The score of the wor: the use of mnemonic syllables as notation in taiko learning

Abstract

The practice of taiko, Japanese-origin drums, gained popularity from the second half of the 20th century with contemporary taiko ensembles and, in Brazil, represents one of the most widespread activities in the Japanese-Brazilian communities since 2002. This practice brought with it, besides its various symbols of Japaneseness, an oral approach to musical notation known as kuchi shôga, which consists of repeating mnemonic syllables to assimilate the performed music, creating a sound score of its pieces. Additionally, an approach to European notation adapted to this practice was also created. In this article, based on an ethnographic procedure by its author, who undertook a three-year participant observation (2020-2023) with the taiko group Kawasuji Seiryu Daiko, from the city of Atibaia, in the state of São Paulo, the application of these notations in the context of the group will be discussed, pointing out their limitations and potentialities and debating their impacts on the ensemble. From the employed observation, it was possible to understand how the practice of kuchi shôga became not only an element of assimilation but also a differentiator of that musical practice, creating a unique vocabulary constructed dynamically alongside the learning process. It was also possible to see how the application of the adaptation of the European system to taiko overlooks fundamental aspects of this manifestation, such as its performative elements. However, despite evident challenges and limitations, it was possible to understand how these approaches configure quite useful and successful notation in the application of a musical community work.