Shōdan in Okina
Watari-byōshi
The Watari-byōshi shōdan introduces entrance music commonly used in Noh plays, most often for the entrance of non-human characters. There is also a Kyōgen version, which is much shorter than the Noh version. In this recording, it consists of only seven honji and is performed in a lighthearted, playful manner suited for a Kyōgen interlude. The taiko repeats a commonly used basic pattern called koi-ai, while the ōtsuzumi and lead kotsuzumi perform the mitsu-ji pattern in strict mode, as illustrated in the figure below.
The nohkan’s congruent pattern comprises four phrases, exhibiting an A–B–A–C formal structure. Each phrase, itself composed of three patterns spanning the length of an honji and a half, begins with the same shōga: Hiu-ya ra.