Taiko Drumming Masterclass

A Thursday afternoon saw various heads looking round all available entrances to the Holst Hall, curious to discover the source of an unusual thundering emitting from there.

That was taiko drumming, a workshop run by a member of the Kodo taiko drumming troupe. The workshop was organised by the Japanese department, and allowed the participants to learn something about the techniques of this Japanese art form of ensemble drumming, and to learn and perform a basic piece, in an hour and a half. The time spent playing was also reduced by the necessary warm up, as taiko is an unavoidably physically exhausting activity, including in particular loosening the wrists.

We first learned about the different drums, which ranged from the small, high-pitched and taught sounding �okedo� to the enormous, double skinned �odaiko� with its deep voice. These drums are played standing, with two sticks, either downwards or across the body, and crucially make full use of gravity pulling the falling arm down to produce their distinctive, centred timbre.

We then quickly began to master the basics for an ensemble piece: an accompanying bass rhythm, two substantial rhythmic patterns, and the ability to strike quickly with dropping the drumsticks. It became clear, however, that a high levl of invested energy and connection with others was essential for the successful ensemble. Our instructor coached us gradually to listen to each other better, and helped us to understand where our own parts fitted into the piece. Our performance became tighter and more listenable by degrees until we finished on a final exclamation of �HA!�

The drumming session was extremely energetic, enjoyable and rewarding through the passable production of a simple but effective piece in a short time�s practice. It is a testament to the versatility and incredibly accessible sound of taiko that we were able to produce a piece we impressed ourselves with in such a short session. I would recommend this activity to anyone, and would be very happy to see it return to JAGS.

Maggie Lund, Year 11 

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