KABUKI SOUNDS [HOME PAGE] [Kabuki for EVERYONE]

KABUKI SOUNDS

Here you can listen to the instruments commonly used in Kabuki, such as the taiko drum and the three-stringed shamisen. There are also examples of Kabuki enthusiasts shouting out support for their favorite actors.

KAKEGOE

Kabuki enthusiasts often call out during plays in support of their favorite actors. Such shouting is called "kakegoe." They may yell out the actor's generational number or his "yago," an acting house that actors from the same family may belong. Click on the actor's "kamon", or crest, below to hear what their "kakegoe" may sound like.

Narikomaya

NAKAMURA Utaemon VI

NAKAMURA Fukusuke IX

Naritaya

ICHIKAWA Danjuro XII

ICHIKAWA Shinnosuke VII

Omodakaya

ICHIKAWA Ennosuke III

ICHIKAWA Danshiro IV

Otowaya

ONOE Baiko VII

ONOE Kikugoro VII

Tachibanaya

ICHIMURA Uzaemon XVII

ICHIMURA Manjiro II

THE INSTRUMENTS

The shamisen is the most important instument in Kabuki. Imported to Japan around the same time Kabuki was created, it became the main instrument for all schools of music started in the Edo period. Here Manjiro plays a short passage often used in dances that feature characters of great strength.

The tsuzumi is the central instrument around which the percussion ensemble is formed. Its distinctive "pon" is a symbol for traditional Japanese culture as a whole

The Odaiko drum is used to create various sound effects, such as the sound of rain or the wind. The fast beats used here symbolize the appearance of a ghost. Note how the eerie sound of the flute adds to the effect.

The Okawa side drum has a sharp, distinctive sound that sets it apart from the other drums with softer skins.

Usually the first sound one hears when one enters the theater is the shime daiko drum, which is used to signal the beginning and end of a performance.

For more information, please send mail to Kabuki Master

	The shamisen is the most important instument in Kabuki. Imported to Japan around the same time Kabuki was created, it became the main instrument for all schools of music started in the Edo period. Here Manjiro plays a short passage often used in dances that feature characters of great strength.
	The tsuzumi is the central instrument around which the percussion ensemble is formed. Its distinctive "pon" is a symbol for traditional Japanese culture as a whole
	The Odaiko drum is used to create various sound effects, such as the sound of rain or the wind. The fast beats used here symbolize the appearance of a ghost. Note how the eerie sound of the flute adds to the effect.
	The Okawa side drum has a sharp, distinctive sound that sets it apart from the other drums with softer skins.
	Usually the first sound one hears when one enters the theater is the shime daiko drum, which is used to signal the beginning and end of a performance.