The koto has a distinctive sound that many people associate with Asian music. You can impress the adult members of your family by casually dropping the fact that that David Bowie, the band Queen and jazz legend John Coltrane have used the koto in their music recordings.
Click on the video clip again. This time keep your eyes open to watch how it is played. It sits on the floor. The right hand plucks the strings with the first three fingers of the right hand. The left hand presses down on the strings to "bend" the notes. It is sort of like a guitar on the ground. Look at the sheet music!
When I visited a middle school, not only did I have the chance to record the video above, but I also got a lesson from an eight grade student, Shuko. First I put the picks on my fingers. Shuko thought it was quite funny when I put the picks on my fingers covering my fingernails.
(So YOU won’t be embarrassed when YOU put on YOUR koto picks just know they go the other way - covering the pads on your fingers.)
Next, Shuko tried to show me how to pick and pluck the string properly. I did not master the picking. My fingers kept slipping through the strings. We both laughed at my efforts.
Finally, Shuko taught me to press the strings down to change the sound while I played. I could handle that one. She smiled when I showed her all the dents on my finger pads. She said something to me in Japanese but I think she told me that happened to her when she started too.
If you want to try to play the koto and earn KenYen, click here. A virtual koto is a lot easier to play than the real thing!
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