Hirojoshi Scale
DescriptionThroughout history the Japanese people have been able to absorb foreign cultures in a unique way, but maintain strong independence. Japanese culture has been incorporated Chinese, Mongolian, Korean and Southeast Asian influences, yet a unique Japanese culture has developed over history. The Yamato people were the first to develop the concept of an imperial clan. The Yamato clan originating in Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island gradually spread throughout the rest of the islands. Any music developed during the expansion period was largely primitive and consisted mostly of work and folk songs. More complex music is believed to have come from China or Korea, and indeed it is from China that ancient Japanese music originated. The first documented evidence of Chinese music entering Japan traces its origin to the third century. The Nara period (710-794), is the first major historic period in Japan, and the first international period in Japanese music history. Court music came from India, Korea, and China and was mainly played by foreign musicians. Folk music had continued to develop in its relation to dance and festivals in villages throughout Japan, while Buddhist ritual music became well known. Chinese influences were beginning to be assimilated and modified during the Heian period (794-1185). Instruments were still essentially Chinese, but the musicians were Japanese, and the music gradually developed Japanese characteristics. The Kamakura period (1185-1333) was the era of the Shogun. The international characteristics had largely disappeared, and court music was declining. Instead there was an emphasis on Buddhist chants, vocal and dramatic music. Dramatic and theatrical music continued to flourish during the Muromachi period (1333-1568), preparing the way for Noh drama. At the same time, Shakuhachi bamboo flute began to be heard, played by wandering priests. Noh continued to flourish during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), also noted as the era during which the Sanshin (lute) was introduced to Okinawa, soon to arrive on the Japanese mainland and transformed into the Shamisen. The Edo period (1600-1868) marks a period of status quo, and the development of a bourgeois art and the development of the pleasure quarters of the bigger cities. Shamisen, Koto, and Shakuhachi all flourished during this period. The Hirojoshi scale comes from the Azuchi-Momoyama period where it was first used in traditional songs. In contemporary western music the Hirojoshi scale can be heard in jazz, rock, heavy metal, and folk music. Due to its uniquely Japanese sound, the Hirojoshi scale can be heard in the motion picture soundtracks of many martial arts films.
Songs That Use This Scale |