Kuchishoga is the Japanese word for the act of saying syllables to describe the sound that the drum makes when one hits it. The syllables describe the volume, duration, and type of hit. They can also describe where the drum is struck, and sometimes even what type of instrument is being used.

Taiko music is often taught by saying the kuchishoga instead of using printed music. This allows for ease of memorization, and helps those who can’t read music to learn to play taiko.

The syllables are taken from the Japanese syllabary, however, which syllables and what they represent vary between regions and groups.

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