Beta Fundamentals

• Supporting soloists

  • When playing the ji for a soloist, remember to play loud enough for them to hear you but soft enough that you can still hear them clearly. It's their turn to shine and the ji is there to back them up

  • Kiai is a wonderful way to show your support the soloist. Consider vocalizing, "Aisa!" or "Sore!" or "Hup!" to cheer them on.

    • "Ki" means energy so feel free to share your energy with the soloist. They will appreciate it!

• Drills

  • Play the ji or OKKK melody and kiai every once in a while

Song: Odaiko Kakeai Kihon Kyoku

• Performance tips

  • Play confidently- mistakes are just extra flare

  • If you get lost, look to your fellow peers to get back in

  • When in doubt, play the ji

  • If you make a mistake during your solo, only you will know!

  • Count to 4 before starting your solo to give enough time for the previous soloist to finish and for you to get grounded

  • Remember to breath

  • Most importantly- HAVE FUN!!!

Beta Fundamentals

• Creating solos

  • Play what you know- using kuchishoga from songs or drills are great rhythms to create solos

  • Sample kuchishoga

    • Don Kon Don Kara Ka Ka

    • Don doko Don doko 

    • Doro tsuku Doro tsuku

    • Don Hup! Don Hup!

    • Any of the lines from OKKK

  • Take a few of the above kuchishoga, string them together, and you have a solo!

• Drills

  • Play the ji while singing kuchishoga of OKKK or your solo

  • Level up- play OKKK or your solo while singing the ji. Be your own ji player!

Beta Fundamentals

• Form

  • Arms should be held at the width of your shoulders

  • Point bachi towards center of the taiko to make a triangle

• Stroke

  • Elbow should point down towards drum when playing don kon

  • Practice in front of the mirror-- lift one arm at a time and slowly bring your bachi down as if you're going to hit the drum.

• Drills

  • Practice playing different types of hits while alternating your grip

    • Thumb and forefinger

    • Middle and ring fingers

    • Ring and pinkie fingers

  • Make sure you keep all of your fingers loosely wrapped around the bachi as you alternat the grip

  • Practice playing at different speeds while adjusting your grip. Notice what feels the most comfortable

Beta Fundamentals

• Form

  • Arms are extended over taiko, elbows are not locked

  • Tips of bachi should hover above the center of the taiko, slightly pointing towards each other in the shape of a triangle

  • Hands should remain in handshake position with palms facing each other

• Stroke

  • Small soft hits use same grip as large loud hits

  • Small hits are simply letting bachi drop and catching it as it bounces back

  • Loud hits from elbow- Snap your wrist as your bachi approaches the drum while bending elbows

  • Keep your shoulders relaxed

• Drills

  • Begin with small soft hits

  • Slowly transition to louder bigger hits by bending your elbows and snapping your wrists

  • Then transition back to small soft hits

  • Continue alternating different types of hits

Beta Fundamentals

• Form

  • Use your hara (center or where your belly is) to move through your hits

• Stroke

  • Grip your bachi with your ring and pinkie fingers. The other fingers and thumb should be loosely wrapped around the bachi

  • Lead with your elbow, as you bring your arm down; as you get closer to the taiko, it will seem like your bachi is bending but that's only because you're changing the angle that you're holding the bachi

  • Snap your wrist as your bachi approaches the drum

  • Briefly tighten your grip with all fingers to catch the bachi as it bounces off the taiko, then loosen grip

Beta Fundamentals

• Stroke

  • Use gravity! Practice inhaling when lifting your bachi up then exhaling when you drop bachi down to hit

  • Make sure your bachi are pointing straight up towards the sky

  • Lead with your elbow, arm should be fully extended, but not locked, next to your ears 

    • If you are unable to lift your arms next to your ears, just make sure they are straight and slightly in front of your ears

  • Snap your wrist as your bachi approaches the drum

  • Aim to hit the bottom of or through the taiko to get solid and loud Don!

Song Learning: Kuchishoga

• Use the below drills to practice the different types of hits. Refer to Week 1's notes for kuchishoga definitions

  • Don Kon (4x)

  • Doko Doko (4x)

  • Doko Doko Do Kon

  • Do Kon Ko Don

  • Don Doko (5x)

Beta Fundamentals

• Stance

  • Wide, relaxed stance with toes facing forward

  • Hara (your center or hips) face the taiko and at the level of the top of the taiko

  • Knees are slightly bent, not locked

• Stroke

  • Keep a loose grip

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

  • Use gravity! Practice inhaling when lifting your bachi up then exhaling when you drop bachi down to hit

• Lead with your elbow

Song Learning: Kuchishoga Drills

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

• Each word means a different kind of hit

  • Don Kon- loud right then left

  • Doko- medium right then left

  • Tsuku- soft right then left

  • Ka Ra- rim right then left

  • Su- rest

  • Hup! Sore!- kiai, vocalization

Song: Odaiko Kakeai Kihon Kyoku

• Written by Kenny Endo

• Traditionally played as an odaiko piece

• Focuses on fundamentals, basebeat (ji), and solo improvisations

• Lines 1 through 3

  • Don Kon (6x) Doko Doko Do Kon

  • Don Kon Doko Doko Do Kon Ko Don Kon

  • Do Kon Kon Kon Ko Don Kon Su Ko Don

• Try singing the 3 lines as you play. This will help with memorization and getting the rhythms into your body.