The reason I compared Sawai sensei to Jimi Hendrix was first, to get attention of those who are unfamiliar with Japanese traditional music. Secondly, both Sawai sensei and Jimi Hendrix are/were masters of their respective instruments, and totally changed the way those instruments were played and perceived. They both changed the history of music. I can guarantee that if Jimi and Kazue had met they would have recorded together.
Yes, I was fortunate to see her live a few times. Once in Kyoto, the last time, Mills College, Oakland, CA. Her "modern" playing is even more incredible. Her son Hikaru often plays rock shamisen with her.
Amazing! wish i could see the whole performance. i love the somber mood of the beginning of this piece, which is missing here - and the build up. it's not likely i'll ever get to see this woman perform live. Thanks japonaliya and Thanks Kazue Sawai!
thanks for sharing this. Attended her performance last month in Seattle. Wow....when she played the koto it looked as if she was dancing on it. How rhythmic, and how beautiful.
There's more than one kind of pentatonic scale. This uses a pentatonic scale that has two semitones, giving it lots of possibilities for dissonance. Also, although the standard tuning is pentatonic, the movable bridges means you can actually tune it however you like: pentatonic, Western scales, or you could make up your own freakish tuning if you wanted
Great, thank you for the tips. Actually it is great to know that there's a place one can walk up to and examine the Kotos or whatever else one's buying. When I got mine I never had such a chance, it was just ordered for me but luckily it was a very good purchase. Thanks again and thanks for sharing such a great video! If I can think of 2 classical pieces that are at the top of my list, Rokudan is one of the them as well as Midare. Midare is actually out of this world as far as I'm concerned!!!!
I know June, and I have played with her and her son at the SF Cherry Blossom fest. She is very good, but she would be the first to say the Sawai sensei is the master. Since just about every top kotoist today has studied with Kazue, they owe her a debt like every rock guitarist does Jimi Hendrix.
In her case an entire life time devoted to practicing and mastering the musical instrument while becoming completely one with the koto. This virtuoso embodies the very essence of this piece of music with her performance!
Yes it is one of the great performances. I studied the koto up to a few years ago when my teacher moved away from my area and I couldn't afford lessons at $75. per hour. I have since taken up the Japanese Ichigenkin (one string koto) a much rarer ancient instrument that is mostly played in the Kochi region of Japan. It is played with bone plectrum and bone slide and it is seemingly simple but actually difficult to play. There are many good videos on YT. You can find it by searching ICHIGENKIN or for more unique videos, type in the Japanese characters: 一絃琴 Or Ichigenkin Seikyodo channel.
I don't need appreciation classes; I'm a professional tenor, countertenor, guitar, recorder, violin player and composer; I really don't need appreciation classes. And no... An inspired composer with the knowledge of the composition technique doesn't need of drugs to make his "inspirations greater" thank you.
If you want a good used koto in SF...SHARAKU on Post St. has them, also shamisen, and supplies. On eBay, there is a Bay area seller that has them. Koto can start at under $1,000 for a student model, up to $50,000. or more. However, after around $3,000. the extra price is for more elaborate decoration, not overall playability.If buying used, make sure the koto is newly strung, as only a professional can do proper re-stringing. Neo-koto having pegs or tuners are best if you can't re-string.
Hi, Before attempting to get a Koto, decide whether you want o buy it for decoration, practice or public performance. All of this should be taken in consideration before investing any money. I got mine about 20 yrs. ago from Tzurukawa Enterprises in Seattle, WA, however I understand that Tzurukawa went out of business many years ago. I checked w/ my Sensei and she said you might be able to get one in San Francisco. I suggest you check w/ the Japanese embassy branch there and ask for leads.
I don't know much about Jimi Hendrix, but i can understand why you made such a comparison now. She seems to have gracefull yet precise movements, it seems quite incredible to look at her hands moving.
Japan did get the Koto through cultural envoys sent from China, I believe around the 6th century and later, I believe prince Shotoku was somehow involved in one of them. At some point or another though, Kotos did come to Japan from Korea. If I am not mistaken there is a Kudaragoto or Kayagum at some Japanese temple which was received as a gift from a Korean envoy. The Japanese may have not incorporated the Korean version but there is evidence that some Koto influence did come from Korea.
A zither is an intriment where the strings are substantaly over the sound box. That is it has no neck. The most typical "American" context is the autoharp or chromaharp, both of which are zithers. The dulcimer (both kinds) are also zithers. Zithers have no necks (vs guitar)
tbh they are abit aqward to find in non oriental places, you could try one of the various china towns in the us. but your best bet is to order one online
I have been playing the koto for 5 years..the guitar for 20. Hirojoshi tuning is pentatonic, but the koto can be tuned to an infinite number of "scales" "Plunking" on a koto quite easily, but you can play a simple piece on ANY instrument. Mastering the koto is as hard as any western instrument. Pieces like Rokudan or Midare are used as a standards to get your instructional cert. All students learn these in the course of their studies, but a trained ear can hear the master vs. the novice.
there is actually a really good online store were you can buy new kotos that are very nice for $800-$1000... the reason some of those other ones are so expensive (ive noticed) is that they are vintage or antique sometimes... these ones are new and the only bad part is that you have to add in all the bridges yourself, but i think you have to do that on all them anyways lol
I don't think calling her a badass is insulting, she IS a badass to be honest. Maybe you don't like the imposition of such a westernized form of approval as this, but it's not an insult by a long shot.
I sure like to know who posted the neg. ratings...why don't you post a comment and explain yourself. If this isn't a supurb performace, then post one that is better!
Well, if it has 5 notes it means it uses the pentatonic scale. If you are using that scale there is no combination of notes that would sound dissonant. Wouldn't that make it easier?
If you are learning it you should know she is from the Ikuta school. The Sawai school is a subgroup of this. However, Yatsuhatchi's pieces like Midare and Rokudan are played by BOTH schools!! I can't believe your sensei didn't tell you, and if you are trying to learn this piece by yourself, it's vertually impossible to do it right. A
Wow so nice of you to get in touch with your inner iemotions............................... just kidding dude. Good thing she made a good impression on you.
Actually, I appologize for the condescension and sarcasm of my earlier post. If Mr. johnmclatchy would investigate Ms. Sawai, he would hopefully realize that his comments really were an insult to a first-rate, classy lady who doesn't deserve to be so degraded--and we don't deserve to have to read it.
perhaps our history teacher could read the manual before he gives the lesson. let's find out from where the japanese (and korean) harp really originated
Leon D No it was composed by Kengyo Yatsuhashi in the 17the c. Called Japan's "J.S. Bach" Yatsuhashi died on the same day Bach was born.. I think you. may be referring to the other music piece I uploaded by Kazue.. it was indeed composed by Tadao Sawai, who shares the title of greatest Japanese 20the c composer with Michio Miyagi.
Well for one thing it only has 5 notes per octave, you change pitch by pulling or pressing the strings. The bridges are movable. And it's big. The Strings are hard to press. The finger picks are a pain. And like the piano, easy to play hard to master.
Jimi wansn't a junkie. Yes, he did use drugs, but that if anything made his inspirations greater. While it did fuck up his "live" playing sometimes, Jimi evolved the guitat the way Yatsuhashi did the koto. I play bothe, and you my friend need to take a music appreciation class.
First, I didn't mock you. I was just commenting on your video was useless in demonstrating the amp. I wouldn't post a video about car performance if I knew nothing about engines. BTW why the fuck are commenting on an old video I posted and not the one I commented on? Also, I didn't "steal" the video anymore than a fan posts a video of their favorite band performance. I never said the video was mine. It was an example of trad. Japaenese music that I study... NOT STOLEN, OR IN ANY WAY ASCRIBED TO MYSELF. Thin skinned aren't you?
yeah, the only way to get one is in catalouges or online. You need a teacher though....Can't really learn it on your own :/ its REALLY not that simple ^^;;*is a koto student*
OK. Like at this video. Even in the video you can see her press down on the strings. Why? Sometime for "vibrato" but sometimes to get the Inbetween notes. But you don't press all the way down to the wood most of the time ... so you could come up with anything. Some songs you move the bridges in the middle of this song even. Listen closely you hear dissonance. Some of the tunings have notes like D and Eb - thats pretty dissonance to me!
+Quinceps Well, semantics aside...It may be classified technically a zither, but the Japanese themselves refer to the instrument as a harp most of the time...and does it really matter?
+japonaliya Thank you for the amazing video, and I meant no offense by calling it a zither. To some people, like music students, who may come to watch these videos, it might matter. By the way, not only do some Japanese call it a harp; when using a foreign language they don't master, but those relatively unfamiliar with Japanese traditional music tend to use a sinograph referring to a different instrument when they actually mean "koto"; (琴 instead of 箏, the former being the symbol for a not so related Chinese string instrument, while the latter you will find in koto concerts in Japan). This may lead to further confusion. Not many Japanese know much about their own traditional music, and they know it, so I wouldn't take them as the most reliable reference. No offense here either. Last night I went to a concert at a big hall with rather few people here in Tokyo, and many tickets left unsold. I don't master any language but my own, but this I know. Thanks again.
The reason I compared Sawai sensei to Jimi Hendrix was first, to get attention of those who are unfamiliar with Japanese traditional music.
Secondly, both Sawai sensei and Jimi Hendrix are/were masters of their respective instruments, and totally changed the way those instruments were played and perceived.
They both changed the history of music.
I can guarantee that if Jimi and Kazue had met they would have recorded together.
Hendrix..?? 🤣🤣Sounds more like cats screwing to me... 😁😁😁😁😁😁 And the video quality sucks
Yes, I was fortunate to see her live a few times. Once in Kyoto, the last time, Mills College, Oakland, CA. Her "modern" playing is even more incredible. Her son Hikaru often plays rock shamisen with her.
That was amazing... Thank you very much for posting it :)
I'm amazed by her skill and the beauty of the piece.
this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
Amazing!
wish i could see the whole performance. i love the somber mood of the beginning of this piece, which is missing here - and the build up.
it's not likely i'll ever get to see this woman perform live.
Thanks japonaliya and Thanks Kazue Sawai!
Thanks so much for poting this! I've yet to see her live... Marvelous interpretation of the piece,too.
thanks for sharing this. Attended her performance last month in Seattle. Wow....when she played the koto it looked as if she was dancing on it. How rhythmic, and how beautiful.
There's more than one kind of pentatonic scale. This uses a pentatonic scale that has two semitones, giving it lots of possibilities for dissonance. Also, although the standard tuning is pentatonic, the movable bridges means you can actually tune it however you like: pentatonic, Western scales, or you could make up your own freakish tuning if you wanted
very beautiful performance...I fell in love with koto when I listened to Etsuko Takezawa once...
Great, thank you for the tips. Actually it is great to know that there's a place one can walk up to and examine the Kotos or whatever else one's buying. When I got mine I never had such a chance, it was just ordered for me but luckily it was a very good purchase. Thanks again and thanks for sharing such a great video! If I can think of 2 classical pieces that are at the top of my list, Rokudan is one of the them as well as Midare. Midare is actually out of this world as far as I'm concerned!!!!
Wonderful, brilliant, beautiful, refined.
I have always loved the pentatonic scale!
I know June, and I have played with her and her son at the SF Cherry Blossom fest. She is very good, but she would be the first to say the Sawai sensei is the master. Since just about every top kotoist today has studied with Kazue, they owe her a debt like every rock guitarist does Jimi Hendrix.
Wow, I didn't know she was going to be in SF !! I will be there...
Beautiful. Absolutoly beautiful.
In her case an entire life time devoted to practicing and mastering the musical instrument while becoming completely one with the koto. This virtuoso embodies the very essence of this piece of music with her performance!
I love this one... and rokudan
Yes it is one of the great performances. I studied the koto up to a few years ago when my teacher moved away from my area and I couldn't afford lessons at $75. per hour.
I have since taken up the Japanese Ichigenkin (one string koto) a much rarer ancient instrument that is mostly played in the Kochi region of Japan. It is played with bone plectrum and bone slide and it is seemingly simple but actually difficult to play. There are many good videos on YT. You can find it by searching ICHIGENKIN or for more unique videos, type in the Japanese characters: 一絃琴
Or Ichigenkin Seikyodo channel.
que placer escuchar esta magnifica melodia y apreciar la pasion que transmite kazue sawai
This woman is amazing....
I don't need appreciation classes; I'm a professional tenor, countertenor, guitar, recorder, violin player and composer; I really don't need appreciation classes. And no... An inspired composer with the knowledge of the composition technique doesn't need of drugs to make his "inspirations greater" thank you.
If you want a good used koto in SF...SHARAKU on Post St. has them, also shamisen, and supplies. On eBay, there is a Bay area seller that has them. Koto can start at under $1,000 for a student model, up to $50,000. or more. However, after around $3,000. the extra price is for more elaborate decoration, not overall playability.If buying used, make sure the koto is newly strung, as only a professional can do proper re-stringing. Neo-koto having pegs or tuners are best if you can't re-string.
Yes. Finger Dancing. That's the term for it from fretted dulcimer. It could easily apply here.
I think she's BADASS AH she is good as hell
Her technique is very strong and steady and even clear!!! Go SAWAI
great music and video! 5 stars
Hi,
Before attempting to get a Koto, decide whether you want o buy it for decoration, practice or public performance. All of this should be taken in consideration before investing any money. I got mine about 20 yrs. ago from Tzurukawa Enterprises in Seattle, WA, however I understand that Tzurukawa went out of business many years ago. I checked w/ my Sensei and she said you might be able to get one in San Francisco. I suggest you check w/ the Japanese embassy branch there and ask for leads.
I don't know much about Jimi Hendrix, but i can understand why you made such a comparison now. She seems to have gracefull yet precise movements, it seems quite incredible to look at her hands moving.
"while becoming completely one"
beautiful words are false. you KILLED it by saying it.
Japan did get the Koto through cultural envoys sent from China, I believe around the 6th century and later, I believe prince Shotoku was somehow involved in one of them. At some point or another though, Kotos did come to Japan from Korea. If I am not mistaken there is a Kudaragoto or Kayagum at some Japanese temple which was received as a gift from a Korean envoy. The Japanese may have not incorporated the Korean version but there is evidence that some Koto influence did come from Korea.
Rock it it girl!!!! She knows how to get down...know what I'm saying?
damn she plays that so well!
origin of the koto is from china,however, this music is distinctly japanese and is played with exceptional quality and precision.
この世界の異端者！それこそ、狂い弾きですね。
A zither is an intriment where the strings are substantaly over the sound box. That is it has no neck. The most typical "American" context is the autoharp or chromaharp, both of which are zithers. The dulcimer (both kinds) are also zithers. Zithers have no necks (vs guitar)
I love how her hands are moving so fast~
i may not remind you of it, but it reminds me of it, no such thing as a wrong opinion
tbh they are abit aqward to find in non oriental places, you could try one of the various china towns in the us.
but your best bet is to order one online
I have been playing the koto for 5 years..the guitar for 20. Hirojoshi tuning is pentatonic, but the koto can be tuned to an infinite number of "scales"
"Plunking" on a koto quite easily, but you can play a simple piece on ANY instrument. Mastering the koto is as hard as any western instrument. Pieces like Rokudan or Midare are used as a standards to get your instructional cert. All students learn these in the course of their studies, but a trained ear can hear the master vs. the novice.
She's GOOD
Thank you for your clarification no commotion at all.
there is actually a really good online store were you can buy new kotos that are very nice for $800-$1000... the reason some of those other ones are so expensive (ive noticed) is that they are vintage or antique sometimes... these ones are new and the only bad part is that you have to add in all the bridges yourself, but i think you have to do that on all them anyways lol
I'd give anything to be able to play koto...even half as well as she does!
does anyone when she might be playing in Japan (Tokyo)next?
Id love to know the actual variations in pitch of some notes (the kind of interval) and how it is called
Awesome 8)*****
Lovely. Tuned to different scales, huh? That could be... interesting.
The koto was introduced to Japan in the 7th to 8th century from China...in my math, that is over 1,000 years!!!
I don't think calling her a badass is insulting, she IS a badass to be honest. Maybe you don't like the imposition of such a westernized form of approval as this, but it's not an insult by a long shot.
If I could get my hands on a koto, I would tune it like no other and then call it the Spartan Scale. :p ^^
I sure like to know who posted the neg. ratings...why don't you post a comment and explain yourself. If this isn't a supurb performace, then post one that is better!
Well, if it has 5 notes it means it uses the pentatonic scale. If you are using that scale there is no combination of notes that would sound dissonant. Wouldn't that make it easier?
try the duet by Zumi Kai. Its my favorite version
If you are learning it you should know she is from the Ikuta school. The Sawai school is a subgroup of this. However, Yatsuhatchi's pieces like Midare and Rokudan are played by BOTH schools!! I can't believe your sensei didn't tell you, and if you are trying to learn this piece by yourself, it's vertually impossible to do it right.
A
No...the Japanese koto was brought over from China over 1,000 years ago, before Korea was a twinkle in gods eye....
@LeonTHDD Where do you live? I know where most of the teachers are in the US. ^^
"jimi hendrix of the japanese harp" XD
it is.... sort of... just listen to it closely... the only difference is this has no distortions.
Wow so nice of you to get in touch with your inner iemotions...............................
just kidding dude. Good thing she made a good impression on you.
this reminds of kung-fu hustle with the two blind guys
pretty cool sounds lady..mix it in with some other forms of music like punk or metal and it would spectacular.
it was the 60s man, even Tom Brokaw smoked some grass. With all your knowledge you'd think a little tolerance would have come with it.
ことのすごいです
Actually, I appologize for the condescension and sarcasm of my earlier post. If Mr. johnmclatchy would investigate Ms. Sawai, he would hopefully realize that his comments really were an insult to a first-rate, classy lady who doesn't deserve to be so degraded--and we don't deserve to have to read it.
i wanna hear smoke on the water koto version O_o
Wooow! :) thank you for the information.. sorry!
perhaps our history teacher could read the manual before he gives the lesson. let's find out from where the japanese (and korean) harp really originated
damn that must take so much practice....
I think this piece of music was composed by her late husband and she performs it beautifully
Leon D No it was composed by Kengyo Yatsuhashi in the 17the c. Called Japan's "J.S. Bach" Yatsuhashi died on the same day Bach was born.. I think you. may be referring to the other music piece I uploaded by Kazue.. it was indeed composed by Tadao Sawai, who shares the title of greatest Japanese 20the c composer with Michio Miyagi.
صممتتتت...
@nipponichibanable あなたがたは真理を話す
Well for one thing it only has 5 notes per octave, you change pitch by pulling or pressing the strings. The bridges are movable. And it's big. The Strings are hard to press. The finger picks are a pain. And like the piano, easy to play hard to master.
sounds of fumiler!!!!!!!!??????
Yea, sure would be funny, Mr. johncclatchy. Thank you for such clueless insights in Japanese culture.
Jimi wansn't a junkie. Yes, he did use drugs, but that if anything made his inspirations greater. While it did fuck up his "live" playing sometimes, Jimi evolved the guitat the way Yatsuhashi did the koto. I play bothe, and you my friend need to take a music appreciation class.
なぜか。
You mocked my video. At least the ones I post are mine and not something I stole from other people
First, I didn't mock you. I was just commenting on your video was useless in demonstrating the amp.
I wouldn't post a video about car performance if I knew nothing about engines.
BTW why the fuck are commenting on an old video I posted and not the one I commented on?
Also, I didn't "steal" the video anymore than a fan posts a video of their favorite band performance.
I never said the video was mine. It was an example of trad. Japaenese music that I study... NOT STOLEN, OR IN ANY WAY ASCRIBED TO MYSELF.
Thin skinned aren't you?
!!!!!!!!??????
yeah, the only way to get one is in catalouges or online. You need a teacher though....Can't really learn it on your own :/ its REALLY not that simple ^^;;*is a koto student*
i like the shamisen but its very hard
I agree 100%. And she doesn't even have an Afro.
OK. Like at this video. Even in the video you can see her press down on the strings. Why? Sometime for "vibrato" but sometimes to get the Inbetween notes. But you don't press all the way down to the wood most of the time ... so you could come up with anything. Some songs you move the bridges in the middle of this song even. Listen closely you hear dissonance. Some of the tunings have notes like D and Eb - thats pretty dissonance to me!
Technically it is not a harp but a zither.
+Quinceps
Well, semantics aside...It may be classified technically a zither, but the Japanese themselves refer to the instrument as a harp most of the time...and does it really matter?
+japonaliya Thank you for the amazing video, and I meant no offense by calling it a zither. To some people, like music students, who may come to watch these videos, it might matter. By the way, not only do some Japanese call it a harp; when using a foreign language they don't master, but those relatively unfamiliar with Japanese traditional music tend to use a sinograph referring to a different instrument when they actually mean "koto"; (琴 instead of 箏, the former being the symbol for a not so related Chinese string instrument, while the latter you will find in koto concerts in Japan). This may lead to further confusion. Not many Japanese know much about their own traditional music, and they know it, so I wouldn't take them as the most reliable reference. No offense here either. Last night I went to a concert at a big hall with rather few people here in Tokyo, and many tickets left unsold. I don't master any language but my own, but this I know. Thanks again.
こういう演奏って八橋検校は喜んでるかしら？
lol
this isnt much like a harp at all more like a zither. ^_^
u wouldnt argue with a stubborn person at the street would u?, then y do it at the comfort of ur place over the internet =/
Looks can be deceiving. :/ Don't assume things before you try them.
may be the main difference of both musicians is that she drinks green tea and Jimi tea green.....
genau. und e-gitarren sind lesbisch.
He's better than that horrible junkie Jimi Hendrix!... Koto music is wonderful.