Shō

The shō is a member of the free reeds and interruptive aerophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 412.13). It originates from Japan. Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the shō makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the shō belongs to the free reeds and interruptive aerophones: air is periodically interrupted by a vibrating reed or blade – the accordion, harmonica, sheng and bullroarer.

More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.

Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.

From Wikipedia

The shō (笙) is a Japanese free reed musical instrument descended from the Chinese sheng, of the Tang dynasty era, which was introduced to Japan during the Nara period (AD 710 to 794), although the shō tends to be smaller in size than its contemporary sheng relatives. It consists of 17 slender bamboo pipes, each of which is fitted in its base with a metal free reed. Two of the pipes are silent, although research suggests that they were used in some music during the Heian period. It is speculated that even though the pipes are silent, they were kept as part of the instrument to keep the symmetrical shape.