New
New
Lesson 2 of 4
  • Year 7

The key principles of taiko

I can identify strikes and kakegoe, applying these to the stance and movement to recreate key aspects of taiko.

Lesson 2 of 4
New
New
  • Year 7

The key principles of taiko

I can identify strikes and kakegoe, applying these to the stance and movement to recreate key aspects of taiko.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Taiko has four key principles which are fundamental to performance.
  2. These are kata (movement), rei (attitude), waza (technique) and ki (energy and flow).
  3. The correct kamae (stance) helps performers to keep in time.
  4. There are a variety of strikes and kakegoe, with some performed in synchronisation. These include sore, hup and sa.
  5. The common strikes are don and doko which are on the head of the drum (hara) and kara which is on the rim (fuchi).

Keywords

  • Kamae - the stance used while performing

  • Waza - the correct technique, expression and synchronisation used within a performance

  • Hara - the head of the drum

  • Fuchi - the edge of the drum

  • Kakegoe - shouts used during performance for cues and emotion

Common misconception

The movements and shouts are not related to the pulse and rhythm.

The movements and shouts, just like the drum strikes, are rhythmically important. Reinforce the pulse when teaching the movements, shouts and strikes.


To help you plan your year 7 music lesson on: The key principles of taiko, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to do all movements to a pulse and use the count in, ichi ni sore, to signal the pulse when practising.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Voices, tables or chairs (if no percussion instruments are available), drum sticks if using chairs/hands if using tables, drums of any size or shape if possible.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
You would hear ichi ni sore at the of a taiko performance.

Correct Answer: start, beginning

Q2.
What are don and doko?

The two drum sticks used in taiko.
Correct answer: Two different drum strikes used in taiko.
Two different movements used in taiko.
Two parts of the costume used in taiko.

Q3.
What are bachi?

shouts
Correct answer: sticks
drum heads
costumes

Q4.
A honji is .

a 4-beat pattern
a 6-beat pattern
Correct answer: an 8-beat pattern
a 10-beat pattern

Q5.
Match each word to its definition.

Correct Answer:hara,the head of the drum

the head of the drum

Correct Answer:fuchi,the edge of the drum

the edge of the drum

Correct Answer:bachi,thick wooden sticks

thick wooden sticks

Q6.
The phonetic notation used to describe rhythms, dynamics and pitch is kuchi .

Correct Answer: shoga, shoger

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these are principles of taiko?

Correct answer: kata (movement)
Correct answer: rei (attitude)
ichi (one)
bachi (sticks)
Correct answer: ki (energy and flow)

Q2.
What is the correct kamae?

Right leg in front of the body, bending the knee and the back leg straight.
Correct answer: Left leg in front of the body, bending the knee and the back leg straight.
Right leg in front and straight, whilst bending the knee of the back leg.
Left leg in front and straight, whilst bending the knee of the back leg.

Q3.
Which of these are kata (movements) in taiko?

'X' shaped arms with bachi
Correct answer: ‘Y’-shaped arms with bachi
Correct answer: ‘Y’-shaped arms with bachi
‘rest’ with hands holding bachi horizontally in front

Q4.
Which of the following are strikes on the hara?

Correct answer: don
ka
Correct answer: do
ra
Correct answer: ko

Q5.
Which of the following are strikes on the fuchi?

don
Correct answer: ka
do
Correct answer: ra
ko

Q6.
Kakegoe are used during performance for cues and emotion.

Correct Answer: shouts