#a yatga now

[irithnova]

@hwsasiaweek

Mongolia: Music+Instruments/"These ghosts of old desire".

Also on AO3!

I attempted to mix the two prompts together lol idk how well it turned out though.

He fastened the final clasp of his ceremonial deel, stepping back slightly to get a better look of his full appearance. The fluttering chatter of the excited guests from outside fell flat against the door, leaving Mongolia in almost perfect solitude in the dimly lit, but homely dressing room.

Gingerly adjusting his fur hat, his vision was glittered with the brilliant colours of his garment. The light - though subtle, captured the delicate glimmer of the golden thread against the sheeny blue silk. It cast an intricate floral design, meticulously and expertly woven, reminiscent of the yellow poppies that would sprout upwards towards the blue sky during the height of his country's summer.

A black velvet trim - though a stark contrast, complemented the regal outfit, and Mongolia himself was in awe of the beauty of the fabric. He turned his body every so often to observe how the dainty patterns and colours seemingly glowed when they caught the light.

He finally shifted his gaze. The Mongol swiftly walked over to where he propped his morin khuur, lacquered and lustrous, and tenderly traced his finger against the curvature of the carved horse head, trailing it down to feel the angular outline of the carved ulzii symbol against his flesh.

It's been a while since he's given a performance like this. But he had no qualms about his ability.

This is an art that he's perfected.

There was one thing though. One thing - one song, that caused a twinge of apprehension to ache in the depths of his stomach when he thought about it. An old tune…

Ah.

He glanced at the clock. It was time.

Picking up his instrument, he made a tentative tread towards the door, as if not wanting to disturb the stillness of the room, and walked out.

________________________________________

The chatter dampened as Mongolia made his way on stage, the audience's eyes now planted on him in eager anticipation. 

He caught a glimpse of a few of the nations who were peppered throughout the crowd, all of them on a diplomatic visit. Upon seeing South Korea's wide grin, he fought the urge to smile back. Instead, he turned to face behind himself, giving a small nod and smile to the musicians who already took their places.

All of them were clothed in a sumptuous, silky white. The headpieces that were sat on top of the woman performers framed their faces prettily, strings of pearls hanging like decorative curtains past their cheekbones. They were all seated with their respective instruments, broad yatga with its silver strings beneath one, the slim, elongated flute of the tsuur in the hands of another. It was all coming together.

Mongolia perched himself upon the chair placed for him in front of the other performers. His morin khuur sat comfortably in his lap as he dragged his bow against the string, his cured fingers fluently finding their rightful positions against it as he began his first song, purely in the kargyraa register. For now.

The air was filled with the sound of his deep, guttural voice. It was almost as if he was growling. The Mongol could feel the deep vibrations oscillating intensely through his throat and chest, and noticed how the sheer volume of his voice caught some people off-guard.

Of course, throat singing is ideally performed amongst the wide open plains, with nothing acting as an obstacle to the sound for miles. It sounded a hell of a lot louder when performed indoors, even if it was in a hall.

Song after song came, diverse in their sounds and topics but all as equally as mesmerising as the other. However, he did not just sing in kargyraa. But khoomei and sygyt too, khoomei being slightly softer compared to kargyraa. He relaxed his abdomen as he sang, lessening the tension in his larynx, mouth contorting itself in every which way to manipulate the melodies that danced from his throat.

The way the sound whirled throughout the great hall was evocative of how the wind passes through cobbles of large stone on the steppe, the sounds not dissimilar. After all, the original intent of throat singing was to imitate nature.

His sygyt, though, was truly something to behold.

He manipulated the shape of his mouth once more, sealing his tongue around his gums, behind the teeth, leaving a small opening near the right side of his molars. His mouth positioned itself effortlessly to accommodate this style. The tension built and fell in his throat as he fluidly switched from khoomei to sygyt and back again, the vibrations even reaching his sinuses when he'd switch to sygyt.

The audience sat firmly in their seats, utterly enchanted by the alien whistling noise being emitted from the man's mouth. They watched intently at the way he'd hold a linear sygyt note with ease, eyes scrunched shut and brows knitted together. They listened in astonishment at how he could rapidly ripple his voice, matching the quickened speed of which he played his morin khuur, imitating the steady rhythm of a horse on a speedy trot.

Like the sound of a family of birds gliding freely across the blue sky, his harmonious voice, too, travelled freely throughout the hall. The shrill but soft sound fell gracefully against the ears of the audience.

After finishing the penultimate song, he turned his head to catch his breath, the audience's boisterous applause dimmed by the sick feeling in his stomach he felt before he came on stage.

He silently cursed himself for choosing this song to be his final - Ertnii Saikhan. A tune that - though cheerful, caused his heart to ache and swell with bitter, painful nostalgia.

At the time, it felt like a good idea. Surely he was over it by now, right? Plus it couldn't all just be throat singing, the Mongolian long song is also a beautiful art. Ertnii Saikhan seemed like a great choice at the time, but now, he wasn't so sure.

As he opened his mouth to give his final performance, his piercing voice ringing throughout the hall, he remembered a time, long ago. A time when this powerful song was just a gentle, muted hum, lulling a squirming child to sleep.

He remembered how small he used to be, how he was weightless in the cradle of his arms. The way his fragile fingers peaked curiously from beneath the layers of fur, instinctually finding something to grab on to. He remembered how the gentle, glowing light from the sun fell through the tonoo of his ger, casting its pleasant warmth across the child's face, his dark eyes shifting to a subtle, golden hue.

He was a glowfly amongst the vastness of the forest, a star amongst the boundless black sky.

His son.

He gave a final drag of his bow against his fiddle, executing the last note as his voice fizzled out, drowned by the loud praise of the crowd. He didn't realise it at first, but his eyes were glassy with warm wetness, gravity threatening it's fall.

Turning away from the crowd, he stood up and gave a meek bow before gesturing for the other musicians to stand and receive their praise.

He swiftly made his way off of the stage, eyes downcast, unable to deal with being haunted by the ghosts of old desire.

End notes:

Deel - (From UNESCO) Deel is traditional Mongol clothing consisting of a caftan-like long garment, sash, belt, hat and boots. Every ethnic group has created and developed its own unique style, design and decorations, embodying specific features of their culture, origins and historic background.

Morin Khuur - Mongolian horse head fiddle

Ulzii/Ulzii symbol - Buddhist endless knot symbol that's widely used in Mongolia

Yatga - (Wikipedia) traditional plucked zither of Mongolia

Tsuur - (Wikipedia) end-blown flute of varying lengths that is common among Inner Asian pastoralists

Kargyraa, Khoomei and sygyt are different registers of throat signing, kargyraa being the lowest and sygyt being the highest, khoomei being kind of a middle ground. Khoomei is also used as a generic word to describe throat singing amongst Mongolians. Honestly go and check it out for yourself, I can't describe in words how great it sounds (even though I tried to in this fic lmao).

Mongolian long song - (Wikipedia) The long song is one of the central elements of the traditional music of Mongolia. This genre is called "Long song" not only because the songs are long, but also because each syllable of text is extended for a long duration. A four-minute song may only consist of ten words

Ertnii Saikhan - A Mongolian long song. Some researchers speculate that this was the first hymn of the Mongol empire, which is why I chose this song.

Ger - Traditional Mongolian home, a portable, round tent covered and insulated with skins or felt.

Tonoo - The upper ring/roof of the ger, which allows air to circulate through the tent, supported by two pillars (bagana). When cooking, the felt is taken off of the tonoo to allow the smoke out. When it's cold, the felt is put over the tonoo again to keep the heat in.

[virryth]

Prince!AU Johnny

Johnny came home ;; #WelcomeHomeJohnny

1835 words | Fluff

Where the prince sneaks out to be come a street musician, not knowing an assassin was on his tail

2nd prince of the dynasty, knows it’s not his responsibility to be king so tend to eff around a lot (but like not actually effing anyone)

the only one in the family with the same mother as the crown prince, but vibes so much better with his younger bros: Mark, Doyoung, and Jaehyun

he’s responsible enough to lead an army and has been entrusted with the title of General the last time the country went to war, but due to war PTSD he decided it wasn’t a life for him–prince Youngho is a pacifist

Prince Yuta however loves the art of war so he took over. When Yuta left for battle Youngho gave him a handkerchief and cried while wishing him good luck

Youngho: come back to me my prince

Yuta and Mak: bro ur embarrassing

likes the art of tea, often has tea party and invites all the local maids and courtesans to have tea with him.

To others it looks like a harem but prince Youngho knows how hard they work and how rare it is for them to just sit and have some time for themselves, so forget what everyone thinks as long as he’s doing his job as a good master to them

a true romantic, loves poetry and a genius at gayageum (12-strings instrument, similar: the Chinese guzheng, the Japanese koto, the Mongolian yatga, and the Vietnamese đàn tranh)

all the girls love lining up outside his open chamber to listen to him play at sunset

even the male servants and soldiers sometimes come to see him play because he’s just that good, the emotion he delivers varies from soft melodic lullaby to vibrantly dynamic compositions

Prince Doyoung: maybe you’re better than me at one thing

he doesn’t play outside the castle!! because he’s afraid he’s gonna get caught, followed, or hunted by assassins since the country has a lot of enemies

But prince Youngho loves sneaking out with prince Jaehyun whenever their distant cousin from neighboring kingdom Ten comes to visit.

The first time was for fun. He plays the gayageum in a disguise named Johnny, out in a small public space, and he got so immersed that by the time he was done there was already a crowd gathering

and he loves the feeling of anonymity so much he keeps sneaking out even when his cousin wasn’t visiting

you were hired by the mother of one of the younger princes to assassinate Prince Youngho. You’re a pay-by-the-job kinda assassin and you just take the information from an anonymous bidder and carry out your job so you really don’t know who your real employer is, and they don’t know your face or anything either.

You were given the assignment to kill Prince Youngho, a pity really, you heard he was a good-natured man with no vie for the throne, but a job is a job and you figured once you get into the castle you’ll probably hear some bad things about him anyway, and maybe what he looks like you honestly have no idea since you were never given an assignment to kill royalty of THIS country before

this is the first time you’ve been in this kingdom tbh, but you made a friend already! the guy called Johnny that plays the gayageum first spoke to you after you spaced out listening to him play, and you offered to pay him bc street musicians have it hard ya know just playing day by day for a meal

and he graciously took the money but used it to buy you both food, which you were surprised by

Johnny was your first friend and throughout your time with him you really didn’t want to lie about why you were in town, but no one wants to be friend with an assassin

until one day on one of your scouting of the castle, you bumped into Johnny!

and you definitely notice how he was dressed in the finest silk robe of all the lands, even if he looks like he’s wearing chamber garment and taking a night stroll before bed

“Hey what a pleasant surprise! although not really, what are you doing here?” he inquired after pulling you over to a blind spot from the guards

you didn’t want to lie to Johnny again, but you didn’t know how to react after finding out that he was, in fact, probably someone of royalty seeing as he’s in the castle wearing very expensive robe in the middle of the night

but you couldn’t, he was definitely Johnny as he recognizes you, he was your friend, and royalty or not, you couldn’t do that

“Johnny listen, you need to get as far away from here as possible 3 nights from now. I’m… I’m telling you this since I trust you with my life.”

Johnny: okay thanks but what why?

but you don’t get to explain further because a guard was approaching and you escaped when Johnny turned around to distract them

the next 3 days you don’t see Johnny. he missed his weekly playing at the public square and you really don’t know why, he’s never done this for the past 2 months you’ve known him

on D-day aka the day you’re supposed to kill prince Youngho

you still don’t know how the heck the man looks like because the one infiltration to find out his face was interrupted by your friend Johnny, who may or may not possibly be a prince and brother of your target. The thought that you’ll have to kill one of his brothers kinda hurt you, but if he’d listened to your warning, he should be far away from the castle tonight

from the intel you gather, Prince Youngho is usually alone in his chamber on one specific day of the week (today), and you know where his chamber is so you made your way towards there, patiently waiting for the wee hour so you can take him out

what you don’t expect is Johnny’s friend Jeffrey to show up

he was accompanied by another person in robe, someone he called Doyoung, also strikingly handsome like the rest of the people in this castle apparently. Goddamn you really hit the jackpot with meeting all the princes did ya

Doyoung: this is ginseng tea, remember to make him drink it all, Youngho said he’s been getting these weird heartburns lately that won’t go away

Jeffrey: don’t worry I’ll force it down his throat if he doesn’t hehe

Doyoung: Jaehyun.

Jeffrey/Jaehyun: i’m kidding

oh no… oh man.. you really liked Jeffrey you rEALLY do he gets all your memes! but if he is indeed prince Jaehyun, then intel has it he was very close with prince Youngho :( oh no he’s going to be so devastated..

you’re getting sad on the job which is very unlike you.. But you know this is what happens when you try to get close to people as assassin. it hurts.

but what hurts the most is the voice that calls out to Jeffrey and prince Doyoung

prince Youngho emerged from his chamber.

You feel like the world fell upon you, heavier than when you were eight and thrown out of the house by your foster family because you didn’t “belong,” heavier than the boulder your master dropped on your shoulder when you were twelve and called it “mental training,” heavier and more painful than when Johnny smiled and you know it was a smile reserved solely for you

the shock hit you harder than it should, and as you tried to cope with the reality that you would have to kill Johnny, you lost your bearing on the roof and fell

Doyoung, stepping in front of Jaehyun: did you hear that?

Jaehyun: yes, but hyung why do you have a sword strapped to your waist we’re in nightgowns?

Youngho: call the guard, we may have intruders

Jaehyun: hey… isn’t that… someone we know? Hyung look

You got up as fast as you fell and tried to flee, but Youngho was faster, and soon he was close enough to grab your arm before you got the chance to escape

Doyoung, sword drawn across your throat: who are you?

Jaehyun: hyung relax, it’s our friend

you don’t know what to make of that but for now you gotta go, can’t risk another prince see your face good god you’re a terrible assassin

So as Youngho released your arms, you bolted into the shadows and parkour your way out of the castle

the next day you see Johnny at the same public space where he performs, except it’s not one of his performing day and he’s just there in disguise

and Jeffrey nowhere in sight but next to him is prince Doyoung, the scarier prince you’ve come to meet yesterday

Johnny: hey! glad you’re here, this is um.. you know who he is but call him Charlie

Doyoung eyes you suspiciously before turning back to Johnny: can’t believe we’re talking to an assassin that was sent to kill you.

Doyoung was right. You don’t know what to say because there’s nothing to say. Your relationship or friendship whatever it was has ended and you were sure this is the supposed goodbye before you take off. It was nice, albeit awkward, but less awkward thanks to a third person being there, but you weren’t used to goodbye. The life of an assassin didn’t permit you any goodbyes.

Johnny: Charlie im only taking you with me because you were worried for my safety. Now that we’ve established that, please go entertain yourself at the market. Jeffrey and Jason are waiting for you (Jason = Jeno)

Johnny, after Doyoung skedaddled: work for me.

you: what

Johnny: look, i know you were hired to assassinate me, but i don’t care. work for me or just stay here, don’t leave or.. or i will search the world to find you

You, an awk at emotions: ….dude can you even leave the castle as the prince? like?

Johnny: okay sHUT UP we do have strict rules regarding that but my pOINT IS. I like you, stay with me.

His words were sincere, there’s not a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and no one has ever said something like this to you–especially not after you tried to kill them. You didn’t think you deserve Johnny or the idea of having a life where you can settle down.. but as you look at him, look at the sincerity and purity in his eyes, you know he meant it.

you nodded right before he pulled you to an embrace and attempted to swing you around

Jeno: ah look there’s Young—Johnny hyung!

Doyoung: don’t run Jason hold my hand

Youngho, under his breath: damn that Doyoung always showing up at the most crucial moment

you laughed as he lets you go, but not before promising him that you’ll stay, as a regular village girl or as his new employee, you’ll stay in the kingdom for him

[tonkibbs]

13 stringed japanese instrument

Moreover, shamisen is also used as an accompaniment in vocal performances. This stringed instrument was introduced in Japan during the period of Edo (1603-1868) and become popular in Japanese traditional theater like the kabuki and bunraku. Shamisen is a Japanese translation of the English phrase “three strings”. Shamisen Japanese woman playing Shamisen. The sound produced by this stringed instrument is characterized as light, subtle, joyful, and warm which makes it perfect in performing festive and Japanese folk songs.Ĥ. Gottan is usually made up of Japanese cedar and has three tuning pegs and three strings. Additionally, Gottan is also popular in street performances across Japan. Kadozuke is a type of Japanese entertainment where the performers visit houses and play music in return for money or food. Gottan also known as hako or ita is a Japanese stringed instrument commonly used in Kadozuke. Biwa now comes with a wide variety of choices with different sizes, numbers of strings, shapes, sounds, and purposes. Over time, more and more versions of Biwa have been developed and introduced to the Japanese culture. Biwa, Japanese stringed instrument.īiwa originated in China and was first introduced in Japan during the Nara period (710-794AD). Biwa is commonly used as stories and musical accompaniment and in solo performances. Biwa is played using a big plectron known as Bachi. It is usually around 23 to 42 inches in length and has 4 or 5 strings with varying thickness to produce different distinct sounds. It is characterized by having a pear-shaped lower body and a short neck. Though Koto has become more associated with romantic music, many musicians are already using this stringed instrument in jazz and pop music.īiwa is a Japanese stringed instrument that is similar to a lute. This new version has an increased number of 20 or more Koto strings.īack in the day, Koto has been widely used by the aristocrats for entertainment purposes and in classical music performances. Another version of the Japanese Koto was later introduced by Keiko Nosaka. He came up with an innovative form of Koto music known as Kumi ata. Yatsuhashi Kengyo has become a great influence in the innovation of Koto and was later known as the Father of Modern Koto. Typically, Koto is used and played while sitting down with the musical instrument placed either at the side or in front of the musician.Īs time goes by, and as music styles continue to evolve, Japanese Koto has undergone different modifications and development. These strings are plucked using either fingers or a pick. Meanwhile, the strings are usually plastic or silk having the same size and tension force. However, plastic and various types of woods are now being used for the bridge. Traditionally, the bridges of a Koto are made up of ivory. Koto consists of 13 bridges and 13 strings. Paulownia wood is being used in constructing the Koto main piece. Koto has an elongated body measuring 71 inches long and 7.9 inches wide. This stringed instrument resembles numerous stringed instruments from other countries such as the Gayageum of Korea, Dan Tranh of Vietnam, and Mongolia’s Yatga. Koto is Japan’s national musical instrument. If you want to learn more about them, keep reading until the end. In this article, we have enumerated 7 well-known Japanese Stringed Instruments. Moreover, string instruments were used in their folk music pieces.Īs stringed instruments continue to flourish and develop the richness of Japanese music, it is interesting to learn some of them. Many know that these stringed instruments produce a unique and enchanting sound that best resembles Japanese culture. Japanese stringed instrument, in particular, contributes to reshaping and reestablishing Japanese traditional music. Japanese instrument has also played an important part in the success of Japanese culture. Additionally, traditional Japanese music has also become an effective way of entertainment and self-expression. Music also offers an amazing influence on many Japanese subcultures including their media, fashion, economy, and lifestyles. Characterized by having a diverse and flourishing music history, Japanese music has become one of the richest not only across Asia but across the globe. Music plays a key role in Japanese culture.

[sakurasakiyama]

@sakisakuramen -1st November 2017-

🌸Sakiyama Tsubasa with Sakura Men debut event with one hour to go! [1] We’ll be waiting 🎵

・November 1st (Wed) Part 1/15: 00 ~ Part 2/17: 30 ~ Tokyo · Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Square

From Yocchan. Koto [2]

NOTES:

[1] The Mini Live should have started by now as it’s past 15:00~ in Japan. I tried to get it done before hand but failed xD [2] The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from the Chinese zheng, and similar to the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamese đàn tranh.

Source: HERE