Beta Fundamentals

• Keep a loose grip, controlling bachi with your ring and pinkie fingers

• Middle, pointer, and thumb wrap loosely around bachi

• Tsuku (Soft hit)

  • With your bachi in ready position, wiggle your wrists

  • Bachi will naturally touch the surface of the taiko--this is your tsuku

• Doko (Medium hit)

  • Same as above but you are bending at the elbow

  • Imagine flicking something off the end of your bachi

  • Arms should remain relaxed

• Don Kon (Loud hit)

  • Adding the the above, lift arm straight out and up until bachi point to the sky

  • Leading with your elbow, drop your arm towards the taiko

  • Imagine inhaling as you raise your arm, exhaling as you release your arm

Nakama No Uta

• Ji (basebeat)

  • Kara Ka Don Doko Kara Doko Ka Hup!

  • Practice looping the ji several times

• Line 1

  • Don Kon Don Kon Doko Kara Don Kon

• Line 2

  • Don Kon Tsuku Don Doko Doko Don Cha!

• Line 3

  • Don Kon Tsuku Doko Kara Don Kon

• Line 3 (with tag)

  • Don Kon Tsuku Doko Kara Doko Ka

Beta Fundamentals

• Stance

  • Wide, relaxed stance with toes facing forward

  • Hara (your center or hips) face the taiko 

  • Knees are slightly bent, not locked

• Bachi position

  • Arms are straight and relaxed. Do not lock your elbows

  • Tips of bachi are pointing towards the center of the taiko, forming a "V."

  • Use your ring and pinkie fingers to control your bachi. The rest of your fingers should be loosely wrapped around the bachi

• Stroke

  • Keep a loose grip

  • Grip only tightens slightly when bachi bounces back after striking drum and then relaxes

  • Use the momentum of the bachi! Practice inhaling when lifting your bachi up then exhaling when you drop your arm

• Lead with your elbow

Song Learning: Kuchishoga

• Taiko traditionally learned through kuchishoga ("kuchi" means mouth, "shoga" means song) or singing the lines

• Each word means a different kind of hit

  • Don- loud right 

  • Kon- loud left

  • Doko- medium right then left

  • Tsuku- soft right then left

  • Ka Ra- rim right then left

  • Su- space

  • Hup! Sore!- kiai, vocalization

Nakama No Uta

• "The Friendship Song"

• Written by Heiwa Taiko, a grandma taiko group based in Union City, CA

• Ji (basebeat)

  • Kara Ka Don Doko Kara Doko Ka Hup!

  • Practice looping the ji several times

• Line 1

  • Don Kon Don Kon Doko Kara Don Kon

• Line 2

  • Don Kon Tsuku Don Doko Doko Don Cha!