Taishōgoto
Encyclopedia
The , or Nagoya harp, is a Japanese stringed musical instrument
. The name derives from the Taishō period
(1912–1926) when the instrument first appeared.
-like keys, which when depressed fret or shorten the strings to raise their pitch. It is played lengthwise and strummed. There are also electrified versions of the instrument
from India
, and the akkordolia
from Germany, all sharing the same principle of using keys to press down on strings to change their pitch.
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
. The name derives from the Taishō period
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
(1912–1926) when the instrument first appeared.
Construction
The taishōgoto consists of a long, hollow box with strings running its length. Above the strings are a span of numbered typewriterTypewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
-like keys, which when depressed fret or shorten the strings to raise their pitch. It is played lengthwise and strummed. There are also electrified versions of the instrument
Related instruments
The taishōgoto bears a close resemblance to the bulbul tarangBulbul tarang
A bulbul tarang literally "waves of nightingales", alternately Indian banjo is a string instrument from India and Pakistan which evolved from the Japanese Taishōgoto.The instrument employs two sets of strings, one set for drone, and one for melody...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and the akkordolia
Akkordolia
The Akkordolia is a stringed musical instrument from Germany and Austria. The strings are usually made of steel, and are pressed down using typewriter keys.-References:* *...
from Germany, all sharing the same principle of using keys to press down on strings to change their pitch.