These were used, needless to say, as the musical accompaniment of Kabuki, but they also became the subjects of amateur learning or as music played at Japanese-style restaurants.
むろん歌舞伎の劇付随音楽としても用いられたが、それだけにとどまらず、素人の習事、座敷音曲としての性格をも備えるようになってゆく。