“This thesis explores how the rising importance of the Japanese koto in the soukyoku-jiuta subgenre of tegotomono led to a shift in overall musical texture from homophony to instances of heterophony and polyphony within the subgenre. This transformation is paralleled by the koto, originally optional in the ensemble, becoming an indispensable member of the tegotomono ensemble by the end of the Edo period. Both the koto and shamisen have extensive, celebrated repertoires in their respective genres of soukyoku and jiuta, but tegotomono brings the two together.”