Cough cough No forum necromancy going on here…
Gehehe.
Interested in information regarding the Kokyu bow, if you have a traditional Kokyu bow. I would love to have measurements please. Also pardon my absence Bachido, I am still alive!
Quite a beautiful bow,
Kyle Aaron (and anyone else interested in kokyu), there is actually a kokyu group on Facebook (started by a kokyu-playing friend of mine). At the moment, it’s still a closed group, so you would have to make a request to be added. Anyway, in case it’s of interest to anyone, https://www.facebook.com/groups/544948145683088
Lorraine, wasn’t that Mitsukoshi a great place? There also used to be one in New York, not sure if it’s still there. (And if it is, it got very modernized/Westernized years ago, with all the good Japanese stuff and its Japanese restaurant removed…)
Wow! I found a post about kokyu! 
Personally, I think someone makes misunderstnding about kokyu and erhu. It’s because I searched on YouTube some videos and there were erhu performances under the title “kokyu…”… maybe because kokyu is not very known…
Thanks for the heads up about the Kokyu group! 12 people so far. Haha!
Sakura,
It isn’t a very well known instrument even in Japan, though there are some places where it’s more well known than others, particularly in Toyama where it’s still used as a main instrument in the Owara Kaze no Bon Matsuri.
Also, in Japanese “Kokyu” often gets translated to Chinese Fiddle for some reason, probably because it’s theorized that it is a descendant of the erhu much like the shamisen is derived from the sanxian, though there are other theories that the kokyu is inspired by the viola de gamba which was brought over by Portuguese traders.
Even in Toyama it’s rare.
You’ll see three or more shamisen players for each kokyuka.
Kaze no Bon is one of the few places they turn up, if you don’t teach in the mountains like I do.
…or stumble on that one performer who plays at Takaoka station once in a blue moon.
Kokyu it’s wonderful! In this video I really heard what it sounds like
I think it derives from a violin like instrument, not an Asian one. Erhu has a unique sound, a bit far from the violin
Surely I want to make something with a kokyuka in this community. I play the piano and I think piano and kokyu are quite unique
I’ll invest some time in helping Kokyu recover. If anyone has any measurements to contribute. I’ll begin. I’d like measurements of each type of Kokyu as there are quite a few styles. The bows are different too.
If anyone here has anything to contribute, that would be great.
Had a jam session with some friends in Tokyo last night and I busted out the Miyazaki tunes.
But are there some teacher who teach kokyu online?
Sakura,
It’s doubtful since it is such a rare instrument, unfortunately. My teacher is YouTube-sensei.
Kyle, have you some contact information about your teacher?
Kyle Aaron, you are awesome! I have been on a hunt to learn more about kokyu since I read about it in William Malm’s book Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments. Since I cannot read or type Japanese, I am limited in searching for more online. //
Esp. for those taiko fans or players out there, and kokyu fans, this is very neat-- an upcoming event. Toronto’s taiko group (with Bachido’s instructor Aki Takahashi), this Nov 5th. “Nagata Shachu and Shogo Yoshii. Experience a perfect storm of musical energy when Nagata Shachu shares the stage with Shogo Yoshii, a former member of the internationally renowned Kodo drummers of Japan who continues to explore the limitless possibilities of taiko, kokyu (Japanese violin) and shinobue (bamboo flute). As an acclaimed soloist, Shogo has devoted his creativity to the integration of Japanese folk art music with instruments from a wide variety of cultures.This collaboration between dynamic world musicians of the highest caliber is certain to give rise to a truly unforgettable concert.” http://nagatashachu.com/index.php/upcoming/
And If you search his name (“Shogo Yoshii”) on YT, you get a lot of kokyu videos. //
My taiko-related favorites are:
Kodo, with Motofumi Yamaguchi (more often plays flute) on kokyu, “Tamayura no Michi” song. If you buy the CD, it has extra media, a video of the studio performance – https://youtu.be/spSsxD6D-uA
…then of course, Earth Celebration, “Sora” (this might be Shogo Yoshii on kokyu) – https://youtu.be/YxaeckjVB4Q
This may be traditional playing? https://youtu.be/sJ28p6Pt8EU
In another post, someone mentioned Nehito Ishida. Wow, he makes really kewl instruments. He has instructional video, and the others are great to watch too.
https://youtu.be/hCYZPz9lqZU (kokyu, guide 1)
https://www.youtube.com/user/sound3459/videos?shelf_id=0&sort=dd&view=0 (for more kokyu guides and also videos of other instruments, bowed, bamboo slide, etc.)
And I found this, several kokyu instructions:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCLSG86iq9-qAmEYoRMmLA/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=dd
Sorry for the multiple posts. I was lucky and am joining the kokyu club (hopefully, although I haven’t even learned the Chinese ones). I was able to pick up this antique kokyu from auction. It needs repair but it is neat. Not bone, synthetic. 2-piece sao.
Would anyone know about the red coloring in the wood channels? I have the parts to an old nagauta shamisen and a flute that isn’t bamboo but hollowed out branch that has similar stripes (or smeared misty rain drops). It reminds me of calligraphy stamp paste ink.
I would like to share photos (also, a pic next to KoShamisen):
But do you play it?
Sakura- no, but I would be interested in trying. I will be watching those YouTube videos and just learning more. I do have instructional material for erhu, the Chinese fiddle, but I haven’t spent much time on it. Plus, my dog starts to howl. I don’t have violin background either (just rudimentary piano, flute, oboe) so I have a lot to learn.
I have a friend who plays Chinese erhu: Sheng Qi. I’ll be intrested in playing erhu… It’ll be Amazing!
I’m wandering if there is a kokyo teacher’s website…
This strays away from kokyu, but for those interested in erhu, I got Patty Chan’s book called Playing Erhu: Bridging the Gap, one of the few in English, with audio to go with the book. Eason in Singapore is easy to communicate with.
I like to watch craftsmanship videos, because technique can be applied to others. Here are just a few of making erhu.
Hong Kong has the same pressure of blending East/West and traditional/modern. They replaced the cello with a Chinese-style one, some have a giant giant snakeskin, but HK orchestra uses ones with PET plastic now. This also is true of erhu, so not necessarily snakeskin anymore on many traditional instruments.
Chinese Gehu (cello-like),
with snakeskin - http://www.easonmusicstore.com/categories/Gehu/11
with PET plastic - https://youtu.be/txufhGAcIFQ?t=32s
Erhu with PET plastic: https://youtu.be/wImAQ9V65WM
OK… thank you Virginia!
I want to learn erhu, but I don’t know for my blindness