Geisha Music Terminology

• Gei
  Art/arts usually dancing, singing, drumming, playing the shamisen, tea ceremony and other traditional Japanese arts.
• Fue
  Japanese bamboo flute
• Shamisen
  Also spelled "samisen." Three string banjo-like instrument used in dance and singing. One of the geiko/geisha's main instruments.
• Kouta
  Short Song sung in accompaniment with the shamisen.
• Koto
  A thirteen stringed harp type instrument, played flat on the ground.
• O-daiko
  Large traditional Japanese drum.
• Okawa
  Waist drum held on the left thigh.
• Tsutsumi
  Traditional Japanese shoulder drum.
• Uta
  A song
• Jikata
  Geisha who sing or are musically proficient in instruments such as the drums, shamisen or Japanese flute. These geisha often accompany the dancing geiko/geisha who get more of the glory.
• Tachikata
  Geisha who dance, often these geisha are more expensive or more in demand than their musical geisha counterparts.