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Koto bass

Musical Instrument
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A larger, lower-pitched version of the Japanese 13-string zither koto

Detailed Definition
The koto bass appears in poetry as a deeper, more resonant voice in Japanese classical and contemporary music; its rich tones suggest autumnal depth or foundational harmony, and poets use it to explore the bassline of tradition beneath melodic innovation.
Example
Example in poetry:
The koto bass’s strings “hum autumn’s depth like fallen leaves”; In a Japanese-inspired poem, its tone “is the river’s slow thought”; The instrument appears as “tradition’s foundation beneath melody”; A meditative lyric uses koto bass to explore grounded beauty.
Additional Notes
The koto bass extends Japan’s 13-string zither into deeper registers, enriching contemporary and classical ensembles; in poetry, it symbolizes autumnal depth, foundational harmony, or the bassline of tradition; students analyzing East Asian verse should note how instrumental innovation (larger size, lower pitch) reflects evolving aesthetic values while maintaining ties to historical forms like gagaku.
Also Known As
Bass koto Low-pitched koto
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