Kakko (instrument)

The kakko (羯鼓 or 鞨鼓) is a Japanese double-headed drum. One way in which the kakko differs from the regular taiko drum is in the way in which it is made taut. Like the Shime-Daiko and tsuzumi, the skin of the heads are first stretched over metal hoops before they are placed on the body, tying them to each other and tightening them making them taut. Kakko drums are usually laid on their sides on stands so that it can be played with sticks called bachi on both heads. Kakko drums have been used in taiko ensembles, but they are also used in older Japanese court music called gagaku.

The kakko is derived from the Chinese jiegu, a drum popular in China during the Tang Dynasty, as is the Korean galgo.

See also