The Japanese "Sankyoku" (Sankyoku) is not three pieces of music, but an art form of Japanese classical instrumental music performance. The "qu" here refers to the musical instruments. Simply put, "three songs" means that three musical instruments perform in ensemble. Of the three instruments, the koto and shamisen are fixed, and the third is the hugong or shakuhachi.
Koto and shamisen are the most important stringed instruments in traditional Japanese music. The former is Fuxian, and the latter is Baoxian. The zheng, the Japanese zheng, is Koto in Japanese. In the 7th century AD, it was introduced to Japan by the Chinese thirteen-string Tang zheng along with the elegant music. Shamisen, that is, Japanese sanxian, Japanese is Shamisen, in the 16th century AD, Chinese sanxian was introduced to Japan via the Ryukyu Islands. Unlike Chinese sanxian, shamisen is plucked with a plectrum rather than fingers. The koto first introduced to Japan was used as an ensemble instrument in a band, and later accompanied with other musical instruments to accompany vocal music such as "Rui Ma Le". Although in the 9th century AD, Japan sent a Tang student, Fujiwara Zhenmin, to bring the koto solo from China. It was brought back, but it still did not change the ensemble and accompaniment status of the zheng. It was not until the end of the 16th century that the real zheng solo appeared. This situation did not change. Shamisen was introduced to Japan later, and it is mostly used for accompaniment. During the Genroku period (1688-1704), the koto performer Ikuta Kensho (1655-1715) applied the playing technique of shamisen to the Japanese koto, and added the koto to the shamisen song, which received very good results. The tone of the zheng is soft, the style is fresh, and there is a kind of quiet and elegant beauty; the tone of the shamisen is tough and the rap is strong.
The third instrument added to the "Three Songs" was the Hu Gong in the early days. The Kokyuu, which is drawn with a bow, is the only bowed stringed instrument among Japanese musical instruments. Since the Edo period, Hu Gong was replaced by shakuhachi, forming the current pattern of "three songs", and "three songs" also established its own classical status. The Shakuhachi is a recorder-like instrument made from the root end of bamboo. It is about 54.4 centimeters long, which is exactly one foot eight inches, hence the name. As a shakuhachi known for its lyricism, its addition not only makes the three songs more contrasting and layered in tone, but also expresses the feelings of the Japanese nation from the melody.
Vocal singing is often added to the "Three Songs", and many of the singing contents are related to the four seasons and natural scenery, which can be seen from the titles of many songs, such as "The Dew of Autumn", "The View of the Four Seasons", and "Sea of Spring". The verses sung are beautiful and melodious, and have a strong literary character.
In Japanese music, "Three Songs" belongs to urban traditional music, and it is the representative of Japanese classical music. Its form is somewhat similar to the trio in Western chamber music, as if three old friends are sitting together and conversing heartily. The same scene, there is a similar form of silk and bamboo ensemble in Chinese classical music. In the early days, the three instruments in the "Three Songs" often played the same melody in unison. Now, it has developed to play independent tunes, forming a new sound effect. The timbres complement and interweave with each other, with a more intense Japanese style. "Three Songs" reflects the Japanese people's pursuit of tranquility and elegance, and shows the unique charm of Japanese culture.
Listening to Dongying's "Three Songs" is like watching a picture of Fusang!
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