The characteristics of Western and Japanese musical instruments and their fusion

Have you ever compared the sound of Western and Japanese musical instruments?
In fact, even though they are the same “instruments,” Western and Japanese instruments sound completely different.
What are the differences between Western and Japanese instruments? Let’s take a peek.

Western instruments are made of man-made materials such as metal and plastic, and therefore produce a crisp, clear sound with accurate pitch and noiselessness. They also have a wide range of registers, from low to high, and are richly expressive. Furthermore, they can produce beautiful music through decorative playing methods such as arpeggios and trills, as well as vibrato and other expressive techniques.
Japanese instruments, on the other hand, are made of natural materials such as wood and bamboo, and thus produce sounds with a wide range of frequencies. This sound, which can be perceived as noise, is one of the greatest characteristics of Japanese instruments called “shimmering,” and is what gives them their complex and unique tones.

So far, we have discussed the differences between Western and Japanese musical instruments,
Today, the fusion of Western and Japanese musical instruments is becoming more and more popular.
There are bands that fuse guitar, bass, and drums with shakuhachi, koto, Tsugaru shamisen, and taiko drums, and bands that fuse flute, shakuhachi, koto, and taiko drums.
There are surprisingly many combinations of Western and Japanese instruments.

The new music created by musicians with different cultural backgrounds, in which Japanese and Western instruments, each with their own charms, mix and mingle, is attracting great attention from around the world.