Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Japanese Music Notation

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Bugaku Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
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Esther Lederberg was interested in Renaissance and Baroque Music and Dance. However, Esther Lederberg's interest in music and dance was not limited only to Western culture. Esther Lederberg was interested in Japanese culture as well. While there are several forms of dance, music and singing, and also several music instruments, this page provides easy access to traditional music notational systems, some with Western transcriptions. 1            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKusvc9ss7A

A detailed analysis of Japanese music theory limited to notation will not be made here. Anyone interested in this legitimate area of study must do so on their own. Part of the reason for this is due to the following:
  1. With regards to instrumental music, "... it must be remembered that notation in Japan has always been primarily a supplement to rote teaching methods and as such is often very vague. Indeed, the tradition of secret pieces and clan-owned music made such a system necessary...". 2
  2. .
  3. "Unfortunately, the various schools of noh applied different meanings to the same symbols so that any study of noh notation, like that of Buddhist script, must be sectarian." 3 This reasoning applies to other areas of Japanese music aside from noh.
  1. Japanese Music: Go-on-hakase symbols
  2. Japanese Music: Go-onfu
  3. Japanese Music: Karifu modified go-onfu+meyasufu transcription
  4. Japanese Music: Karifu, modified go-onfu, meyasufu
  5. Japanese Music: Koshiki gomaten notation
  6. Japanese Music: Noh vocal notation
  7. Japanese Music: Gagaku notation
  8. Japanese Music: Hichiriki and ryuteki notation symbols
  9. Japanese Music: Chords and notes of the sho
  10. Japanese Music: Noh hayashi traditionl notation
  11. Japanese Music: Noh hayashi transcription
  12. Japanese Music: Taiko notation symbols
  13. Japanese Music: Chirikara-byoshi transcription
  14. Japanese Music: Chirikara-byoshi traditional notation
  15. Japanese Music: Biwa notation
  16. Japanese Music: Shakuhachi notation (Kinko school)
  17. Japanese Music: Shakuhachi notation symbols
  18. Japanese Music: Koto notation symbols
  19. Japanese Music: Yamada-school Koto notation with transcription
  20. Japanese Music: Ikuta-school Koto notation symbols
  21. Japanese Music: Shamisen notation
  22. Japanese Music: Shamisen in bunkafu notation with transcription
  23. Japanese Music: Gidayu-bushi notation

1 Malm, William P.; "Japanese Music and Musical Instruments", Charles E Tuttle Company, Rutland Vermont, 1959, pp. 261-275
2 Ibid., p. 264
3 Ibid., p. 262

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