is the Japanese word for
bamboo flute, and refers to a class of flutes native to Japan. come in many varieties, but are generally high-pitched and made of a
bamboo called . The most popular of the is the .
Categorization
are traditionally broken up into two basic categories – the
transverse flute and the
end-blown flute. Transverse flutes are held to the side, with the musician blowing across a hole near one end; end-blown flutes are held vertically and the musician blows into one end.
History
The earliest may have developed from
pitch pipes known as in
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
.
[Malm, William P. Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments. 1959. Rev. ed. Otowa: Kodansha International, 2000.] The instrument eventually made its way over to Japan from China in the 5th century, becoming prevalent during the
Nara Period.
Soon after the introduction of instruments,
members of the
Fuke sect The term "Fuke" is Japanese and may refer to:
* Fuke, known as Puhua, in Chinese, the legendary precursor to the eponymous Fuke Zen school of Buddhism in Japan
* Fuke Zen The term "Fuke" is Japanese and may refer to:
* Fuke, known as Puhua, in ...
of
Zen Buddhism made normal use of the . These "priests of nothingness" viewed the instruments as spiritual tools, using them for , or "blowing meditation".
Tagliaferro, Linda. "Music and Nature in a Japanese Flute".
New York Times, 10 May 1998, retrieved 6 July 2008 Modern performance may feature a soloist or involve either a chamber or large ensemble of the instruments.
Instruments
Japanese include many different varieties of Japanese flute, including the following:
References
External links
{{Fue
Japanese musical instruments
Bamboo flutes