The Shaku byoshi was used to keep the beat using Shaku (a plate shaped like a scepter) in ancient gagaku (ancient Japanese court dance and music), and as evidenced by the fact that old Joruri (dramatic narrative chanted in accompaniment to a samisen) also had the same kind of Ogi byoshi (fan rhythm), slapping the palm with a handheld instrument was the most widely and easily used way to use an instrument to keep rhythm before early-modern times in Japan.
古く雅楽において笏によって拍子をとる笏拍子なる役掌が見られ、古浄瑠璃にも同様の扇拍子と呼ばれるものがあったことを見てもわかるように、拍子楽器として近世以前の日本でもっとも広くかつ簡便に用いられたのは、手に持つ道具によって手のひらを打つことであった。