Etiquette, Part 1

(Tradition)

It's been a while since a post. I apologize for that. Life has been hectic (and that's a bit of an understatement)
But enough excuses. Back at it.

The community taiko group I'm a member of is, to put it simply, very informal. Most of us have been together for a long time, we know each other well and our sensei has stressed that our group is not a professional group and that we're there to have fun. In addition, our practice time is short. In a desire to maximize the benefit to our drumming skills we tend to just get right to it. As I step out into the larger taiko community, as I have been trying to do so the last year or so, I have come to understand that each taiko group has it's own in-class etiquette with varying degrees of formality and tradition. (I must admit I have yet to encounter a group as informal as ours, but there have been some that come close) When visiting a taiko group other than your own or when hosting a visiting sensei, it can be difficult to know the proper way to act.

That having been said, I thought it might be interesting to describe some of the practices I have seen or been told of in my travels through the taiko world. Talking about rules is almost always a bit on the dull side, so I'll divide this topic into more than one post.

One of the first and most universally recognized rituals I think is bowing when you enter and exit the Dojo. Ironically, I've heard that some groups in Japan don't actually do this and it's more common among North American groups. I have never been to Japan and can't speak to this from personal experience. The bow upon entering is accompanied by saying Ohayo gozaimasu, good morning, no matter the time of day. Some groups also say Onegai shimasu, which means something like “would you please” and in this context, “please teach us”. Some groups when a student is late to class require that the student kneel off to the side until invited by the sensei to join. Also, if during class a student needs to leave, permission must be granted as well. Some groups actually penalize leaving without permission by removing the student from one or more future practice sessions.

Some classes start with the students forming a circle and doing some breathing and warm-up exercise before starting practice, other groups start by forming a line arranged by seniority, most senior student on the right of the junior.

Some groups are very strict about speaking during class, even to ask questions. If you have a question it should wait until there is a break or the sensei states that it's an appropriate time to ask. Other groups it's acceptable to just speak up if you have a question, as long as you are not interrupting someone else. Every group I've encountered think it's bad form to drum or tap while someone is addressing the group.

In some groups there are very specific ways in which bachi and taiko (the drums themselves) should be handled. If the drums have kan, the rings attached to the body, they should be placed with the kan facing the audience. Bachi should never be left sitting on the drum head and none of the equipment should ever be touched or moved with your feet.

It seems to me that range of levels of formality is very broad and consequently it can be very easy to make a mistake if you're traveling amongst different groups or instructors. When possible it might be best to observe before you participate to get a feel for what is allowed and what is not. If you know a member of the group well enough, ask them, they should be able to help.