Taiko
Taiko, the Japanese drum, in five languages — taiko, Taiko, tambour japonais
Related
Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 太鼓 |
| English | taiko |
| Italian | taiko |
| German | Taiko |
| French | taiko (tambour japonais) |
Taiko is the Japanese word for drum in general; in English and Chinese it often refers specifically to the large drums of Japanese festivals and stage ensembles, and to the ensemble practice built around them. German, French and Italian generally borrow taiko, with French sometimes adding tambour japonais. The same word is a generic term for drums in Japanese but is treated abroad as one instrument (a common usage).
Watch out: taiko is not a single drum type — the long-bodied nagado-daiko, the shime-daiko and the barrel-bodied okedo-daiko differ in construction and pitch; nor is taiko the same as the ensemble genre, often called wadaiko or taiko ensemble.
Read deeper → The taiko
Sources
- 各语种乐器名与形制，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Taiko"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.