Ensembles of three types of instruments (shamisen, koto and kokyu) began to be played, because all these instruments were originally played by the blind musicians who belonged to Todo-za, the traditional guild for the blind.
三種の楽器（地歌三味線、箏、胡弓）が合奏される由来は、もともとこれらがすべて当道座に属する盲人音楽家が扱う楽器であったからである。