New Song - Part B Continued

Here is the whole thing! Find the kuchishoka HERE.

Community Taiko Corner…

A place to share taiko-related community content.

Someone was asking about Zoom classes during SJT’s summer break - you can check out South Bay Beat Institute here: www.southbaybeatinstitute.com

This week’s Get to Know question was “If we were to come and visit you (not all at the same time), what would you feed us, or where would you take us?” Here are your responses:

  • Yvonne : You can all come at the same time. I will cook for you. Eggrolls? Satay?

  • Sandy I : Homemade pizza in our backyard in SJ

  • Carolyn : El Cerrito Gangham Tofu - Korean

  • Amy U : Arcata, California! The Larrupin’ Cafe in Trinidad, CA. Best appetizer board ever!

  • Bonnie : I am in Sunnyvale and I would take you to Kabul, an Afghan restaurant

  • Jeanne M : Tu Mero Mole, Cambrian Park San Jose

  • Diane : Nicos in Manhattan Beach

  • Theresa H : San Francisco - DIM SUM

  • Elizabeth M : I live in the Inner Richmond district of SF. A popular place is Burma Superstar on Clement Street.

  • Sharon T : TNT — but a little far in SoCal

  • Tina W : Go Go Pho on Lawrence & Stevens Creek in Cupertino

  • Gary S : San Mateo - Tokie's

  • Florence : Dead Fish. Crockett

  • Patsy M : Kotosh in Torrance, Peruvian Japanese

  • Edward C : Original pancake house

  • Camille : Picnic in the Cascade Mountains

  • Lynda W : To Go: Jenny's Kitchen - organic dumplings, Chinese hamburgers, Chinese tamales, etc.

  • Ruth I : I’d take you one of the restaurants on fourth st in Berkeley

  • Leslie M : San Jose -- Casa Vicki , N 17th St. --local Mex Am ==makes own tortillas

New Song (Part B)!

Here are the first 5 lines of Part B of the new song. If you are feeling confident, you can try playing them on top of Part A. Find the kuchishoka HERE.

(By the way, I put in the words “Tomodachi with our bachi” for line 5.)

Community Taiko Corner…

A place to share taiko-related community content.

  • San Jose Taiko’s Junior Taiko Recital will be aired on Saturday, June 5th @ 10:30AM PT! You can catch it here on YouTube.

New Song - The Whole Thing

Here is the video of all 8 lines of the New Song. I also updated it on the song document.

Community Taiko Corner…

A place to share taiko-related community content.

Bill shared some of his poetry with us yesterday:

Here are some books that were recommended over the last couple of weeks:

  • Ed says, “I like stories about strong persistent women. If you share that, you will love the book ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’”

  • From Tina: . Before the coffee gets cold (translated from Japanese)
    . The Midnight Library
    . Crying at H Mart (non fiction)


A New Song

It’s May and we’re starting something new. This is a song that was inspired by a song we taught at a summer camp at Stanford. There are two “verses” that can be played alone, or at the same time. We started learning the first part this week. Here is a video of the first 5 lines (out of 8 lines). The kuchishoka can be found HERE.

Note that the movements and kiai are not set yet - we’ll be coming up with them as a class, as well as learning the rest of the song in the next weeks. We also need to name it.

Community Taiko Corner…

A place to share taiko-related community content.

  • We had shared books that we recommended in the chat. I’m so sorry, but I forgot to save the chat before closing Zoom! :(

    • Here’s one that Bonnie sent me after class: “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. It’s a Young Adult title--very engaging and not as serious as The Beekeeper of Aleppo which I suggested in class.”

  • A couple of people in the class have registered for the Rollathon, thanks Liz M and Mary Ann S! If you would like to sponsor, please let Meg know.

  • This is the final weekend of the virtual Nikkei Matsuri. You can see many great videos here, including SJT videos: https://nikkeimatsuri.org/

  • The lyrics for 4 Principles song are below. A good reminder for us to check in on them from time to time. :)

The 4 Principles Song (written by Yurika)

MUSICAL TECHNIQUE is the part of taiko that you hear (That you hear)

KATA is the part of taiko that you see (That you see)

ATTITUDE is the part of taiko that you think about (In your head)

And KI is the part of taiko that you feel (In your heart)


These are the 4 Principles of SJT (SJT)

San Jose Taiko started back in 1973 (That’s old!)

The 4 Principles make the base of everything we do (That’s right)

And with Beginner’s Mind we try to improve (And have fun!)


Tottemo Yoi - the Whole Arrangement

Here is what we covered on Wednesday!

I added the Ji (basebeat) section on the spreadsheet doc HERE if it helps to understand how the patterns compare to each other.

  1. Taiko part

  2. Movement

  3. Taiko part

  4. Movement

  5. Ji section - Slow Horsebeat (Don DoRo) x 4 / Medium Horsebeat x 8 / Fast Horsebeat x 16

    • (During this section we will try soloing. You would solo either during the first half or second half of the section.)

  6. Taiko part

  7. Movement

Happy Practicing!

Tottemo Yoi Chant and Ji

(These are the words that you shared when asked, What were you like as child? — bad, tom boy, SHY, Tomboy, shy, quiet, Quiet/serious/bookworm, adventurous, active, Happy, Dirty knees always, adventurous, active, quiet, mischievous, Happy, quiet and observing, quiet, Holes in knees always!, Tights, quiet)

Ji

Ji = Time, or in taiko it means “basebeat.” The Ji for Tottemo Yoi is a “horsebeat.” It can be played at 3 different speeds.

The horsebeat basically sounds like = Don DoRo, Don DoRo, Don DoRo, Don DoRo…

Here is a drill to practice the 3 speeds of horsebeat.

Tottemo Chant

Tottemo Yoi…

Yoi

Yoi

Yoi

Yoi-Sa!

I’m starting on the last line, going into the chant (Don Su Su Don, Don Su Su Don, Don Su Su Don, Don Su Su Don)

Happy Practicing!

Community Taiko Corner…

(This was sent to me by a friend. Although it isn’t taiko-related, it might be of interest to some of you who have grandkids or friends with kids regarding AAPI issues.)

Story Hour for Asian American Families (Saturday, April 17 @ 8:00AM PDT)

This special, free event is intended to provide space, comfort, and joy to Asian American families during a very difficult time for our people. While we hold as a core value that all people can and should learn from, and support, one another this particular reading is intended is for families that have Asian American children. Any children and families who identify as Asian American, mixed Asian American, and Adopted Asian Americans are invited to this free reading.

link/free registration here: Story Hour for Asian American Kids

Tottemo Yoi ("Very Good")

Tottemo Yoi was written by PJ HIrabayashi (SJT Artistic Director Emeritus) and Yumi Ishihara in 2002. It is a song that is full of movement and energy. Here is the KUCHISHOKA CHART for the taiko part.

In this video I am playing through it 2 times in a row.

Remember: I am your mirror. It is a bit confusing going around the drum as a mirror so make sure to check the sticking (R & L hands) on the chart.

Happy practicing!

Isshoni Sumo Intro / DonGo Kara Drills

Here is a video of the sumo intro that I introduced in class. There isn’t a need to learn to play it, only to learn to recognize when to come in. Remember there is a kiai right before you start playing.

Scroll down to last week’s blog post to play the whole song.


Below is a video of the drill we also played to practice going from DonGo to KaRa and Don’s and Ka’s. I am playing at 4 different speeds: 80 beats per minute, 95 bpm, 110 bpm, 125 bpm. I recommend playing the slower ones until you feel comfortable. The faster tempos are not expected, but I put them in for anyone who wants to continue to challenge yourself. It’s more important too feel relaxed in your technique. and have even playing between R and L hands. (Note that the underlying beat is a swing beat, this is why I listed it as a DonGo Kara Drill.)

Happy practicing!

COMMUNITY TAIKO CORNER…

A place to share taiko-related community content.

  • This video of a little drummer boy was sent by Ruth. Thanks Ruth!

  • This is a performance group based in China sent by Bill. Thanks Bill!


Isshoni ("Together) - Part C / DoRo Don Drills

Here is the video of just Part C that we worked on together. It goes over both Right and Left sides and the two different bachi flips.

The first bachi flip is: DON SU FLIP SU

The second time, the bachi flip is: DON FLIP SU DON

Reminder: These little tidbits may are really up to change and variation! (You can find the rest of the song written out HERE.)

Grip and Technique

At the beginning of class we spent a little bit of time working on our technique through a simple DoRo Don drill. At San Jose Taiko, we generally like to grip in the “front” of the hand meaning the thumb and index finger. Other groups may use other types of grips, which is totally fine! We just find that this grip works well with the type of songs we play.

Here’a version of the DoRo Don drill if you would like some extra practice.

Happy practicing!

Community Taiko Corner…

A place to share taiko-related community content.

  • From Bill: This is a video taken with my gopro camera of a rehearsal at Palo Alto Buddhist Temple leading up to the 2011 NATC. This is the combined Mountain View and Palo Alto groups being coached by Yuta Kato and some other familiar faces. I think it expresses the spirit of what taiko is all about. (Watch HERE.)

Isshoni - A, B and C Simple

You can check your kuchishoka (the words for Isshoni) by clicking HERE.

Please note that this is the Basic version of the song. There are variations, so it might change slightly from teacher to teacher or based on the arrangement or who’s in class, etc.

In this video I am playing Standard A, B, and C. We’ll review a lot more!

Some taiko words/concepts from the January class to review:

  • ISSHO NI = “together”

  • KAMAETE = “ready position”

  • BEGINNER’S MIND = Be kind to yourself in learning. Be open to learning in new ways and in your own speed. As you know, making mistakes is part of life and definitely part of taiko!

Happy Practicing!



Issho Ni ("Together")

Issho Ni was written by Karen Morita.

Here is the video for Section A. The kuchishoka can be found HERE. (You can see other songs we practiced by clicking on the tabs at the bottom.) Reminder that you can change the speed of the video by clicking on the little flower wheel icon on the bottom right.

Here’s a video to practice Dongo or Swing Ji patterns - Dongo, Dongo tsuku and Dongo Kara. They are based on Roy Drills, which are drills that you just follow to and copy the sticking (rights and lefts) as well as the speed. It may get faster than you can play, but try to stay relaxed and keep playing without stopping! This drill was developed by Roy Hirabayashi, one of the founders of San Jose Taiko. We revisit a version of the drill often for fundamentals.

Sore Samba / Senior Samba Version

Note: This song was meant to be a fun learning activity to say good-bye to 2020. It will not be performed. Have fun!

The sequence of the song including beats can be found here. Note that the kata and sticking (Rights and Lefts) are much more like a suggestion and it important to feel the groove/beats.

Remember that you can use the wheel on the bottom right to control the speed of the video.

Here is the ending section repeated over and over for practice at a slower speed.

Here is the whole ending in case you just want to practice that part.

Sore Samba with Franco!

Thank you Franco for visiting our class! You can learn more about Franco, SJT’s Artistic Director, on his bio here.

We will continue to play around with Sore Samba through December in a simplified arrangement (not meant to be shared, thanks!). Here is the Senior Class version of the track.

The general sequence of the song will go like this. We’ve already covered most of already during class. Try to think about it less like a structured song like Renshu Taiko, but allow yourself to feel all the different beats and how they fit together and how you fit into it. I’ll be calling out all the different parts.

  • Introduction Call and Response

  • Stepping for 8

  • Tamborim pattern 8 times (bachi clicks)

  • Playing DON’s for 8

  • Solos! One group at a time for 8.

  • Groove for 8

  • Ending pattern into drumroll

Here are also some other helpful videos.

Sore Samba

As I mentioned in class, we will be exploring Samba and Taiko for the month of December. This is part of a larger topic about the artform of taiko and how it has evolved and continues to evolve as it has spread all over the world. And also how it is evolving itself in Japan also.

We are going to be learning about rhythms of Samba and about the song that our Artistic Director Franco Imperial wrote for the performing company called “Sore Samba.” This is the debut of the song performed in 2016.

Here is the audio track that we were playing along to during class. (It doesn’t start right away, you have a to wait a couple of seconds. The tempo is around 95 bpm.)

Here is the video from our solo practice so you can see how long the solos are.

Regarding solo practice, here are some tips:

  • Keep it simple! Feel the beat and find a groove rather than trying to play something fancy.

  • To start out, you don’t have to only play the 8 count we were doing in class. Feel free to play longer.

  • Find rhythms that you like to repeat and then see how you can change them slightly.

  • Feel free to add movement or a pose or a kiai!


I don’t have any videos recorded yet for playing what I play, but here is a practice video for kuchishoka (“I say it, you play it”) that might be helpful.

DECEMBER CLASS TEAMS

We are trying something new this month and organizing you all into 4 teams. This way we could try out splitting up the class during activities or even doing some break-outs. When you log on to class, it would be great if you can put your team number beside your name. Thanks!

TEAM 1) Bill Warrior, Bonnie Natsuhara, Carolyn Hayashida, Celine Wong, Tina Woo, Deb Hara

TEAM 2) Ed Cohen, Elaine Yee, Liz Mark, Florence Yokoi, Gary Sakamoto, Jeanne Kays

TEAM 3) Jeanette Arakawa, Lila Gee, Lynda Won, Peg Keenan. Mary Schmitz. Mary Ann Furuichi

TEAM 4) Marilyn Masuoka, Rhonda Pierce, Roberta Lee, Ruth Ichinaga, Sandy Tomioka, Yvonne Garden

The Taiko Census

You may also get this information from Meg, but speaking of taiko in the world, the Taiko Community Alliance is conducting a TAIKO CENSUS. There is more information on their website here. It would be great if you could participate as this is valuable information for the organization to support the greater taiko community.

Happy practicing!

Where you can buy taiko and taiko stuff

At the last class there were several people who were interested in where they could purchase taiko - whether a wooden taiko or an electronic taiko. Here are some resources below:

Kato Taiko - Mr. Kato made the huge hiradaiko (flat odaiko in the SJT studio)! He has mastered the art of making taiko using the barrel (stave) construction, which makes the taiko more affordable. Based in Torrance, CA.

Asano US - Asano US is the first north American storefront of the Asana Taiko company in Japan. The company has been in existence since 1609. All taiko are made in Japan. They also sell a huge range of bachi and other taiko-related merchandise.

KaDON - Partnered with Miyamoto Unosuke, another Japanese taiko-maker, KaDON offers the Timbre Taiko (electronic taiko) as well as some wooden taiko and bachi and other merchandise.

Kaminari Taiko - Kaminari Taiko makes an electronic taiko also.

Taiko Community Alliance (TCA) Marketplace - Beyond the ones listed above, you can find more taiko-related merch and other items here!

San Jose Taiko - SJT does sell some taiko merch! Mostly t-shirt, DVDs an CDs.

TaikoCat - Lastly, your instructor Yurika also has a taiko store selling t-shirts, artwork and other items.

WELCOME

We started a blog for the senior class to keep track of the videos and reference material that is being shared while we teach classes over Zoom.

I’m still working on it, so keep checking back in. If you have any problems with the videos, please email yurika@taiko.org. Happy Practicing!

SONGS

Songs to practice along to.

Renshu Taiko (“Practice Drums”)

This is the song being taught in the November class. The video is MIRRORED.

You can find KUCHISHOKA and sticking here.

Renshu Taiko was written by Seiichi Tanaka of San Francisco Taiko Dojo, the very first taiko group in North America. (San Jose Taiko was third, after LA’s Kinnara Taiko.) Many taiko players in North America now play some version of this song.

October Song

This was the song taught in the October class. It was written by Yurika, a compilation of various skills/activities that we worked on through October!

See the song written out with Kuchishoka and sticking (R & L hands) here.

Yorokobi Taiko (“Happy Drums”)

This was the song taught in the September class.

Yorokobi Taiko was written by Steve Yamaguma in 1974.

Coordination Exercise (part of the Warm-ups)