6 ART. 10. — ï. TERADA. 



which the adjustment may be made measures about 10", produc- 

 ing a change in the note of more than a semitone. To raise or 

 lower the note, the head is inclined so that the arcular aperture 

 is slightly widened or narrowed, while the pipe is held almost 

 immovable. The raising or lowering of the pitch produced in 

 this way is called respectively the kari or meri of the sound. 

 Besides this adjustment, a slight lowering of the pitch is often 

 effected by placing the finger immediately above the corresponding 

 hole, so as to prevent free communication of air through the 

 hole. This adjustment, the action of which is called kazasu is 

 rather difficult, so that it is only made by virtuosi. Since, in 

 this way, the compass of the notes for consecutive positions 

 overlap each other, the instrument is capable of 2)roduciug almost 

 any nole within a range of nearly two octaves, notwithstanding 

 the small number of its lateral openings. 



In short, the instrument is to be regarded as an ingenious 

 form of organ j^ipe which produces a continuous gradation of 

 notes. In this i-espect, the syahihati may be compared to a 

 string; instrument such as a violin rather than to wind instru- 

 ments of its kind. The smooth slurring of the Jiote by a semi- 

 tone which is frequently met with in many Japanese melodies, 

 executed on this instrument, is peculiarly sweet. The extraordi- 

 nary variability of the note makes the technics of the })ipe much 

 more difficult than in the case of other instruments. Except 

 when guided by a good ear, the homophonic jterformance of a 

 melody by two syakuhati is not an easy matter. 



It may be added that beginners are apt to make the mouth 

 opening too narrow by a striving to })roduce the notes, so that 

 the pitch are generally lowered. 



The princijxil objects of the present investigation are to 



