Music is a universal language capable of building bridges between cultures and nations. In this article, we explore a special musical connection: the common root of Hungarian and Japanese musical traditions, the pentatonic scale.
What is the pentatonic scale?
The pentatonic scale is an ancient, universal musical treasure of humanity, a shared musical heritage of the Earth’s peoples. This musical form takes us back to the times of natural peoples and tribal cultures when the creative power of communal music-making made melodies truly alive and palpable.
Simply put, the pentatonic scale is a five-note scale. Imagine playing a melody on a piano using only five keys. This scale is special because there are no half-steps between its notes, resulting in a soft, harmonious sound.
The pentatonic scale is popular because it’s easily digestible to the ear. There are no “clashing” sounds that would cause dissonance. This makes pentatonic melodies so pleasant and soothing.
Interestingly, this scale is not only used by humans in music. If we listen carefully to birds, we can often discover the characteristic sound of the pentatonic scale in their songs. Perhaps this natural sound is the reason why the pentatonic scale has spread worldwide and remains a popular musical form today.
The significance of the pentatonic scale in Hungarian music
At the beginning of the 20th century, two outstanding Hungarian composers, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, recognized the importance of the pentatonic scale in Hungarian peasant culture. They placed Hungarian folk music, and with it the pentatonic scale, at the center of their compositional and pedagogical work. As a result, the Kodály Method was born, a revolutionary music education theory and practice.
Japan and the pentatonic scale
Interestingly, the pentatonic scale is even more commonly found in the ancient music of Eastern peoples than in Hungary. This five-note scale is also present in traditional Japanese music, particularly noticeable in Gagaku (lit. “elegant music”), a type of classical Japanese music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances.
The Hungarian-Japanese musical connection
When we think of modern Hungarian-Japanese cultural relations, music is often the first thing that comes to mind. This is no coincidence, as music has played and continues to play a defining role in cultural relations. Classical music performers regularly guest perform in Japan, where the Kodály Method has been successfully introduced and applied.
Kodály’s name became more widely known in the music world when the theory and practice of Hungarian music education he developed, known as the Kodály Method, was introduced in the second half of the 1960s, after World War II. After nine years of study and research in Hungary, Kyoko Hani returned home and founded the Tokyo Kodály Institute in 1968, initiating theoretical research on the application of the Kodály Method in Japan and its practical implementation. The emphasis was placed on incorporating children’s songs, or “warabe uta,” into the curriculum and studying them.
Common features in Hungarian and Japanese music
Although geographically distant, Hungarian and Japanese musical traditions share several common features:
- Both Japanese traditional and Hungarian folk melodic worlds feature pentatonicism as an ancient musical layer.
- The overtone-free pentatonic scale of Hungarian folk music, which is particularly common among archaic-style Hungarian folk songs, can also be observed in Japanese pentatonicism.
- Both cultures place great emphasis on children’s songs and their use in education.
This musical bridge is alive to this day, well exemplified by the work of Japanese star architect Sou Fujimoto, who designed the House of Hungarian Music.
In conclusion, we can say that the pentatonic scale and the Kodály Method are musical bridges that connect Hungarian and Japanese cultures, proving that music is indeed a universal language capable of bridging geographical and cultural distances.
