sakura sakura
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Music Analysis
Cherry Blossoms is one of the most popular tunes in Japan, the music expresses the welcome beauty of springtime, symbolized by the beloved cherry tree in bloom. The cherry blossom is the official national flower of Japan and the song reveals a deep traditional Japanese style. The soothing melody is derived from the folk-song lullabies of rural Japan. The Japanese lullaby is part of the babysitter tradition of the Japanese culture; where a baby is always unable to sleep without being attended by a parent, the beautiful calming melodies of lullabies are played to lure the baby to sleep.
The music is simple and is performed using only a few Japanese instruments, creating a harmonious flow of traditional music. The melody is performed on the shakuhachi; a bamboo flute with a haunting rich tone, which originated in China. It was further developed in Medieval Japan as a Zen meditation tool. The harmony includes two instruments, an acoustic guitar and a koto. An acoustic guitar is a very common western instrument that has five strings. The koto is a type of horizontal harp which has thirteen individually tuned strings...