About Taiko Drumming.
Taiko is an indigenous part of Japanese culture, a very ancient tradition dating back more than
1400 years. In the past the taiko drum was intimately associated with village activities and
beating the drum was believed to protect the villagers. It was also used on the battlefield to
communicate and issue commands as well as to intimidate the enemy.
Later, the taiko drum was adopted into cultural settings such as the imperial court.
Taiko drumming has long been associated with the gods and therefore the religions of Japan - in
earlier times the Japanese people believed that the taiko were inhabited by a god and, as this belief developed in both
Shinto and Buddhist religions, only holy men were allowed to beat the drum, and this only on special occasions.
Today, taiko drums can still be found in shrines and temples where they are played to summon the gods to grant, for
example, a good harvest or good health for the family. Village festivals also celebrated events with drumming, a
tradition which continues to this day.
It was only in the 1950s that Taiko began to be developed as an art form and today there are not only several thousand
groups throughout Japan but taiko drumming can be heard across the globe.
In simple terms, a taiko piece is structured round one or more rhythm melodies and a backing rhythm known as a jiuchi.
This can then be developed by interweaving melodies into an intricate sound pattern of great power and energy.
To learn a taiko piece, drummers must memorize all the rhythms. They do this by chanting the rhythms over and over
until they have internalized the whole piece - only then will they pick up their bachi (taiko drumsticks) and transfer
what they have learned to the drums. By memorizing in this way, the drummers can focus all their energy into the
performance, and the result is an exhilarating experience for players and audience
About Taiko Drumming.
Taiko is an indigenous part of Japanese culture, a very ancient tradition dating back more than
1400 years. In the past the taiko drum was intimately associated with village activities and
beating the drum was believed to protect the villagers. It was also used on the battlefield to
communicate and issue commands as well as to intimidate the enemy.
Later, the taiko drum was adopted into cultural settings such as the imperial court.
Taiko drumming has long been associated with the gods and therefore the religions of Japan - in
earlier times the Japanese people believed that the taiko were inhabited by a god and, as this belief developed in both
Shinto and Buddhist religions, only holy men were allowed to beat the drum, and this only on special occasions.
Today, taiko drums can still be found in shrines and temples where they are played to summon the gods to grant, for
example, a good harvest or good health for the family. Village festivals also celebrated events with drumming, a
tradition which continues to this day.
It was only in the 1950s that Taiko began to be developed as an art form and today there are not only several thousand
groups throughout Japan but taiko drumming can be heard across the globe.
In simple terms, a taiko piece is structured round one or more rhythm melodies and a backing rhythm known as a jiuchi.
This can then be developed by interweaving melodies into an intricate sound pattern of great power and energy.
To learn a taiko piece, drummers must memorize all the rhythms. They do this by chanting the rhythms over and over
until they have internalized the whole piece - only then will they pick up their bachi (taiko drumsticks) and transfer
what they have learned to the drums. By memorizing in this way, the drummers can focus all their energy into the
performance, and the result is an exhilarating experience for players and audience
