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17-string koto

Musical instrument

The 17-string ja is a variant of the ja with 17 strings instead of the typical 13.

The instrument is also known as , "17 stringed ja", or "bass ja" (although ja with a greater number of strings also exist). The ja was invented in 1921 by Michio Miyagi, a musician who felt that the standard ja lacked the range he sought in a traditional instrument. His 17 string creation, sometimes described as a "bass ja", has a deeper sound and requires specialized plectra; traditional ja plectra are worn attached to the player's fingers, with which the strings are plucked. Though his original ja was considerably larger than a normal ja, 17 stringed ja of a similar size to the average ja are more common today, though they do not have as deep a sound as the larger version.

In 2000, the musician Naito Masako, a member of the Seiha faction of the Ikuta school, constructed a new version of the 17-string koto called ja (popcorn), finished in bright colours such as pink, yellow, or blue.

Construction

The bass ja is similarly made from Paulownia tomentosa, known as ja wood; however, the thickness of the body is approximately twice that of a regular ja. The wood is dried and treated traditionally until it achieves the correct properties for construction.

The strings used are typically silk threads that are yellow in colour and give the instrument a deep sound. These strings are tied at both ends of the instrument, held up by an ivory platform, before the strings are tied over small cylindrical holders with holes and tied very tightly to the downside, so that they can be moved during use, but not so much as to fall off. The bridges (ja) used in the construction of the bass ja are also larger than the average ja; the plectra are made from a specialist ivory-like material to aid in plucking the instrument.

Advanced techniques of playing

Musicians who play the bass ja have also invented new techniques for playing the instrument, utilising more of the left hand to produce a sound that more adequately displays the instrument's deeper sound, and allows for more pitches to be created on one string. The strings are also plucked over the cylindrical holder to create a sudden "shrill" sound.

References

Planas, Ramiro. (1966). "Review of Nihon ongaku no rekishi, (History of Japanese Music)". Monumenta Nipponica.
Johnson, Henry. (2011-09-23). "'Sounding Japan': traditional musical instruments, cultural nationalism and educational reform". Perfect Beat.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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japanese-musical-instruments

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