Similarities and Difference between Thai and Japanese Music
What I Know and Want to Know
People express their feeling through music. Sometimes I hear very slow traditional music in Thailand and also in Japan, but the instrument that they use is different. The first time that I heard Thai music was in Emporium with my family. We thought that Thai music is very slow and makes us sleepy. I wonder why they use different types of instrument even though, it is in same Asia. In Japan, people play their traditional music when we have cultural events as well as Thailand. In my mind, I think Thailand play their traditional music more often than Japan, because they celebrate traditional thing more than Japan. Actually I don’t know anything about Thai music but I can guess that Thailand has several kinds of music in different places and use different instruments. What I know for now is both Japan and Thailand use string instrument. But I want to know more differences and similarities between this two countries because as I told you before I curious that why we have different kinds of music even we are in Asia. This motivates me to come up with this topic of this project.
The Search
In Thailand, they are different types of music. One of the music that I find amazing is called “Muay Thai fighting music”. Muay Thai is Thai traditional sport which is similar to boxing. This music is a symbol of deference and respect. This rhythmic music accompanies the Ram Muay ritual dance that precedes every Muay Thai fight. This tempo is very slow and it matches with the boxing. When the fighting becomes fierce, the tempo will increase. This music tempo will motivate the fighters to speed up their fight.
Since ancient time, Thai people have always used music in all occasions. There are many traditional musical instruments. Before the Indian culture came into Thailand, the Thais invented many kinds of musical instruments. Afterwards Thai got some new different types of instruments from India. Today there are more than 50 kinds of instruments in total, such as various types of flute, string, and cong. The first Thai ensemble was played by woodwind percussion.
During the Ayutthaya period the instrumental ensemble was composed of four to eight musicians. Songs became much longer and singing technique was improved. Many Ayutthaya songs were composed in a form of musical suite called Phleng Rua, which was a series of songs. Poets contributed lyrics in the form of short stories, mostly from the Ramakian. Many Ayutthaya songs are still employed in Thai plays today. In the beginning of the Bangkok period, after a long period of war, there was a remarkable revival of Thai arts, especially music and drama. The size of the instrumental ensemble was enlarged to 12 musicians. Beautiful lyrics written by contemporary poets were fitted into melodies of the Ayutthaya period.
As time goes by, Thai traditional instruments developed more, and it became unique. Thai music is usually slow and soothing. The only way people can learn is to learn from the masters, and people who made its instrument. Some traditional music is made in other area in Thailand. For example, the music call Luuk Thung which means children of the fields came from Suphanburi area. It was developed in the 1960’s with singers reflecting on the hardships of living, loving and working in rural Thailand. In modern time, Thai people still enjoy this type of music and songs. Other kinds of songs are from Isaan, in the north east of Thailand. This music call Mor lam which means song Doctor. This song is fast and rhythmic. Many songs feature betrayal of loyalties when a lover goes off to the capital, Bangkok, and finds a new partner with more money. Isaan people always kept this music in their mind and gradually, it became a part of common and famous music in Thailand.
In Japan, they are different types of music also, but they are not famous. In Japan they have more unique instruments, such as Taiko, Shakuhachi and Koto. Taiko is a Japanese drum. Its origins are uncertain, but it is around the 6th and 7th centuries. Korean influences followed, but the instrument and its music remained uniquely Japanese. Taiko continue to be used in the religious music of Buddhism and Shinto. Shakuhachi is originally played as a part of a Zen service or practice and it was the favorite instrument among wandering Buddhist priests. It looks like recorder, but it is much bigger and hard to play. The third one, Koto is the national instrument of Japan and it was first introduced to Japan in the 7th and 8th century from China. Actually, the original was created in the early 5th century. Now, in Japan, it is less famous because of the influence of Western pop music, but it is still stays as a Japanese traditional instrument. The Japanese music characteristic is that it is based on a five-note scale and has primarily two- and four-beat rhythms as opposed to a three-beat time. Most traditional music consists of songs with instrumental accompaniment, and there are very few purely instrumental compositions. Japan is not only famous in instruments. The dance such as Gagaku is also part of the traditional musical dance in Japan. Gagaku is one of the oldest Japanese traditional classic music which has been performed at the Imperial court since the Nara and Heian period. Gagaku is divided in to Kagen (instrumental music) and Bugaku (dance accompanied by gagaku). This came from China and Korea and it always played with the dance. Actually I already know about Japanese traditional music and instruments more than Thai traditional music because I am Japanese. However, even though most of Japanese people know what our traditional music or instruments are, they will not play or they don’t even know how to play.
What I Learned
From this research, I learned about some difference between Thai and Japanese music. Those differences are that Thai people have more than different types of music while Japan has fewer. What I mean by this is that in Thailand, they have some songs for farmers and lands, but in Japan they also have, but it is not that many as what Thai people have. Japanese music is always played with dance, but in Thailand, traditional music can be played without a dance. Most ancient Japanese music is created from the mood of the dance, so it always depends what the dance is like. Therefore we have the music call Gagaku, in which its rhythm follows the movement of the dance.
In Thailand, the king is highly revered and there is a special song called the Royal Hymn dedicated for him. Sometimes I hear the song for king and there is no dance for it. Before watching a movie, everyone always has to stand up and listen to the Thai King’s song at the beginning. I was so surprised when I came to Thailand and saw people standing in respect for the king. In Japan, we also have an emperor, but he is represented as a symbol so Japanese people don’t have to stand to pay him such respect before any kinds of ceremonial activities. The biggest difference between Japan and Thailand for me is the culture. Thailand is close to India and India brought some influences into Thai music. Most of the musical instruments are percussions. However, Japan is influenced by China so Japan has more string instruments.
Furthermore, I found few similarities between Japanese and Thai traditional music. Both Japanese and Thai music’s tempo is slow and they use strings, flutes, and drums to create a harmony. Even though there are not lyrics or dances, they use these three main instruments to play the music and also both of them have some different types of music in different city. In Thailand they have some music in Issan which as mentioned before and also in Japan, we have different types of music, even though it is not famous in the world. Especially in Thailand, they have very more unique music in other city than Japan. Because Japan was isolated until Edo periods end, everyone shared the same thing in all country. Therefore I think Japanese music in the city is not that famous. The other similarity that I find is that both Japanese and Thai change their way to play the music slowly. What I mean by this is that when the music arrived to Thailand or Japan in ancient time, they have exactly same types of music as the music where they get from, so for Thailand, they had exactly same music as Indian music and for Japan, they had same music as China. However, as the time goes, both Japanese and Thai changed the music by themselves to create their own cultural and traditional music. When I realized this part, I admired the ancient people for making some own cultural music by them and we still keep up that traditional music. And it also motivated me to keep up our own music. Those are few similarities that I found by searching.
Conclusion (What I know after I searched)
What I Know and Want to Know
People express their feeling through music. Sometimes I hear very slow traditional music in Thailand and also in Japan, but the instrument that they use is different. The first time that I heard Thai music was in Emporium with my family. We thought that Thai music is very slow and makes us sleepy. I wonder why they use different types of instrument even though, it is in same Asia. In Japan, people play their traditional music when we have cultural events as well as Thailand. In my mind, I think Thailand play their traditional music more often than Japan, because they celebrate traditional thing more than Japan. Actually I don’t know anything about Thai music but I can guess that Thailand has several kinds of music in different places and use different instruments. What I know for now is both Japan and Thailand use string instrument. But I want to know more differences and similarities between this two countries because as I told you before I curious that why we have different kinds of music even we are in Asia. This motivates me to come up with this topic of this project.
The Search
In Thailand, they are different types of music. One of the music that I find amazing is called “Muay Thai fighting music”. Muay Thai is Thai traditional sport which is similar to boxing. This music is a symbol of deference and respect. This rhythmic music accompanies the Ram Muay ritual dance that precedes every Muay Thai fight. This tempo is very slow and it matches with the boxing. When the fighting becomes fierce, the tempo will increase. This music tempo will motivate the fighters to speed up their fight.
Since ancient time, Thai people have always used music in all occasions. There are many traditional musical instruments. Before the Indian culture came into Thailand, the Thais invented many kinds of musical instruments. Afterwards Thai got some new different types of instruments from India. Today there are more than 50 kinds of instruments in total, such as various types of flute, string, and cong. The first Thai ensemble was played by woodwind percussion.
During the Ayutthaya period the instrumental ensemble was composed of four to eight musicians. Songs became much longer and singing technique was improved. Many Ayutthaya songs were composed in a form of musical suite called Phleng Rua, which was a series of songs. Poets contributed lyrics in the form of short stories, mostly from the Ramakian. Many Ayutthaya songs are still employed in Thai plays today. In the beginning of the Bangkok period, after a long period of war, there was a remarkable revival of Thai arts, especially music and drama. The size of the instrumental ensemble was enlarged to 12 musicians. Beautiful lyrics written by contemporary poets were fitted into melodies of the Ayutthaya period.
As time goes by, Thai traditional instruments developed more, and it became unique. Thai music is usually slow and soothing. The only way people can learn is to learn from the masters, and people who made its instrument. Some traditional music is made in other area in Thailand. For example, the music call Luuk Thung which means children of the fields came from Suphanburi area. It was developed in the 1960’s with singers reflecting on the hardships of living, loving and working in rural Thailand. In modern time, Thai people still enjoy this type of music and songs. Other kinds of songs are from Isaan, in the north east of Thailand. This music call Mor lam which means song Doctor. This song is fast and rhythmic. Many songs feature betrayal of loyalties when a lover goes off to the capital, Bangkok, and finds a new partner with more money. Isaan people always kept this music in their mind and gradually, it became a part of common and famous music in Thailand.
In Japan, they are different types of music also, but they are not famous. In Japan they have more unique instruments, such as Taiko, Shakuhachi and Koto. Taiko is a Japanese drum. Its origins are uncertain, but it is around the 6th and 7th centuries. Korean influences followed, but the instrument and its music remained uniquely Japanese. Taiko continue to be used in the religious music of Buddhism and Shinto. Shakuhachi is originally played as a part of a Zen service or practice and it was the favorite instrument among wandering Buddhist priests. It looks like recorder, but it is much bigger and hard to play. The third one, Koto is the national instrument of Japan and it was first introduced to Japan in the 7th and 8th century from China. Actually, the original was created in the early 5th century. Now, in Japan, it is less famous because of the influence of Western pop music, but it is still stays as a Japanese traditional instrument. The Japanese music characteristic is that it is based on a five-note scale and has primarily two- and four-beat rhythms as opposed to a three-beat time. Most traditional music consists of songs with instrumental accompaniment, and there are very few purely instrumental compositions. Japan is not only famous in instruments. The dance such as Gagaku is also part of the traditional musical dance in Japan. Gagaku is one of the oldest Japanese traditional classic music which has been performed at the Imperial court since the Nara and Heian period. Gagaku is divided in to Kagen (instrumental music) and Bugaku (dance accompanied by gagaku). This came from China and Korea and it always played with the dance. Actually I already know about Japanese traditional music and instruments more than Thai traditional music because I am Japanese. However, even though most of Japanese people know what our traditional music or instruments are, they will not play or they don’t even know how to play.
What I Learned
From this research, I learned about some difference between Thai and Japanese music. Those differences are that Thai people have more than different types of music while Japan has fewer. What I mean by this is that in Thailand, they have some songs for farmers and lands, but in Japan they also have, but it is not that many as what Thai people have. Japanese music is always played with dance, but in Thailand, traditional music can be played without a dance. Most ancient Japanese music is created from the mood of the dance, so it always depends what the dance is like. Therefore we have the music call Gagaku, in which its rhythm follows the movement of the dance.
In Thailand, the king is highly revered and there is a special song called the Royal Hymn dedicated for him. Sometimes I hear the song for king and there is no dance for it. Before watching a movie, everyone always has to stand up and listen to the Thai King’s song at the beginning. I was so surprised when I came to Thailand and saw people standing in respect for the king. In Japan, we also have an emperor, but he is represented as a symbol so Japanese people don’t have to stand to pay him such respect before any kinds of ceremonial activities. The biggest difference between Japan and Thailand for me is the culture. Thailand is close to India and India brought some influences into Thai music. Most of the musical instruments are percussions. However, Japan is influenced by China so Japan has more string instruments.
Furthermore, I found few similarities between Japanese and Thai traditional music. Both Japanese and Thai music’s tempo is slow and they use strings, flutes, and drums to create a harmony. Even though there are not lyrics or dances, they use these three main instruments to play the music and also both of them have some different types of music in different city. In Thailand they have some music in Issan which as mentioned before and also in Japan, we have different types of music, even though it is not famous in the world. Especially in Thailand, they have very more unique music in other city than Japan. Because Japan was isolated until Edo periods end, everyone shared the same thing in all country. Therefore I think Japanese music in the city is not that famous. The other similarity that I find is that both Japanese and Thai change their way to play the music slowly. What I mean by this is that when the music arrived to Thailand or Japan in ancient time, they have exactly same types of music as the music where they get from, so for Thailand, they had exactly same music as Indian music and for Japan, they had same music as China. However, as the time goes, both Japanese and Thai changed the music by themselves to create their own cultural and traditional music. When I realized this part, I admired the ancient people for making some own cultural music by them and we still keep up that traditional music. And it also motivated me to keep up our own music. Those are few similarities that I found by searching.
Conclusion (What I know after I searched)
By searching about Japanese and Thai traditional music, I learned how the history and places influenced that culture, because Thailand is near India, so they got some Indian culture. However, in Japan, it was influenced by China and Korea. Also from this search, I got some similarities between Japanese and Thai music such as slowly music, the similar instruments. Therefore, I understand that the culture change depends on its environment. If I can, I want to search more about the difference between modern Japanese music and Thailand such as pop music, jazz etc... There are many types of music, so I want to search as many as I can. Over all, it was really good time to know the difference between Japanese and Thai traditional music.
