RHYTHM:
Quarter, quarter, half; four quarter notes; quarter, two eighths, half. The rhythms simplicity and consistency helps to unify the construc'on on the piece in a way that reflects Japanese ar's'c sensibili'es.
MELODY:
The “Sakura Sakura” melody has been popular since the Meiji period, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. The tune uses a pentatonic scale known as the In scale.
Japanese-- English
Sakura - Cherry Blossoms
