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KARL H. ESCHMAN 
button is thought highly ornamental.) A piece of bamboo is 
split part way and fastened to the sides of the gourde and to this^ 
the wire is stretched by means of a single peg in the side. Total 
height 78 cm.; diameter of body, 18 cm.; very primitive. The 
pitch is changed by pressing in on the bamboo strips while the 
tone is sounded. 
14. Ichigenkin or Sumagota (monochord) — Japan. The one 
string is stretched over a board of cherry-wood 110 cm. long and 
10.5 cm. wide. The supporting ivory bridge is missing in this 
specimen. The string is tuned to f^ of our scale — a note which 
may be considered the principal note of the Japanese tonal- 
system. All Japanese instruments are elaborately decorated. 
This one has a circular piece of embroidery near the end, and is 
suspended by a red and yellow cord from the other end when not 
in use. When played, it is laid horizontal on a low table. The 
instrument has no fingerboard, but the pitch is changed by an 
ivory cylinder worn on the second finger of the left hand which is 
pressed against the string to furnish nodes for the different notes. 
The ivory spots or designs found on some instruments to indicate 
these points, are not present in this specimen. 
VI. STRINGED INSTRUMENTS WITH FINGERBOARDS 
Samisen^ — Japan. This instrument has a fingerboard but no 
frets. It is related to the Chinese Sanheen, each having three 
strings and a long neck. The body of the Sanheen is round and 
of the Samisen rectangular, in this case 20 cm. by 18 cm., 10.5 
cm, thick, covered with catskin. The length of the entire in- 
strument is 94 cm. The three strings are turned in three ways : — 
c'^, f^, c"^, c'^, c"^; and g'^, c"^, f"^. The Samisen 
is played with a large wooded pick over 20 cm. long, the 
strings being struck below where the neck joins the body. 
The face is strengthened there with a small extra piece of parch- 
ment which receives the blow of the pick, thus producing two 
sounds, the plucking of the strings and the stroke on the body. 
16. Yueh Ch’in (Moon guitar) — China. This instrument 
derives its name from its round shape, 33.5 cm. in diameter, and 
3.5 cm. thick, both surfaces being flat. It is the first string 
