Ōtsuzumi
The ōtsuzumi (大鼓), also known as the ōkawa (大皮), is an hourglass-shaped Japanese drum.[1][2] It is a larger version of the tsuzumi, or kotsuzumi, and is used in traditional Japanese theater and folk music.[3] Its appearance is slightly different from that of the tsuzumi, and the sound produced is vastly different from any of the four sounds the kotsuzumi produces.[4] Whereas the kotsuzumi is smaller and has a more ornate drum head, the ōkawa is larger, and its head takes on a more plain, leathery appearance. The sound is also higher and sharper in pitch, resembling more of a dry, almost metallic "crack" than the tsuzumi's softer "pon" sound. The hourglass structure is slightly bigger, and has a prominent protruding "knob" at the middle, unlike that of the kotsuzumi, which has a smoothened-out middle section. The heads of the drum are taut very tightly, leaving no room for further tension, and acoustic, adjustments. The ōkawa is played on the left thigh of the player, possibly due to its larger, heavy size, whereas the tsuzumi is played upon the right shoulder.
The drum heads are made of thick, stiff
Like the tsuzumi, the ōkawa is also struck with a player's bare hands. As the drum heads are taut very tightly, it often hurts to play the drum, and calluses must be developed on the player's fingers to play comfortably. The calluses must be taken care of, being shaved with a knife from time to time before they get too big. Most players use deerhide padding on the palm of their hand, to protect their palm and enhance the sound. They also wear fingerstalls made of multiple layers of Japanese washi paper, hardened with starch, on their fingers.
References
- ^ "Otsuzumi Kotsuzumi". noh.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ "TSUDUMI | Traditional Music Degital Library". www.senzoku-online.jp. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ISBN 978-1-4422-3911-1.
- ^ "O-tsuzumi (大鼓 ) | Japanese". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
External links