To become Kengyo, one had to be able to perform heikyoku (a traditional musical narration on the Tale of Heike), jiuta sangen (a traditional Japanese song accompanied by a sangen) and sokyoku (music played on the koto - a kind of harp), as well as have skills in composition or acupuncture and massage.
検校になるためには平家物語平曲・地歌三弦・箏曲等の演奏、作曲、あるいは鍼灸・按摩ができなければならなかったとされる。