Koto's Technique: "Oshide"
There are many kinds of koto depending on how many strings they have, such as 13-strings koto, 17-strings koto and 20-strings koto and so on, but all of them share same method of tuning its tone -holding strings by Kotoji (Koto bridges).
For example, the most popular one, 13-strings koto:
Each strings can normally represent one tone, but the string can change its tone while it is playing by holding the string by hand.
This method is called "Oshide" (Pushing-hand):
Making whole step higher tone is Tsuyo-oshi (hard-pushing hand),
and making half step higher tone is Yowa-oshi (weal-pushing hand).
Although classic koto songs sometime request players making one and half step higher tone, modern koto which often use tetron strings is difficult to do that because of the tight tension of strings.
Possibly, the authentic koto, which use silk strings, did not string so tightly like modern koto.
To do "Oshide", you have to push a part of string around 15 cm left side from a koto bridge by your index finger or middle finger of left hand. It needs certain amount of power, so pain of fingertips when push string and red line-marks on these fingers are unavoidable.
To do "Oshide", you have to push a part of string around 15 cm left side from a koto bridge by your index finger or middle finger of left hand. It needs certain amount of power, so pain of fingertips when push string and red line-marks on these fingers are unavoidable.
Thus, "Oshide" is counted as a one of "Koto's three endurance points" (rest of others are "Seiza (sit in kneeling position)" and tight koto-pick).
Some koto instructional books or musics for beginners promoted with the catch phrase like "without Oshide!", but no wonder there is a need for it!
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For advanced koto players, there are playing techniques named "Ato-oshi",
And "Tsuki-iro".
Both of them are advanced variants of "Oshide" technique.
"Oshide" is the technique that hold strings to change the tone, but this advanced technique is pushing strings just after plucking them to change the tone in the middle. The way pushing strings, like timing and speed of it, gives sound wide variety of nuances. Moreover, it is also possible to manipulate the raising and lowering of the sound with the left hand by repeatedly pressing and releasing while it is still lingering!
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Because koto music sheets only indicate music notes, the only way to learn these techniques is learning from professional teachers. For the first step, please carefully pay attention to how koto teacher use techniques!
Koto music scores good for learning Oshide
"Six-Column Tune" Kenkou Yatsuhashi
"Maritsuki from three children plays" Michio Miyagi [koto solo]
"Shion" Houzan Yamamoto [17-string koto and shakuhachi duet]
Written by [KORORIN-SHANN]
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Because koto music sheets only indicate music notes, the only way to learn these techniques is learning from professional teachers. For the first step, please carefully pay attention to how koto teacher use techniques!
Koto music scores good for learning Oshide
"Six-Column Tune" Kenkou Yatsuhashi
"Maritsuki from three children plays" Michio Miyagi [koto solo]
"Shion" Houzan Yamamoto [17-string koto and shakuhachi duet]
Written by [KORORIN-SHANN]
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