May it Please Your Highness:
Music of the Asian Courts
Lesson Hub 2
雅楽 Gagaku: Imperial Court Music of Japan
Authors: Dr. Rory Lindsay, Dr. Daigengna Duoer, Dr. Fabio Rambelli, Dr. Kaitlyn Ugoretz
We're on our birthday trip to Asia!
We will visit many of the countries that are part of Asia.
Person with Toy Airplane on World Map, by Andrea Piacquadio, CC0, via Pexels.
Kazakhstan
Turkey
Iran
India
Thailand
Indonesia
Vietnam
China
Japan
Korea
Next stop, Japan!
Asia, by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Library of Congress.
What is gagaku music?
What instruments are used and how does it sound?
Is it still part of contemporary Japanese culture?
Gagaku Woodwinds, by Rory Lindsay.
CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Gagaku - Imperial Court Music of Japan
Path 1
What Is
Gagaku?
20+ minutes
Takao Matsuhisa (Gagaku Dancer), by Daigengna Duoer. Personal Collection.
Exploring Gagaku
Hello! I’m a magical bird named Karyobinga. I’m here to teach you about the Imperial Court music of Japan!
Karyobinga, by Kaitlyn Ugoretz, Irasutoya.
Watching Gagaku
Gagaku Performance, video by Daigengna Duoer.
Pronouncing Gagaku
How do we say, “Gagaku”?
GA GA ke
Listen to the pronunciation and repeat!
What does gagaku mean?
What does the word, “Gagaku” mean?
雅楽 “elegant music”
This bird is called an Elegant Tern. Why do you think it is called elegant?
Lesser Tern, by R. Havell, {PD-Art|PD-old-100}, via the Library of Congress.
Where did gagaku come from?
'Elegant' music travelled from India, Central Asia, and Vietnam to China. From China, it travelled to Japan.
Gagaku also had influences from Korea.
Map of Asia, Cacahuate, CC BY-SA 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Gagaku is a very old kind of music.
In the year 701, Gagaku became the official music of the Japanese government.
That means it has been played in Japan for more than 1300 years!
Fun fact: The Gagaku orchestra at the emperor’s palace in Japan is the oldest orchestra in the world.
Where is Gagaku traditionally played?
Long ago, gagaku accompanied the rituals and events of the Emperor and the royal family. It was entertainment that only people in the courts could watch.
Today, it is still used at the Imperial Palace of Japan and for religious purposes at temples and shrines.
Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Japan, by josef knecht, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Gagaku Today
Even though it is centuries old, Gagaku music is still played in Japanese culture today.
Traditional gagaku instruments are used by popular artists in many musical genres.
Gagaku music is used on TV, in anime, and even video games.
Wikipe-tan Without Body, by Kasuga-Commonswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Gagaku Instruments in Video Games
Do a search with your teacher: "Gagaku music in video games."
Play an example from the list you find.
Raise your hand when you hear an instrument you think is from Japan.
Video Game Barnstar Hires, by Jacoplane, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A Cool Comparison (optional)
Listen to classical music from Japan and classical music from Europe.
What instruments do you think you hear?
What sounds familiar?
What is unfamiliar?
"Imperial Sho Koto Chant: Gagaku," unknown artists.
"Handel's Water Piece," recorded by The Wayland Consort Orchestra.
Learning Checkpoint
-
What does “gagaku” mean in Japanese?
-
What was the purpose of gagaku music in the courts long ago?
-
Where can you hear gagaku in Japan today?
End of Path 1: Where will you go next?
Path 2
Sounds of Gagaku
15+ mins
Gagaku Sho Players, by Rory Lindsay. Personal Collection.
What does gagaku mean?
I'm your guide Karyobinga,
a magical bird who plays a gagaku instrument. You will learn
which one!
What does the word, “gagaku” mean?
雅楽 “elegant music”
Lesser Tern, by R. Havell, {PD-Art|PD-old-100}, via the Library of Congress.
Text
Gagaku Instruments
Gagaku is performed with voice, string, wind, and percussion instruments.
We will explore some of the wind and percussion instruments.
Gagaku Performance, by Daigengna Duoer. Personal Collection.
Gagaku Performance
Gagaku Performance, video by Daigengna Duoer.
Gagaku Instruments: Shō
Listen to this track.
Can you hear the voices? Can you hear the other, high instrument?
That's the shō!
How would you describe the sound of the shō?
Sho, by Takashi Mifune. Irasutoya.
"Imperial Sho Koto Chant: Gagaku," unknown artists.
Listen to the Shō
People in Japan say the shō sounds like, “light piercing through the sky.”
Gagaku Sho Players. video by Rory Lindsay.
Instrument Shape
People also say the shō is shaped like a phoenix.
What do you think it looks like?
Phoenix, by Takashi Mifune. Irasutoya.
Gagaku Instruments: Ryūteki
What animal do you think this instrument sounds like?
Ryuteki Player, video by Rory Lindsay.
Pronounce Ryūteki
This instrument is also called the "dragon flute."
It is pronounced,
“ree-yoo-teh-key.”
Gagaku Woodwinds, by Rory Lindsay. Personal Collection.
Ryūteki and Dragons
In Japan, they say it sounds like a dancing dragon!
Ryūteki and Dragon, by Takashi Mifune. Irasutoya.
Listen to the Ryūteki Again
How is it the same or different from a dragon sound?
Is this what you thought a dragon would sound like?
Dragon and Waves, unknown artist. National Museum of Asian Art.
Gagaku Instruments: Hichiriki
I have been playing this instrument all along!
It is pronounced,
“hee-chee-ree-key”
Hichiriki, by Takashi Mifune. Irasutoya.
Gagaku Instruments: Hichiriki
Maestro Nagao Ōkubo, Hichiriki, video by Rory Lindsay.
Does it sound like me?
Gagaku Instruments All Together
What instruments can you hear? Let's review the names.
Takao Matsuhisa (Gagaku Dancer), video by Rory Lindsay.
Gagaku: What else do you notice?
Learning Checkpoint
-
Which gagaku instrument sounds like a dragon?
-
Which gagaku instrument sounds like a phoenix?
-
Which gagaku instrument sounds like Karyobinga?
End of Path 2: Where will you go next?
Choose an Intersecting Path:
Sounds of Bandura
Sound Communities - Lesson 3, Path 2
COMING SOON!
Path 3
Performing Gagaku
15+ mins
Gagaku Performance, by Daigengna Duoer. Personal Collection.
What Does Gagaku Mean?
I'm your guide Karyobinga,
a magical bird who plays a gagaku instrument.
What does the word, “gagaku” mean?
雅楽 “elegant music”
Lesser Tern, by R. Havell, {PD-Art|PD-old-100}, via the Library of Congress.
"Etenraku," by Gordon K. Inoue.
Gagaku Song: “Etenraku”
Follow the instructions and sing and clap along with this famous gagaku song!
Person Singing, by Jennifer Walden.
Hands Clapping, by Ties.yolta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Let's Sing Etenraku! video by Daigengna Duoer.
Gagaku Kakko Drum
Try to drum along on your knees with these Gagaku beats!
Is it a steady beat? Getting faster? Slower?
Gagaku Drum Player, video by Fabio Rambelli.
Engaged Listening: “Etenraku”
Can you clap along?
Can you hum along?
Can you pat along with the kakko drum?
Learning Checkpoint
-
Which gagaku performance activity did you like best and why (singing, clapping, or playing the drum part on your lap)?
-
How would you describe the rhythms played on the gagaku kakko drum?
End of Path 3 and Lesson 2: Where will you go next?
Lesson 2 Media Credits
Audio courtesy of
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Mirei Matsumoto (Pronunciations)
Videos courtesy of
Maestro Hedeaki Bunno and the master musicians of the Hideaki BUNNO GAGAKU ensemble
Gagaku Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Daigengna Duoer, Rory Lindsay, Fabio Rambelli
Images courtesy of
Daigengna Duoer, Irasutoya, Rory Lindsay, Kaitlyn Ugoretz
Library of Congress
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution
Special Thanks T0
Members of the Gagaku Project, University of California, Santa Barbara:
Fabio Rambelli, Daigengna Duoer, Mason Johnson, Rory Lindsay,
Kaitlyn Ugoretz, Mariangela Carpinteri, and Elena Mailander.
© 2025 Smithsonian Institution. Personal, educational, and non-commercial uses allowed; commercial rights reserved. See Smithsonian terms of use for more information.
This project received Federal support from the Youth Access Grant.
For full bibliography and media credits, see Lesson 2 landing page.