Japanese Musical Scales
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Japanese Musical Scales
A variety of musical scales are used in traditional Japanese music. While a twelve-tone ( dodecatonic) Chinese scale has influenced Japanese music since the Heian period, in practice Japanese traditional music is often based on pentatonic (five tone) or heptatonic (seven tone) scales. In some instances, harmonic minor is used, while the melodic minor is virtually unused. Pentatonic scales * Japanese mode: a pentatonic musical scale with the intervals of the scale a major second, minor second, major third, minor second, and major third *Akebono scale * Hirajōshi scale *In scale *Insen scale *Iwato scale *Ritsu and ryo scales *Yo scale Further reading *Koizumi Fumio. ''Musical Scales in Japanese Music''. Heibonsha, Tokyo, 1977 *Sir Francis Taylor Piggott, Thomas Lea Southgate. The Music and Musical Instruments of Japan'. B.T. Batsford, 1893 * William P. Malm. Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments'. Kodansha International, 2000. , 9784770023957 * Cargill Gilston Knott ...
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Japanese Music
In Japan, music includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (''ongaku''), combining the kanji 音 ''on'' (sound) with the kanji 楽 ''gaku'' (music, comfort). Japan is the world's largest market for music on physical media and the second-largest overall music market, with a retail value of US$2.7 billion in 2017. Traditional and folk music Gagaku, hougaku The oldest forms of traditional Japanese music are: * , or Buddhist chanting * , or orchestral court music both of which date to the Nara (710–794) and Heian (794–1185) periods. Gagaku classical music has been performed at the Imperial court since the Heian period. Kagura-uta (神楽歌), Azuma-asobi (東遊) and Yamato-uta (大和歌) are indigenous repertories. Tōgaku (唐楽) and komagaku emerged during the Tang dynasty (618–907) via the Korean Peninsula. In addition, gagaku splits into kangen (管弦) (instrumental music) and bugaku (舞楽) (da ...
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Insen Scale
Insen (or In Sen; kanji: 陰旋; hiragana: いんせん) is a tuning scale adapted from shamisen music by Yatsuhashi Kengyō for tuning of the koto. It only differs from the hirajoshi scale by one note. In D mode it consists of: D-E-G-A-C so it has the same notes as the Phrygian chord (7sus♭9). Other chords compatible with insen scale include M7♯11 when the scale is played half steps lower (for example B in sen scale for CM7♯11 chord) and Cm6 and Cm when the scale is played one full step above (for example D insen with Cm6 or Cm chord). In India's Carnatic music, this scale corresponds to Revati. Other scales related to koto instrument include the Hirajoshi, Iwato The ''iwato'' scale is a musical scale that is similar to the Locrian mode (spelled 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7), seventh mode of the major scale, different in that it has no 3rd or 6th notes, thus making it pentatonic. Its spelling is therefore 1 b2 4 b ... and Kumoi-choshi scales. References Further re ...
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Cargill Gilston Knott
Cargill Gilston Knott FRS, FRSE LLD (30 June 1856 – 26 October 1922) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was a pioneer in seismological research. He spent his early career in Japan. He later became a Fellow of the Royal Society, Secretary of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and President of the Scottish Meteorological Society. Biography Knott was born in Penicuik, Midlothian, the son of Pelham Knott, an agent for a paper manufacturer and his wife Ellen. His paternal uncle was the artist Tavernor Knott. He was educated at Arbroath High School in Angus, and attended the University of Edinburgh, where he studied alongside James Alfred Ewing. He worked on various aspects of electricity and magnetism, obtaining his doctorate in 1879. He was appointed as an assistant in Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in 1879, and held this post until 1883, when he left to take up a post at Tokyo Imperial University. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of ...
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William P
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is sometimes abbreviated "Wm." Shortened familiar versions in English include Will, Wills, Willy, Willie, Bill, and Billy. A common Irish form is Liam. Scottish diminutives include Wull, Willie or Wullie (as in Oor Wullie or the play ''Douglas''). Female forms are Willa, Willemina, Wilma and Wilhelmina. Etymology William is related to the given name ''Wilhelm'' (cf. Proto-Germanic ᚹᛁᛚᛃᚨᚺᛖᛚᛗᚨᛉ, ''*Wiljahelmaz'' > German ''Wilhelm'' and Old Norse ᚢᛁᛚᛋᛅᚼᛅᛚᛘᛅᛋ, ''Vilhjálmr''). By regular sound changes, the native, inherited English form of the name should b ...
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Thomas Lea Southgate
Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (other) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Apostle * Thomas (bishop of the East Angles) (fl. 640s–650s), medieval Bishop of the East Angles * Thomas (Archdeacon of Barnstaple) (fl. 1203), Archdeacon of Barnstaple * Thomas, Count of Perche (1195–1217), Count of Perche * Thomas (bishop of Finland) (1248), first known Bishop of Finland * Thomas, Earl of Mar (1330–1377), 14th-century Earl, Aberdeen, Scotland Geography Places in the United States * Thomas, Illinois * Thomas, Indiana * Thomas, Oklahoma * Thomas, Oregon * Thomas, South Dakota * Thomas, Virginia * Thomas, Washington * Thomas, West Virginia * Thomas County (other) * Thomas Township (other) Elsewhere * Thomas Glacier (Greenland) Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Thomas'' (Burton novel) 1969 nove ...
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Francis Taylor Piggott
Sir Francis Taylor Piggott (25 April 1852 – 12 March 1925) was a British jurist and author. He was the Chief Justice of Hong Kong from 1905 to 1912. "Sir F.T. Piggot,"
''The Times'' (UK). 13 March 1925; retrieved 7 January 2013.


Early life

Piggott was born at 31 , London, the son of the Revd Francis Allen Piggott (d. 1871) of Worthing; his mother, Mary Frances Errebess, daughter of Dr John Hollamby Taylor, died at the time of his birth. He was educated in Paris, at Worthing College and at



Koizumi Fumio
is a Japanese family name. It may describe one of several Koizumi railway stations. It can refer to a number of people, including the following members of the prominent Koizumi family: *, former prime minister of Japan *, a second-generation Diet member and the father of Junichiro Koizumi *, Japanese politician and the father-in-law of Junya Koizumi *, an aspiring actor and the first son of Junichiro Koizumi *, a fourth-generation Diet member and the second son of Junichiro Koizumi Other individuals *Ariane Koizumi, American fashion model and actress *, Japanese poet *, a Japanese beach volleyball player *, the founder of British Judo *, Japanese footballer *, singer and actress *, Japanese model *, film director * Patrick Lafcadio Hearn or , Irish-Greek-Japanese author *, video game designer *, Japanese footballer Fictional characters *Koizumi-san, character in ''Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles'' * Akako Koizumi, character in ''Magic Kaito'' * Asami Koizumi from the ''You ...
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Yo Scale
The ''yo'' scale, which is like the Mixolydian but does not contain minor notes, according to a traditional theory is a pentatonic scale used in much Japanese music including gagaku and shomyo. The ''yo'' scale is used specifically in folk songs and early popular songs and is contrasted with the ''in'' scale which does contain minor notes. The ''in'' scale is described as 'dark' while the yo scale is described as 'bright' sounding.Chris Hiscock, Marian Metcalfe (1999). ''New Music Matters 11-14'', p.49. . It is defined by ascending intervals of two, three, two, two, and three semitones. An example ''yo'' scale, expressed in western pitch names, is: D - E - G - A - B. This is illustrated below. The Ryūkyū scale appears to be derived from the yo scale with pitches raised. More recent theory emphasizes that it is more useful in interpreting Japanese melody to view scales on the basis of "nuclear tones" located a fourth apart and containing notes between them, as in the ...
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Ritsu And Ryo Scales
The ''ritsu'' and ''ryo'' scales are anhemitonic pentatonic scales -- five-note scales without semitones -- used in a type of Japanese Buddhist chant called shōmyō. The ''ritsu'' scale is built up by intervals of major second, minor third, major second, major second, minor third, while the ''ryo'' scale is major second, major second, minor third, major second, minor third. A third scale called ''Hanryo hanritsu'' is created by combining the ''ritsu'' and ''ryo'' scales however there is no agreed way to combine the two. The ritsu scales do not fit exactly into the equal temperament prominent in Western classical music but ''ritsu'' is transposable to E and B, ''Ryo'' is transposable to D and G, and ''Hanryo hanritsu'' to A. The Ritsu scale is one of the six scales (along with the major and minor scales, the common pentatonic scale, and the common "blues" scale) that provide more consonant harmonic intervals than any other possible scales that can be drawn from the 12 semiton ...
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Iwato Scale
The ''iwato'' scale is a musical scale that is similar to the Locrian mode (spelled 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7), seventh mode of the major scale, different in that it has no 3rd or 6th notes, thus making it pentatonic. Its spelling is therefore 1 b2 4 b5 b7. It is used in traditional Japanese music for the '' koto''. It is a mode of the Hirajōshi scale ''Hirajōshi'' scale, or is a tuning scale adapted from shamisen music by Yatsuhashi Kengyō for tuning of the ''koto''. "The ''hirajoshi'', ''kumoijoshi'', and ''kokinjoshi'' 'scales' are Western derivations of the koto tunings of the same n .... References Further reading *Hewitt, Michael. 2013. ''Musical Scales of the World''. The Note Tree. . Pentatonic scales Japanese traditional music Hemitonic scales {{japan-music-stub ...
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In Scale
The ''in'' scale (also known as the ''Sakura'' pentatonic scale due to its use in the well-known folk song ''Sakura Sakura'') is, according to a traditional theory, one of two pentatonic scales used in much Japanese music, excluding '' gagaku'' and Buddhist chanting. The ''in'' scale, which contains minor notes, is used specifically in music for the ''koto'' and '' shamisen'' and is contrasted with the ''yo'' scale, which does not contain minor notes. More recent theory emphasizes that it is more useful in interpreting Japanese melody to view scales on the basis of "nuclear tones" located a fourth apart and containing notes between them, as in the ''miyako-bushi'' scale used in ''koto'' and ''shamisen'' music and whose pitches are equivalent to the ''in'' scale: ''In'' scale in the other musical traditions In Indian classical music, Gunkali (Hindustani), Raga Salanganata (Indian) and Karnataka Shuddha Saveri (Carnatic) are nearly identical to the pentatonic ''in'' scale, ...
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