How the dōtaku makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the dōtaku belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
Dōtaku (銅鐸) are richly decorated Japanese bells cast in bronze. They were used for about 400 years, between the second century BCE and the second century CE (corresponding to the end of the Yayoi period), and were used almost exclusively as decorations during rituals. They were richly decorated with patterns representing nature and animals, among which the dragonfly, praying mantis and spider are featured. Historians believe that dōtaku were used to pray for good harvests, as the animals featured are natural enemies of insect pests that attack paddy fields.
The Yasu City History and Folklore Museum in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (nicknamed the "dōtaku museum") has a permanent exhibition devoted to the bells.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a dōtaku sound like?
As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the dōtaku?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.242).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q2312868 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Dōtaku – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by PHGCOM – CC BY-SA 3.0