Raw voice - Shirakoe

Japanese: 素声 - しらこえ

A term used in Japanese music. Also called "shiragoe" and written as "shirakoe" or "shirosei." In Heikyoku, it refers to the parts that are not sung in a melody, that is, the parts that are sung in a style similar to the accents and intonation of a conversation, and the biwa hand that preludes to them. It is often used in "Fukuimono," where the story is told smoothly and moves the story forward at a rapid pace. The lyrics are not limited to the narration, but also include dialogue. In Noh, the scale of the kuzushi in the chanting is said to be shirakoe. In the dance called "ranbyōshi" used in "Dojoji," the kotsuzumi player utters most of the calls with a lot of spirit, but there is a specific voice that is uttered very low in both pitch and volume, and this is called shirakoe.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

日本音楽の用語。〈しらごえ〉ともいい，シラコエ，白声とも書く。平曲では，節付けされていない部分，すなわち，会話のアクセントや抑揚に近い形で演唱する部分，およびその前奏の琵琶の手をいう。拾イ物に多く用いられ，すらすらと語って，物語を一気に進行させる。詞章は地（じ）の文に限るものではなく，会話文も含まれる。能楽では，謡のクズシの音階をシラコエという立場がある。また，《道成寺》で用いられる乱拍子という舞事において，小鼓方は大部分の掛声を，裂帛の気合いをこめて発するが，音高，音量ともごく低くおさえて発する特定の声があり，それをシラコエという。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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