Tools of the Trade: Kokiriko

I have a lot of instruments in my collection now, all of which I share with music therapy clients. Most of them fall into two large categories: instruments you hit (drum, woodblock, marimba) and instruments you shake (maraca, egg shaker, tambourine). That means the instruments that don’t fit into these categories bring an extra element of interest to a music-making experience, and they may have a special utility for working on particular goal areas, such as moving the hands in a particular way.

In the video below, I highlight one of my favorites in this “other” category of instruments: the kokiriko.

YouTube video

Isn’t that fun?

Interested in learning more? See a performance of “Kokiriko Bushi” on YouTube – the oldest known folk song in Japan, which uses the kokiriko as a sound effect instrument.

Visit Amazon.com to buy your own very kokiriko, and let me know how you like it!

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