Enjoy Taiko       with Us!


Dondoko Taiko is a Fort Worth based, volunteer Japanese drumming group. Please check out our beginning taiko series on YouTube so that you can enjoy taiko with us!

 

Posts

Beginner Course Fall 2024

FWJS Dondoko Taiko Fall Beginner Class 2024! Have fun learning to play taiko drums from the very beginning! Even if you have played taiko before, this class could be for you. With Dondoko Taiko, you will learn the basics of drumming and Japanese vocabulary and traditions. This Fall, we are offering a 6-class course for […]

Summer Beginner Class 2024

FWJS Dondoko Taiko SUMMER Beginner Class 2024! Have fun learning to play taiko drums from the very beginning! Even if you have played taiko before, this class could be for you. With Dondoko Taiko, you will learn the basics of drumming and Japanese vocabulary and traditions. This Summer, we are offering a 8-class course for […]

2024 Japanese Festival

Fort Worth Japanese Gardens Spring Festival 10am & 4:30pm Fort Worth Botanic Gardens April 20-21, 2024  

Baylor Spring Festival

Baylor University spring festival Mayborn Museum Complex 300 S University Parks Dr, Waco, TX 76706 3 PM, April 13, 2024                  

FWBG Fundraiser

Fort Worth Botanic Garfens Fundraiser Fort Worth Botanic Gardens March 27, 2024        

Dondoko Taiko Members

What is Taiko?


Taiko (太鼓)

are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. Within Japan, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, the term is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called wadaiko (和太鼓) and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming more specifically called kumi-daiko (組太鼓, lit. “drum collection”). While taiko have a mythological origin story, the instrument or its predecessor appears to have originated in India or southeast Asia and archaeological evidence suggests that taiko have existed in Japan as far back as the Kofun period (250-238AD). Their function has varied through history, ranging from communication, military action, theatrical accompaniment, festival performances, and entertainment.

The tradition of kumi-daiko in Japan, often characterized by several players on different drums, can be traced back to 1951 through the work of Daihachi Oguchi and has continued with world-renowned groups such as Kodo. Other performance styles have also emerged from specific island communities around Japan. Today, kumi-daiko performance groups can be found not only in Japan, but in many countries all over the world.

Taiko performance consists not only of technical training in playing rhythms, but also includes components in form, stick grip, clothing, and the particular arrangement of instruments chosen. Many groups use not only drums, but also vocal components, string, and woodwind instruments for accompaniment.  (Wikipedia, 2013)