Less is more

I know, it's a huge cliche, right? Doesn't mean it doesn't bear thinking about.

When it comes to taiko, everyone has their own preference. Some people love to see a large ensemble, some like really loud songs, some like really busy solos, some like when people are kiai-ing at the top of their lungs, etc. And to that, I have to say "to each their own." Still, there's a post to be written!

• More drums! There are some great "army" versions of songs; drums added to make the song bigger. It can be fun! But when the core song relies on having a lot of drums to make it interesting, that shows a fundamental weakness. You'll never hear someone say, "man, I would have liked that song but it didn't have enough drums."

• More people! See above but replace "drums" with "people". :)

• More volume! It's kind of hard to do a lot of taiko quiet, but without a sense of dynamics, a song (or a solo) that's only LOUD is very boring. IF I TYPE IN ALL CAPS AND NO PUNCTUATION THEN AFTER A WHILE YOU'LL GET TIRED READING WHAT I'M SAYING.

• More notes! Iwasgoingtotypelikethis but no one will want to read it! Playing a lot of notes without a sense of dynamics is, like above, very one-dimensional. Most master musicians are known better for their sense of when to place notes more than how many notes they can play.

• More fancy! It's not like people are bored with what's out there now. And there are some players with the talent to pull off some amazing things. But when it's not to inspire but to impress, it tends to have the opposite effect on me.

• More length! Having a song that lasts ten minutes is a lot, but if you get there by just doubling everything to play it twice, that's cheating!

• More ideas! This is the companion to "More length!" If a song has everything and the kitchen sink, with concept after concept and little tying them together, it seems like it's more fun for the composer than the audience. We might enjoy it, but we're unlikely to remember much about it.
  

• More kiai! There's a big difference between a genuine show of expression that accentuates the song and screaming because you think it makes the song more powerful. Placing a kiai strategically, as part of the music or punctuating a feeling/mood makes a that single kiai way more powerful than many people doing it because they feel they have to.

Sometimes the most incredible music comes from the simplest things. Think about the first time you saw one person play an odaiko solo - the starkness of one person facing one drum. Think about when a soloist has a conversation with the audience, playing notes with purpose and dynamics that make both player and listener feel "in the zone".

What can you do when space, time, and *less* is the focus? Will it reduce your choices or expand them?