Our Music
Debut album ‘Kin’ out now
Oregon Koto-Kai is proud to present our debut album, Kin, featuring some of our favorite pieces for Japanese koto ensemble. Established in 2012 by our artistic director Mitsuki Dazai, we are entering our 13th year at the time of this album’s release. As such, the title Kin refers to the name of the 13th and highest string on a standard koto and symbolizes our progress over the years.
CDs will be available at select OKK performances, a list of local retailers, including Enthea Teahouse, and on Bandcamp. Digital and hard copies are available now.
Recent Performances
The Koto
Koto
The koto is a traditional Japanese musical instrument, made out of kiri (paulownia wood). Sometimes referred to as a Japanese harp, this zither has 13 strings made of tetron. In the past, the strings were made of silk and conservative players still use silk strings today.
Koto-ji
There are 13 adjustable string bridges (koto-ji) that are placed on the body of the koto to create a variety of scales, from typical Japanese pentatonic scales to those found in Western music.The bridges are traditionally made of ivory, but today are made of plastic.
Tsume
The koto player wears tsume (fingerpicks) on their thumb, index and middle finger. You can also pluck the koto strings with other fingers to create a softer sound.
Sound
The koto produces very beautiful, dynamic melodies, and koto players must master a variety of unique methods to bring forth its lovely voice. Since it has a long history, koto music has many different styles, from traditional to contemporary. In ensemble pieces, you may see a larger sized koto with 17 strings, a bass koto, that is used to create depth in more contemporary music.
Learn more about the koto
If you have any more questions about the koto, feel free to contact us.
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