seido Kobayashi, went on to form the group Oedo Sukeroku Daiko, which is credited for being the very first professional Taiko group.

Another Taiko ensemble that set the framework for one of the most popular groups began on Sado Island
Sado Province

was a Provinces of Japan of Japan until the late 19th century; since then, it has been a part of Niigata Prefecture. It lies on the eponymous Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata prefecture ....
. The group, Za Ondekoza, was founded in 1969 by a man named Tagayasu Den. He set out to make Taiko more than just entertainment but a way of life. He collected a group of youths from rural areas across Japan so that they would be uninfluenced by the big city way of life. With this mindset, the students practiced a very rigorous training regime that typically consisted of marathon running and communal living. Due to complications, the group members and Tagayasu Den split off and Mr. Den left Sado Island
Sado Province

was a Provinces of Japan of Japan until the late 19th century; since then, it has been a part of Niigata Prefecture. It lies on the eponymous Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata prefecture ....
. The remaining members, with the help of drums from Asano Taiko, went on to form the Taiko group Kodo
Kodo

Kodo may refer to:...
.

Kodo has gone on to be one of the world's most popular and recognized performance ensembles. Since 1988, the group has also hosted the Earth Celebration International Music Festival, which brings music enthusiasts from all over the world to their headquarters.

Most recently, a new generation of Taiko performers groups have emerged. Art Lee (Art Lee - Taiko
Art Lee - Taiko

Taiko teacher and performer Art Lee is recognized as being the first and currently the only person in the world who has ever been awarded an unsponsored artist visa by the Japanese government to be a professional Taiko Artist in Japan ....
) is a solo performer living in Japan, and director of a group, Tokara, through which he introduces a new style of artistry of movement and sound into Taiko composition. Entertainment groups such as Wadaiko Yamato and TAO have become full agencies in which the performance group is the main charter of the company as a whole. Other groups such as Shidara, stick with the traditional way of life of their area, while infusing their towns festival traditions into the entertainment industry.

The Taiko band GOCOO
GOCOO

GOCOO are seven female and four male Taiko drummers from Tokyo . GOCOO performed at major Blues&Roots, Rock&Pop and alternative Rock festivals, in live clubs, classic theatres and concert halls or at techno events....
 from Tokyo is the first internationally renowned group lead by a female drummer (Kaoly Asano). GOCOO
GOCOO

GOCOO are seven female and four male Taiko drummers from Tokyo . GOCOO performed at major Blues&Roots, Rock&Pop and alternative Rock festivals, in live clubs, classic theatres and concert halls or at techno events....
 is also the first Taiko ensemble to exhibit free-spirited Taiko MUSIC, rising freely between the East and the West, tradition and pop, rite and party.

Additionally, taiko has grown in the United States since coming over from Japan in the late 1960s. The first American taiko group, , was formed in 1968 by Seiichi Tanaka, a postwar immigrant who studied taiko in Japan and brought the styles and teachings to America. A year later, a few members of Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles were putting away a drum after an obon festival and decided to just have a jam session and after several hours of playing, they decided to form a group. Shortly after, Kinnara taiko was formed. In 1973, the third American taiko group, , was formed by a group of young Japanese Americans in the San Jose Japantown.

In the 1990s, there was a new development in taiko in the United States. In 1990, students at UCLA formed the first intercollegiate taiko group, Kyodo Taiko. In 1992, the second and third collegiate groups were formed, Stanford Taiko at Stanford University
Stanford University

Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private university research university located in Stanford, California, California, United States....
 and Jodaiko at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine

The University of California, Irvine is a public university coeducational research university founded in 1965, situated in Irvine, California....
. Since the formation of these three groups, collegiate groups have formed all around the nation. It's estimated that about 36 collegiate taiko groups and about 300 taiko groups in general exist in the United States today.

Taiko is also starting to emerge in academia. Eric "The Fish" Paton has established an entire world music curriculum (for non-musicians and musicians alike) at Capital University. The curriculum revolves around the Taiko drums and uses percussion to teach world music. He is also one of the greatest sensai's in the midwest.

As a sign of taiko's emerging influence, Bear McCreary
Bear McCreary

Bear McCreary is a classically trained composer and musician living in Los Angeles, California. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bear spent most of his formative years in Bellingham, Washington....
 heavily relied upon the instrument for much of the music in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)

Battlestar Galactica is an Emmy Award and Peabody Award-winning Serial television program created by Ronald D. Moore that first aired in a Battlestar Galactica in December 2003, on Sci Fi Channel ....
.

Taiko performance

There are four different styles of Taiko performance.

Multi-drum, multi-player
Two or more drummers play more than one type of Taiko. This style of performance is popular nowadays. It is also referred to as Kumidaiko.


Multi-drum, one player
One drummer plays more than one type of Taiko.


One drum, multi-player
Two or more drummers play only one type of Taiko.


One drum, one player
One drummer plays only one type of Taiko.


Taiko ensembles

Taiko ensembles are groups that are nearly completely drum instruments, with a couple of exceptions. Each from the drums plays a very specific role to the overall aspect of the ensemble. Of the many different styles and shapes of Taiko drums, the most common drum found in an ensemble would likely be the nagado-daiko.

Drums are not the only instruments played in the ensemble. They also incorporate a wide variety of other Japanese instruments to their ensembles. Common string instruments found with many different Taiko groups would be the biwa
Biwa

The biwa is a Japanese short-necked fretted lute, and a close variant of the Chinese pipa. The biwa is the chosen instrument of Benzaiten, goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in Japanese Buddhism....
, koto
Koto (musical instrument)

The koto is a traditional Japanese string instrument musical instrument derived from the Chinese zither . The koto is the national instrument of Japan....
, and the shamisen
Shamisen

The shamisen or samisen , also called sangen is a three-stringed musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The pronunciation in Japanese language is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" rendaku ....
. Of the woodwinds used, the bamboo flutes known as the shakuhachi
Shakuhachi

The is a Japanese end-blown flute flute. Its name means "1.8 feet", referring to its size. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in wood and plastic....
 and the shinobue
Shinobue

The shinobue is a Japanese transverse flute that has a high-pitched sound. It is found in hayashi and nagauta ensembles, and plays important roles in noh and kabuki theatre music....
 are popular items.

Uses of the taiko in warfare

In feudal Japan, taiko were often used to motivate troops, to help set a marching pace, and to call out orders or announcements. Approaching or entering a battle, the taiko yaku (drummer) was responsible for setting the marching pace, usually with six paces per beat of the drum (beat-2-3-4-5-6, beat-2-3-4-5-6).

According to one of the historical chronicles (the Gunji Yoshu), nine sets of five beats would summon an ally to battle, while nine sets of three beats, sped up three or four times is the call to advance and pursue an enemy.

Related terms

Bachi
Bachi

Bachi is the name for the wooden sticks used to play Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum for stringed instruments like the shamisen and biwa....
 : Straight wooden sticks used to play taiko drums. (See separate entry for additional details.) Ji
Jiuchi

Jiuchi, commonly referred to as "ji," is the base beat or underlying rhythm in traditional Japanese music. In the folk tradition, it consists of a simple, even rhythm, sung using kuchi shoka as "do ko do ko." This is often called "straight ji" in English to differentiate from other ji patterns....
 : Also called Jiuchi, is a basic rhythm used to support the main rhythm, or the O-uchi. It can also be described as the meter or feel of a piece (being in a straight duple meter or having a swing feel). Some of the more common rhythms for ji are don doko, don ko, or don go (swing pattern). A Jikata is a performer who plays the ji rhythm. Kizami : Straight simple meter. Ukare : "Swung" compound meter. Ma : A Japanese term that can mean "interval" or "space" (i.e., 'a' tto iu ma; the space it takes to say 'a'; compare to the English saying "in the blink of an eye"). It is used in music to describe a period of silence. In taiko music, ma is the period between hits on the drum. It is important to appreciate this silence when playing taiko, just as you would appreciate the sound of a hit on the drum. Since ensemble taiko is focused on rhythm, the ma of a piece is critical to adding drama, excitement, and tension. Ma can be a rhythmic rest, or an extended silence, to be broken at the player's discretion. If the player concentrates on hearing the ma between each hit, in addition to the hits themselves, he or she will create a much more effective and satisfying sound. A good example of how ma is used is in oroshi. Oroshi : Oroshi is characterized by a series of hits on the taiko. The player starts out slowly with lots of 'ma'(spacing). Gradually the 'ma' between each hit becomes shorter and shorter, until the drummer is playing a rapid roll of hits. In other words, a gradual increase in tempo. Chanchiki : A high pitched instrument meant to establish a common tempo. It is held by hand

See also

  • Music of Japan
    Music of Japan

    The modern Japanese music scene includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern, ranging from rock, electro, punk, folk, metal, reggae, salsa, and tango to country music and hip hop....
     for some history of taiko.
  • Kuchi shoga
    Kuchi shoga

    Kuchi shoga , also known as 'kuchi showa' and 'kuchi shoka', is a Japanese phonetic system for 'pronouncing' the sounds of drums, especially Japanese drums ....
    , a system used to 'pronounce' taiko sounds.
  • Taiko: Drum Master
    Taiko: Drum Master

    "Taiko: Drum Master" , also known as "Taiko no Tatsujin" is a drumming game for the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 2 based off the popular Japanese arcade game....
     (aka Taiko no tatsujin) is a drumming game for the PlayStation 2
    PlayStation 2

    The PlayStation 2 is a History of video game consoles video game console manufactured by Sony. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation of video game consoles....


Further reading


  • . National Endowment for the Arts, June 11 2001. Accessed March 4 2006.
  • Art Lee. "", Online Resource. Sep. 2003
  • Asai, Susan Miyo. "Horaku: A Buddhist Tradition of Performing Arts and the Development of Taiko Drumming in the United States." Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology 4 (1985): 163-172.
  • "." The Musical Quarterly 79, no. 3 (1995): 429-453. Asian Drums/Kiyoshi Yoshida. Pacific Moon Records, July 2 2004. Accessed 2005 Sep. 11.
  • Bando, Makoto. Hajimete No Wadaiko Enso [First Japanese Taiko Performance]. Tokyo: Erukurabu, 2003.
  • Barakan, P. "Discussion: A Woman Playing Japanese Drums." In Wadaiko, 124-135: Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 1995.
  • Bender, Shawn Morgan. "Of Roots and Race: Discourses of Body and Place in Japanese Taiko Drumming." Social Science Japan 8, no. 2 (2005): 197-212.
  • Bender, Shawn Morgan. "Drumming between Tradition and Modernity: Taiko and Neo- Folk Performance in Contemporary Japan." Unpublished dissertation, University of California San Diego, 2003.
  • . May 27 2006. Accessed April 24 2006.
  • . Mainstream Movies with Featured Taiko Performances. Dec. 11 2004. Accessed March 19 2006.
  • Chatenever, R. "A Different Drummer." Maui Scene (1993).
  • . Metropolis, May 17 2006. Accessed May 17 2006.
  • Combs, Jo Anne. "Japanese-American Music and Dance in Los Angeles, 1930-1942." Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology 6, no. Asian Music in North America (1985): 121-149.
  • . Taiko.us, July 6 2005. Accessed April 21 2006.
  • Coutts-Smith, Mark. Children of the Drum: The Life of Japan’s Kodo Drummers. Hong Kong: Lightworks Press, 1997.
  • Deschênes, Bruno. . Dec. 4 2004. Accessed April 9 2006.
  • Di Menna, Jodi. Martial artistry. Canadian Geographic, Jan2006, Vol. 126 Issue 1, p92-93, 2p, 1c; (AN 19475626)
  • Doyle, M. "The Beat Goes On." MidWeek (1996): A6-A9.
  • Endo, Kenny. "Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble." 18-23: University of Maryland: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, 2005-2006.
  • Espiritu, Yen Le. Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992.
  • Fromartz, Samuel, and Lauren Greenfield. "Anything but Quiet: Japanese Americans Reinvent Taiko Drumming." Natural History 107, no. 2 (1998): 44-50.
  • Fujie, Linda. "Effects of Urbanization on Matsuri-Bayashi in Tokyo." Yearbook for Traditional Music 15, no. East Asian Musics (1983): 38-44.
  • "Japanese Taiko Drumming in International Performance: Converging Musiocal Ideas in the Search for Success on Stage." World of Music 43, no. 2-3 (2001): 93-101.
  • Fujimoto, Harumi. "My Original Image of Drums." In Wadaiko: Miyuki Ikeda + Koichi Inakoshi, ed. Ikanoshi Koichi. Tokyo: Kawad Shobo Shinsha, 1995.
  • . May 15 2003. Accessed March 4 2006.
  • Gould, Michael. "Taiko Classification and Manufacturing." Percussive Notes (1998): 12-20.
  • . San Francisco Taiko Dojo, Nov. 28 2005. Accessed March 3 2006.
  • Green, M. "Voices of the Drum." Sky (1993): 32-36.
  • Hare, Thomas Blenman. "Try Try Again: Training in Noh Drama." In Teaching and Learning in Japan, ed. Thomas P. Rohlen and Gerald K. LeTendre. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
  • Harich-Schneider, Eta. A History of Japanese Music. London: Oxford University Press, 1973.
  • Hayase, S. "Taiko." East Wind (1985): 46-47.
  • Hayashi, Eitetsu. Ashita No Taiko Uchi E [To Tomorrow's Taiko Players]. Japan: Shobunsha, 1992.
  • Portrait of Hayashi Eitetsu. Tokyo: Eitetsu Taiko no Kai, 1998.
  • Higa, K. "Sound and Spirit: An Interview with Master Seiichi Tanaka." Nikkei Taiko Dayori (193): 6-7, 10-12.
  • Hirabayashi, Roy. "15th Anniversary Celebration - "Spirit of the Drum"." Odaiko, San Jose Taiko Newsletter (1988): 1-4.
  • Hiroji, Naoe. "Post-War Folklore Research Work in Japan." Folklore Studies 8 (1949): 277-284.
  • . May 5 2006. Accessed Feb. 6 2006.
  • . Nov. 28 2005. Accessed March 4 2006.
  • . Dec. 21 2005. Accessed Feb. 5 2006.
  • Hobsbawm, E. J., and T. O. Ranger. The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
  • Holender, Jacques. Kodo: Heartbeat Drummers of Japan. New York: Rhapsody Films, INC, 1991.
  • Holvick, Leonard C., and Jackson H. Bailey. Japanese Music: Another Tradition, Other Sounds: Earlham College Press, January 1990.
  • Image Entertainment (Firm), and Kodo (Musical group). Kodo. 1 videodisc (69 min.). Chatsworth, CA: Image Entertainment, 2001.
  • Inoue, Ryohei. Ondekoza, Amerika Wo Hashiru [Ondekoza, Run Through America Diary of a 15,000km trip]. Tokyo: Seikyusha, 1996.
  • Taiko No Bito Ni Miserarete [Enchanted by the Taiko Beat]. Tokyo: Ongaku Shuppansha, 1999.
  • Inoue, T. "Taiko Time." MetroGuide (1994): 33-34.
  • Izumi, Masumi. . Discover Nikkei, Jan. 10 1997. Accessed Feb. 19 2006.
  • "Reconsidering Ethnic Culture and Community: A Case Study on Japanese Canadian Taiko Drumming." Journal of Asian American Studies 4, no. 2 (2001): 35-36.
  • James, J. Alison. The Drums of Noto Hanto: DK Publishing, Inc, 1999.
  • July 14. Big Drum: Taiko in the United States, May 17 Accessed May 17 2006.
  • Kagemusha, Taiko. "Taiko around the World." 2004.
  • Kageyama, Y. "Following the Drumbeat." The Japan Times Weekly (1986): 16.
  • Kan, Toko. Textbook for Japanese Taiko Basic Theory and Practice. Matto: Asano Taiko.
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External links

  • - videos of ensemble taiko drumming
  • - Main site for San Francisco Taiko
  • - Main site for San Jose Taiko
  • - Main site for Stanford Taiko
  • Wadaiko Makoto Japanese/french Taiko band home page
  • - Main site for KyoShinDo Taiko
  • - Main site for Jodaiko
  • - Main site for Kyodo Taiko