Shōdan in Okina
Zatsuki-bue
Nohkan
Non-congruent
The zatsuki-bue is a nohkan solo performed during the musicians’ setup on stage. The composition consists of a sequence of three distinct phrases, performed without interruption. Each phrase begins with a motif in a different register of the nohkan: the first phrase’s opening, “Hi-u,” is in the lower register; the second, “O-hya,” is in the higher register; and the third, “Hi-ya,” is in the middle register. The zatsuki-bue concludes with the exceptionally high-pitched Hishigi pattern.