Koto' Tips & Technique → Koto Tips & Techniques ～ Yuri-iro, Mute, Oshi-hanashi, Tsuki-iro
Koto's Techniques: Yuri-iro, Mute, Oshi-hanashi, Tsuki-iro
All techniques on this page are played with the left hand. The distinctive sound effects made by these techniques are essential to play the unique tone of koto.
"Yuri-iro" (Swinging sound)
The musical sign of "Yuriiro" is "ユ◉".
Look the following picture:
In this technique, immediately after playing the string, use your left hand to wiggle the string on the left side of the koto bridge, giving the sound a vibrato effect.
There are several ways to wiggle the string: holding the string, pushing the string and wiggling... etc. Normally, players needed to follow the notation on the musical score precisely, but with this technique, how it is played and even the timing at which it is used can vary greatly, depending on the performer's discretion. Some performers often add vibrato using this technique even though the musical score does not indicate it.
While appreciation the koto performance, it is interesting to wonder whether the Yuri-iro that is being played actually exist within the original music.
One of the famous koto songs that used Yuri-iro I recommend is "Autumn Night (Aki no Yoru)" by Michio Miyagi. Its lyric:
"Leaves are fallen at the loneliness night. My heart trembles, as the Mononoke creeps up on me to wrest my youth and daintiness."
The melody and rhythm played with this lyric are decorated with Yuri-iro a lot. Unless you hear carefully, it is difficult to recognize the Yuri-iro sound clearly from the recorded song played by Michio Miyagi himself. The changes in tone were probably too delicate to be picked up by the recording technology at the time.
The Yuri-iro's vibrato sound and the motion of left hand that played it make combination with the lyric singing about loneliness of autumn night, and without doubt, the song even moved the heart of audiences.
"Mute"
The word "Mute" in the field of western music originally means the accessory to literally "mute" instrument's sound. The koto's technique "mute" is derived from this accessory, but the purpose of this technique is not simply "mute" the sound. By pushing the string on the top of koto-bridge, you can reduce the sound's volume and make the tone feel "muffled".
This is one of koto's modern techniques were made from the idea of collaboration of western and Japanese traditional music.
"Oshi-hanashi" (pushing and releasing)
This is the secondary technique from "Oshi-de (Pushing the string)" and "Ato-oshi (Pushing the string after plucking)". By releasing your hand after pushing the string, you can make the lingering sound low. Depending on how to move your left hand, you can control how low the sound being.
However, please bear in mind that because this technique is used for the lingering sound, the sound effect itself is extremely delicate and small. Even though a microphone can pick the sound up in the recording, a quiet and well-echoing room is a must for live music.
In the koto song "Temari (hand ball)" by Michio Miyagi, This Oshi-hanashi technique is used for expressing the bounce of a ball. Even if you have never done Temari before, this song give you the sense of this Japanese traditional hand ball.
"Tsuki-iro"
"Tsuki-iro"
This technique is a combination of Oshide and Oshi-hanashi techniques (pushing the string by left hand just after plucking, then Immediately release it). By this technique, the lingering sound suddenly goes up and down. This distinctive sound effect is one of identity of the koto music. "The six column", which is the root of modern day koto music, also use this classic koto technique. Even the most recent koto music such as the koto arrangements of Disney songs or other modern pops also use this technique to add a taste of koto-like sound.
Written by [KORORIN-SHANN & Tone]
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