Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan
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What are your preconceived notions about
Asian music? What do you already know?
What do you think about it? What do you
want to know or learn?
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There is evidence of music in China as early as
the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC – 256 BC)
The legendary founder of music in Chinese
mythology was Ling Lun, who made bamboo
pipes tuned to the sounds of birds. A
powerful ruler once asked him whether it was
moral if he preferred popular music to the
classics. The answer was that it only mattered
that the ruler loved his subjects.
The Imperial Music Bureau, first established in 221–207
BC, was greatly expanded in 140–87 BC and charged
with supervising court music and military music and
determining what folk music would be officially
recognized.
 The oldest known written music is “Youlan” or the
“Solitary Orchid,” attributed to Confucius
 In ancient China the social status of musicians was
much lower than that of painters, though music was
seen as central to the harmony and longevity of the
state.
 Almost every emperor took folk songs seriously,
sending officers to collect songs to inspect the popular
will.
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China
Chinese notation (1410)
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They divide their instruments into eight
tones: silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay,
gourd and hide. This is one of the first musical
classifications ever.
 Silk instruments are mostly stringed instruments
 Bamboo mainly refers to woodwind instruments
 Wood instruments are usually ancient
 Stone is mainly stone chimes
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The famous dragon dance with music is also a
remembered tradition. It is seen on Chinese
New Year across the world by millions. It is
not known when the tradition started, but it
is believed to be thousands of years ago, as
entertainment of former emperors, royals,
and nobles. It was and still is a very important
dance in the Chinese culture.
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Traditional music
Traditional music
Weird modern pseudo traditional music
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The New Culture Movement of the 1910s and 1920s
evoked a great deal of lasting interest in Western
music
A number of Chinese musicians returned from
studying abroad to perform Western classical
music, composing work hits on Western musical
notation system
Symphony orchestras were formed in most major
cities and performed to a wide audience in the
concert halls and on radio.
Many of the performers added jazz influences to
traditional music, adding xylophones, saxophones
and violins, among other instruments
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The golden age of music would come to an
end when the Communist party denounced
Chinese popular music as yellow music
Maoists considered pop music as a decline to
the art form in mainland China.
In 1949 the Kuomintang relocated to Taiwan,
and the People's Republic of China was
established. Revolutionary songs would
become heavily promoted by the state.
After the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, a
new fast tempo Northwest Wind style was
launched by the people to counter the
government.
 The music would progress into Chinese rock,
which remained popular in the 1990s.
 However, music in China is very much stateowned as the TV, media, and major concert halls
are all controlled by the Communist party.
 The government mainly chose not to support
Chinese rock by limiting its exposure and
airtime. As a result, the genre never reached the
mainstream in its entirety.
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High Mountains and Flowing Water
Guangling Melody
Spring Moonlight on the Flowers by the River
Chinese opera
And more Chinese opera
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Song Zuying
Pop
Momo
Pop
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Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is the
most important and ceremonious traditional
festival in China, alike to Christmas Day in the
US. It is not until the 15th day of the 1st lunar
month, the Lantern Festival, that the Spring
Festival is ended. People clean their houses,
hang up lucky symbols, and feast together.
Dragon Dance, Lion Dance, festival activities,
and this song
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The Lantern Festival is celebrated on January
15 of Chinese lunar calendar. It is the first full
moon night in the Chinese lunar year,
symbolizing the coming back of the spring.
Families on that night will light up fancy
lanterns and go out to appreciate the moon,
set off fireworks, guess riddles written on
lanterns, and eat rice glue balls to celebrate
the festival.
The city is decorated, and lanterns are lit
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Qing Ming: The Chinese on this day sweep off and
clean the tombs of their ancestors. They also only
eat cold food.
The Double Seventh Festival, or Ingenuity-begging
Festival (the festival to plead for skills) falls on the
seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar
calendar. On the festival, girls beg for bright heart
and knitting and needlecraft skills from the
goddess in heaven. In the romantic evening, girls
prepare melons and seasonal foods under the
moon before worship and prayers for skills and a
good marriage.
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The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is the most
important festival after the Chinese Lunar
New Year. The moon on the night of the 15th
day of lunar August is believed to be fuller
and brighter than in other months. A full
moon is a symbol of togetherness. As such,
the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family
reunion.
Fire dragon dances are usually performed in
Hong Kong on the festival. To pay tribute to
the moon, ethnic tradition is to perform a
ball-holding dance.
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Winter solstice is a rather big festival
attached with great importance by the
Chinese people. It is the day when the
Northern Hemisphere has the shortest
daytime and longest nighttime in the whole
year. All across China, sacrifice to heaven and
ancestors is offered on this day.
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First, brainstorm about American traditions
and holidays. What are the relationships to
music?
Write an essay comparing and contrasting
our American holidays to the traditional
Chinese festivals.
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The earliest forms of music were drums and flute
music accompanying the kagura shrine dances.
From the 6th century on, music came from
Korean and Chinese courts and monasteries and
was performed at the Japanese court under the
generic name gagaku (court music).
The 8th-century court established a music
bureau (gagakuryo) to be in charge of musical
duties, both ritual and entertainment.
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Meanwhile with the introduction of
Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century,
Buddhist rites and liturgical chants gave rise
to the development of a great variety of bells,
gongs, wooden clappers, plaques, percussion
tubes, and rattles, many of which found their
way also into kabuki music of the Edo period
(1600-1868)
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From the 17th century, the shamisen (threestringed plucked lute) became popular,
providing the quick rhythm in kabuki and
bunraku theatre.
In the bunraku puppet theater, a skilled
chanter was accompanied by a shamisen.
In kabuki, shamisen solos or choruses were
combined with flutes and drums and an
assortment of folk and religious instruments.
There are many large Japanese drums, or taiko.
Most have two membranes which are nailed or laced and are
struck with sticks.
 The most dramatic is the Odaiko (big drum).
 The hourglass-shaped tsuzumi was introduced from the
Asian continent around the 7th century.
 Myth- Taiko was started by Ame no Uzume. One day, fed up
with her cruel younger brother, the sun goddess, Amaterasu,
hid herself in a cave. The world became pitch dark and the
other deities tried to appease Amaterasu. They held a big
party in front of the cave and Ame no Uzume danced,
stamping her feet on a wooden tub. The gods laughed and
cheered loudly and the noise provoked Amaterasu to come
out her cave, bringing back light.
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The koto is a 13-string zither, about 2 meters long and
made of wood
 The shamisen is a 3-string lute.
 The biwa is a short-necked lute
 The yamatogoto is a six- or sevenstringed zither which, unlike the koto and other
stringed instruments, is believed to be truly native
to Japan.
 In the story of Amaterasu, Ame no Uzume also dances
to music provided by the twanging of six hunting
bows. The six bows are lashed together to form an
instrument, and the first yamatogoto is born.
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The most famous is the shakuhachi bamboo flute.
It has 4 or 5 finger holes on the front face and a
thumb hole on the rear face.
Other winds are the nokan used in theatre
performances and the side-blown
takebue and shinobue often heard during festivals.
According to ancient Japanese legend it is believed
that the sound of the flute was able to reach the
dead. Wind instruments are associated with
contemplation, ethereal creatures, and celestial
beings.
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Japanese folk songs (min’yō) can be grouped
and classified in many ways but it is often
convenient to think of four main categories:
 Work songs
 Religious songs
 Songs used for gatherings such as weddings, funerals,
and festivals (matsuri)
 Children's songs (warabe uta)
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Many of these songs include extra stress on
certain syllables as well as pitched shouts
(kakegoe). Kakegoe are generally shouts of
cheer but in min'yō, they are often included as
parts of choruses
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Festival
In the 1950s, tango and other kinds of Latin
music, especially Cuban music, became very
popular in Japan. A distinctively Japanese form
of tango called dodompa also developed.
Westernized pop music began around 1912.
After WWII, kayōkyoku became associated
became very popular. More Western-style music
was called Japanese pop ( or simply 'JPop')
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In the mid 1980s, when 'world music' became a
generally accepted term, some Japanese started to
look at themselves and wonder what their own
country had to offer.
There was traditional music, but this had mostly
been preserved and held little connection to most
Japanese people.
Pop music on the other hand, had lost virtually any
trace of anything inherently Japanese.
Japanese musicians found themselves attracted to
the music of Okinawa. Japanese roots music
became very popular, and has continued
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And then this happened…
Electronic performer
Baby Metal
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JPop
JRock
Punk Rock
Heavy and Extreme
Metal
Electropop
Dance/Disco Music
Hip-Hop
Roots Music
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Latin, reggae, ska
Noise
Theme music
Game music
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Investigate Japanese traditions. Select one
and be prepared to present it to the class.
New Year (shogatsu)
Coming of Age (seijin no hi)
Beginning of spring (setsubun)
National Foundation Day
(kenkoku kinenbi)
 Doll's Festival (hina matsuri)
 Spring Equinox Day (shunbun
no hi)
 Showa Day (Showa no hi)
 Constitution Day (kenpo
kinenbi)
 Greenery Day (midori no hi)
 Children's Day (kodomo no hi)
 Star Festival (tanabata)
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Ocean Day (umi no hi)
Obon
Respect for the Aged Day
(keiro no hi)
 Autum Equinox Day (shubun
no hi)
 Health and Sports Day (taiiku
no hi)
 Culture Day (bunka no hi)
 Seven-Five-Three
(shichigosan)
 Labour Thanksgiving Day
(kinro kansha no hi)
 Emperor's Birthday (tenno no
tanjobi)
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Traditional Korean music includes both the
folk, vocal, religious and ritual music styles of
the Korean people.
Korean music, along with arts, painting, and
sculpture has been practiced since prehistoric
times.
Two distinct musical cultures exist in Korea
today: traditional music (Gugak) and Western
music (yangak).
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Korean music history is divided into three
periods: ancient, medieval, and modern.
The ancient period dates from the ancient tribal
states to the foundation of Goryeo dynasty.
The distinguishing characteristics of this period
are:
 The development of akkamu (music, songs, and
dance) performed in the worship rites of heaven and
earth of the ancient society
 The introduction of some instruments from Central
Asia during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-668
AD)
 The development of hyangakki (indigenous
instruments) in each of the Three Kingdoms
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Also in this period, Buddhist and shamanistic
dancing, and shamanistic drum music are
present, as well as a melodic dance
music called sinawi.
Traditional Korean music can be divided into
at least four types: courtly, aristocratic,
scholarly, and religious.
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Court music refers to the music originally
developed in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1905)
Aristocratic music was a form of chamber
music called jeongak.
Scholarly music was a form of music to
challenge the musician and to study form
Religious music in Korea is centered on the
three main religious influences in Korea's
historical development: Buddhism,
Confucianism, and Shamanism
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Korean folk music is varied and complex, but
all forms maintain a set of rhythms, called
Changdan, and a loosely defined set of
melodic modes.
In Korea there are many variations of
Changdan with each name designating a
certain type of meter, tempo, and beat.
The vocal styles and melodies change
dramatically from region to region.
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Pansori is a long vocal and percussive music
played by one singer and one drummer. In this
traditional art form, sometimes rather
misleadingly called 'Korean Opera', a narrator
may play the parts of all the characters in a
story, accompanied by a drummer.
Pungmul is a Korean folk music tradition that is a
form of percussion music that includes
drumming, dancing, and singing. Most
performances are outside, with dozens of
players, all in constant motion.
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Sanjo is entirely instrumental music that
shifts rhythms and melodic modes during the
song. It is played without a pause in faster
tempos. The tempos increases in each
movement. The general style of the sanjo is
marked by slides in slow movements and
rhythmic complexity in faster movements.
Chŏngak means literally "right (or correct)
music", and its tradition includes both
instrumental and vocal music, which were
cultivated mainly by the upper-class.
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Nongak, means "farmers' music.” It is performed
typically in an open area of the village
Shinawi is the shamanistic music which is
performed during a Korean shaman's ritual
dance performance to console and to entertain
deities
Salpuri is a dance for soul cleansing and literally
means , "to wash away bad ghosts". Salpuri’s
modern movements represent the shown
human hopes and aspirations.
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Traditional Korean instruments can be
broadly divided into three groups: string,
wind and percussion instruments.
String instruments:
 Gayageum (12-string zither)
 Geomungo (six-string plucked zither)
 Ajaeng (seven-string zither)
 Haegum (two-string vertical fiddle)
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Wind instruments:
 Daegeum (large transverse flute)
 Piri (cylindrical oboe)
 Grass Flute
 Hojok or Taepyongso
 Saenghwang (mouth organ)
 Panpipes
 Hun (ocarina)
 Danso (small-notch vertical flute)
 Flute
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Percussion instruments:
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Jing (large hanging gong)
Kkwaenggwari (hand-held gong)
Buk (barrel drum)
Janggu (hourglass drum)
Bak (clapper)
Pyeongjong (bronze bells)
Pyeongyeong(stone chimes)
Chuk (square wooden box with mallet)
Eo (tiger-shaped scraper)
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After the division of Korea in 1951, Korea was
split, into the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea or North Korea and the Republic of Korea
or South Korea.
Revolutionary song-writing traditions were
channeled into support for the state, eventually
becoming a style of patriotic song called taejung
kayo in the 1980s, combining classical and
Korean traditional musical forms similar to
Soviet patriotic music.
In North Korea, culture, including music, is tightly
controlled by the government. Listening to South
Korean music "can be considered a crime.” Foreign
music is lumped into one genre which the North
Korean government calls "jazz.”
 The characteristic marchlike, upbeat music of North
Korea is carefully composed, rarely individually
performed, and its lyrics and imagery have a clear
socialist content. Some religious or original folk music
may still exist in North Korea, but reliable sources are
absent in the west.
 Many North Korean pop songs are usually performed
by a young female singer with an electric ensemble,
percussionist and accompanying singers and dancers
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Music of South Korea has evolved over the
course of the decades since the end of
the Korean War, and has its roots in the music
of the Korean people.
Contemporary South Korean music can be
divided into three different main categories:
Traditional Korean folk music, popular music
(K-pop), and Western-influenced non-popular
music.
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Kpop
Kpop more
Kpop again
And this
Korean Rock
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Until 10,000 years ago, Taiwan was still connected to
the Asian Mainland.
After Taiwan became an island, the aboriginal people
were very hostile to anyone attempting to migrate
over. These were mainly Chinese farmers who had
settled there.
Taiwan’s lack of trade resources meant people left it
alone until the 16th century.
Throughout the 1600s, the Chinese, Dutch, and
Spanish tried to establish control of the island.
Following the fall of the Ming Dynasty, in 1662
Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong), a self-styled Ming
loyalist, arrived on the island and expelled the Dutch
government
In 1683, following the defeat of Koxinga's grandson by a
Chinese armada, the Qing Dynasty formally annexed
Taiwan.
 Taiwan remained under the Chinese government until 1895.
That year, the Qing Dynasty was defeated by Japan.
 Japanese rule was instrumental in the industrialization of the
island, extending the railroads and other transportation
networks, building an extensive sanitation system and
establishing a formal education system.
 Around 1935, the Japanese began an islandwide assimilation project to bind the island more firmly to
the Japanese Empire and people were taught to see
themselves as Japanese.
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After the end of World War II, the Chinese Civil War
resumed between the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) and
the Chinese Communist Party.
 By 1949, a series of Chinese Communist offensives led
to the defeat of the Nationalist army, and the
Communists founded the People's Republic of China.
 Some 2 million people, consisting mainly of members
of the ruling KMT, were evacuated from mainland
China to Taiwan at that time.
 In 1952, Japan formally renounced all right, claim and
title to Taiwan. The KMT then took over control of
Taiwan
 Taiwan was under communist control until their first
democratic election in 1996.
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Taiwan's unique past can in many ways be
traced through its musical development. Its
history as a Chinese province, and then as a
Japanese colony, had a profound influence on
its music history.
The result of this background was the
creation of a particular musical environment
based on influences from traditional China
together with musical trends from Japan and
the United States.
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Aboriginal music was suppressed by the various
governments in control. A revival of aboriginal
music has happened with the rise of democracy.
Taiwanese puppetry and Taiwanese opera, two
genres of theatre that are strongly related to
music, are very popular.
Holo folk music is most common today in the
southernmost part of the island, where
performers sing accompanied by yueqin (moon
lute). Famous folk singers include Yang
Hsiuching.
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The Bunun's original home was on Taiwan's
west coast, in the central and northern plains.
Unlike the other indigenous peoples of
Taiwan, the Bunun have very little dance
music. The best-studied element of
traditional Bunun music
is improvised polyphonic song. Folk
instruments include pestles, fivestringed zithers and the jaw harp.
In the mid 1970's a genre of popular music known
as Taiwanese campus folk song appeared. This music
consisted of a fusion of elements from American folk
rock and Chinese folk music, and was very popular
throughout East Asia.
 Until the 1987 lifting of martial law, Taiwanese pop fell
into two distinct categories. Taiwanese pop was sung
in a native dialect and was popular among older and
working-class listeners; it was strongly influenced
by Japanese. In contrast, Mandarin pop, due to the
KMT regime that suppressed Taiwanese languages
and culture, appealed to younger listeners.
 Asian superstar Teresa Teng originated from Taiwan
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And then this happened…
Traditional Taiwanese began blending with
rock, pop, and hip hop in the 1990s to
produce what was called New Taiwanese
Song
Taiwan pop
Modern Pop
SHE
Weather Girls
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There are hundreds of metal bands active in
Taiwan. The scene is so huge because Taiwanese
parents value culture and tend to put their
children in music lessons at a very early age,
thus, the technical skill level of Taiwanese
musicians is very high, even at the local band
level. Combined with the fact that many
Taiwanese teenagers spend their time practicing
their singing skills at KTV's (known as karaoke
outside of Taiwan), and some other culture and
political factors, the number of metal bands of
Taiwan is growing.