Online Taiko Lesson – Tanko Bushi
Tanko Bushi is one of the most popular Obon songs. It’s from the Kyushu region of Japan, specifically from Fukuoka. You may be familiar with the dance, which mimics the motions of coal mining. Tanko Bushi is often thought of as a coal miner work song, but it’s actually a very romantic love song. The lyrics talk about a female coal miner longing for her romantic partner.
Although very popular, I didn’t cover Tanko Bushi until this point because it’s a tricky songs to play. Both the phrasing and the form are significantly more complex than the songs we’ve covered so far. Furthermore, another factor that makes Tanko Bushi difficult is the vast number of arrangements and recordings. In this video, we’ll be covering the most standard arrangement.
