What is Taiko in Japanese? | Meanning

 Discover the taiko , Japanese drum

Indeed, playing the taiko is actually a physical activity, where the beats in the drum are very often doubled by a choreography. The Taiko is not just a musical instrument! It also borrows some codes from martial arts.

Taiko is an art of drumming in Japan . The word taiko (太鼓 ) , which means "  drum  " in Japanese , comes from the Chinese  :太鼓 ; pinyin  : tàigǔ  ; lit. "largest drum", but it is generally used outside this country to refer to the different forms of drums. The Japanese prefer to use the more specific term wadaiko (和太鼓^? , literally "Japanese drum" ) , which has long been associated with the history of Japan .

Practice 

The practice of taiko calls upon demanding physical work required in the practice of martial arts: the "good sound" requires anchoring and stability of the pelvis which allows access to the flexibility, serenity and satisfaction that this practice.

In this sense, the taiko can be considered, according to sensitivities, as a music, a martial art, a meditation or a dance 1 .

Manufacturing 

The wood of the keyaki ( Zelkova serrata by its scientific designation), is considered ideal for making taiko , although other woods are also used 2 . This species, renowned for the beauty of its veins but also for its hardness, is comparable to the European elm. Both species are in fact part of the same family, that of Ulmaceae .