Hello, I’m Taro Ishida.
Today’s episode of RA explores a simple question — one that often surprises people:

Why don’t Gagaku musicians try to play in perfect sync?

In most music around the world — whether it’s classical, pop, jazz, or techno —
playing together usually means staying perfectly in time.
You match the tempo. You stay in sync. That’s the rule.

But in Gagaku, that’s not really the point.

 

Music that Breathes Like Nature

Gagaku isn’t music designed to send a message from one person to another.
It comes from something else — a love of nature, a desire to become part of it.
It’s music born from reverence.

I live in a forested region in Nasu, in northern Japan.
When I sit quietly there, I hear everything:
wind, rain, birds, frogs, the soft footsteps of wild animals.
A complex, unpredictable soundscape.
Not one sound happens “on cue.”
And that’s what makes it beautiful.

If all the birds, leaves, and frogs made noise at the same time,
it wouldn’t feel natural.
It would feel artificial.
Too human.

 

What If Music Didn’t Have to Line Up?

That’s what I think Gagaku reflects.
It’s not about syncing up on purpose — it’s about each instrument expressing itself in its own time.
Together, they create a kind of musical ecology.

Like a river.

A river flows as a whole, but each droplet moves on its own.
There’s no moment where everything changes tempo at once.
If you tried to “play” a river in music, it wouldn’t be strict.
It might sound like Gagaku.

 

East and West: Two Views of Nature

This isn’t to say that other music doesn’t reflect nature.
Western classical music absolutely does.
It often explores cosmic order, emotion, even divine beauty.

But the approach is different.

In the West, beauty is often tied to structure — mathematics, symmetry, logic.
Think of the Fibonacci sequence. The golden ratio.
Even Bach’s music contains beautiful numerical architectures.

In Japan, nature is seen differently.
We often value what’s shifting, flowing, fading.
The beauty of impermanence.

 

“I’m Not Good at Rhythm” — Are You Sure?

I sometimes hear people say,
“I’m not good at rhythm.”
But I want to ask:
Which rhythm are you talking about?

Are you bad at following a click track?
Bad at tight beats?

Or do you simply feel more comfortable in another kind of timing —
a looser, breathing rhythm?

You might discover that Japanese traditional music suits you perfectly.
Try ringing a bell. Try learning the shakuhachi.
You might be surprised how easily it fits your body.

 

Music Is Bigger Than Rules

At the end of the day, I believe music is a wide, free space.
You don’t have to lock into someone else’s tempo.
You can find your own rhythm, your own voice.
That’s what I want to share through RA.

 

📻 Listen to this episode:
RA #03 – Why Gagaku Musicians Don’t Always Play in Sync

🎧 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRSv62cmKV5w042rkREYrPJDgv0U2UarP

 

I’ll be posting a new episode of RA every Friday night (Japan time),
for at least 25 episodes.

If you enjoyed this episode, or have questions or topics you’d like to hear about,
feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks for reading — and listening.

– Taro Ishida