Shō (instrument)

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Shō players

Shō , also scho, syô ( Japanese 笙 ), is a mouth organ that is played in court Japanese music ( gagaku ). The reed wind instrument 17 has short bamboo pipes which connect with one end in a wooden wind chamber is blown into the air through a short mouthpiece.

Design and style of play

The forerunners of the shō originated in China, where they are mentioned under the name sheng first and several times in the book of songs (10th to 7th centuries BC). The most widespread sheng in China is closely related in shape to the shō , and the Chinese hulusi with a wind chamber made from a calabash is similar . In another form of mouth organ, the pipes lead through the wind chamber and protrude at the lower end. These include the khaen in the northeastern region of Isan and Laos, as well as the qeej of the Hmong .

The shō consists of a cup-shaped wooden base in which 17 perforated pipes, two of which are silent, made of bamboo are inserted. The sound is produced by blowing through an opening in the lower body. This causes a cut, coated metal sheet in the pipe, the hole of which is closed, to vibrate, which produces the sound in a similar way in the western harmonica ( tongue penetrating ). The mood of the individual pipes is determined by a small drop of wax on the blade and variable slots on the back. The pipes are approximately symmetrical and therefore not arranged in chromatic order in order not to disturb the balance of the instrument. The biggest problem with playing the shō is avoiding the build-up of moisture on the reeds or they will not sound. During breaks in play, it is heated over a small charcoal fire in white clay bowls ( hibachi ) in front of the musicians. Today there are also electric ovens for this purpose.

In some forms of vocal music and in komagaku (Korean music) the shō plays the melody; however, their main function is harmonious. The chords or tone sequences of the shō , Japanese aitake , the lowest tone of which corresponds to the melody tone, begin softly, become louder and reach a climax shortly before the change to the next chord takes place in the middle of the bar. Since both inhaled and exhaled air make the reed vibrate, the sound is continuous. Unlike in Western music, the chords do not serve to determine the timbre of the melody and to build up a tension that has to be resolved. According to William P. Malm, in Gagaku at least the chords of the shō are used to "freeze" the melody and to distance it from the listener.

In modern western music, the shō is used in the opera Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern by Helmut Lachenmann , in Stephan Micus and in several works by Gerhard Stäbler (including in a concert for shō and orchestra Tsuki, Subaru ).

  • Shō

  • Heating the instrument

  • Chinese sheng (left) and Japanese shō (right)

  • Shō from the 12th century

literature

Web links