Kokyū

Kokyu (Japanese胡 弓, " of foreign bow ," ko " foreign" and kyū, " bow " ) refers to a group of long- necked lutes in Japan, which are played with a bow. The kokyūs were with the form- related plucked lute shamisen introduced from China, and have since 17-18. Century, known in Japan. In size, material and sound, the individual types differ. The version in Okinawa is kucho called.

The Kokyu of Japan's main islands is 70 inches long, with a rosewood neck, East Indian rosewood, Chinese quince or Narrabaum. The resonator consists of Chinese quince or Pterocarpus indicus ( in which customary in Ryukyu instrument is blackened uses ebony ) and the front and back with cats skin ( or in Okinawa snake skin) covered. On the front is a bridge. She has three (rarely four) strings and is played upright. The arch is covered with horse hair, the strings are made ​​of silk. In central Japan, the Kokyu was formerly used as an integral part of the sankyoku ensembles, along with koto and shamisen. Since the beginning of the 20th century, this role has been mostly taken over by the shakuhachi.

Since Shinei Matayoshi, a Kokyu and Sanshin Sanshin player and farmer, to expand their scope of sound a 4-string version of the developed Kokyu, it has become more common again. In Japan there is a Kokyu Society, dedicated to the promotion of the instrument.

The American multi-instrumentalist Eric Golub has Kokyu used in jazz and blues.