The first lesson of "Tsuzumi"

My shamisen teacher suddenly lent me his "Tsuzumi", which is a hand drum after one of my shamisen lessons.
At that time, he didn't explain to me about why he had lent his "Tsuzumi" to me.

After his lesson, I went to Hachioji as usual in order to work.

As soon as I arrived at the "Okiya", the geisha house, I met my geisha mother at the main entrance of the okiya.

When my geisha mother saw the Tsuzumi, which my shamisen teacher had lent me, she asked why I had it.
So I explained to her about the reason why I had it.

After the explanation, I added that I wanted to start a new lesson to learn the Tsuzumi.
She looked very glad, because there are not so many geishas who can play the Tsuzumi.

Actually, I have been wanting to become a professional geisha, so I was planning to start Tsuzumi and dance lesson in the near future.

I explained to my shamisen teacher about how I would start taking Tsuzumi lessons.
He also looked very glad.

He said to me that geisha must play various kinds of instruments, not only the shamisen.
He added that he wanted me to become interested in other instruments.

I thought that my decision was a good one.

Several days after deciding to start lessons, I went to the new Tsuzumi teacher's house with my geisha mother and my geisha sister.

To tell the truth, before I met the new teacher, my geisha sister told me about the Tsuzumi teacher's strict lesson style.

My geisha sister explained to me that during the Tsuzumi lesson, musical scores are not prepared, so students have to write down the teacher's oral instruction very quickly.

At first, I just watched my geisha mother and sisters' lesson.
I soon understood clearly what my geisha sister had explained to me.

It looked like a very professional lesson, so I thought that I really have to do my best.

After their group lesson, it became my turn. I got tense.
At first, the teacher taught me how to hold the Tsuzumi and how to hit it.

It was very difficult to do it correctly contrary to my expectation.
When I saw my geisha sister playing the Tsuzumi, it looked easy.
However I couldn't make a good sound constantly, and I soon got tired from holding it.

Therefore I realized that my geisha sister, who had taught me about the Tsuzumi teacher, really did her best, because her sounds were beautiful and she could beat it correctly.

I think I will be able to enjoy listening to traditional Japanese music more deeply from now.

By the way, after the first lesson, I listened to my Tsuzumi lesson's recording at the hair salon when I was sitting my next to my geisha sister.

She noticed that I was pretending to practice the Tsuzumi.
I said to her that I couldn't understand one part of the music which I had been taught by our Tsuzumi teacher.

When I went back to the okiya, she asked me that if I had time, we should practice together.
I felt she was very kind.

I thought to myself again, I had found the ideal work place which I had been wanting.