It was common that popular music like joruri (dramatic narrative chanted to a shamisen accompaniment), which contained narration or songs with a distinct melody played by shamisen, composed of up-tempo tunes and slow-tempo tunes, was used for traditional performing arts that became popular during the Edo period such as kabuki (traditional drama performed by male actors), bunraku (Japanese puppet theater), and classical Japanese dance, especially for performances for the common people in a theater or on an outdoor stage.
歌舞伎・文楽・日本舞踊等、江戸時代に盛んになった伝統芸能、特に庶民階級を対象にして劇場や屋外の舞台で演じられたものには、「浄瑠璃」（じょうるり）のような「語り」あるいは「唄」と三味線によって、旋律と緩急がはっきりした大衆的な音楽をつけることが一般的であった。