Shōdan in Okina

Watari byōshi

Watari-byōshi is a concise entrance music consisting of only seven honji. The taiko, ōtsuzumi, and lead kotsuzumi players perform a rhythmic pattern known as watari-byōshi, which emphasizes beats 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8. This pattern is essentially a variation on the mitsu-ji and remains static throughout the shōdan, as illustrated in the figure below:

The nohkan’s congruent pattern comprises four phrases, exhibiting an A–B–A–C formal structure. Each phrase, made up of three patterns, begins with the same shōga: Hiu-ya-ra.

Watari byōshi