is a style of Japanese Buddhist chant, used mainly in the Tendai and Shingon traditions. There are two styles: and , described as difficult and easy to remember, respectively.
Shà Âmyà Â, like gagaku, employs the yo scale, a pentatonic scale with ascending intervals of two, three, two, two, and three semitones.
An early reference to Buddhist chanting in Japanese history is a ceremony being held at the time of the kaigen ceremony for the in 752, and it is believed that chanting was widely practiced during the Nara period (710-794).
In the early Heian period (794-1331), Kà «kai and Saichà  each transmitted chanting styles they had inherited when studying Buddhism in China, which eventually became the basis for the chanting styles of Shingon and Tendai. The Tale of Genji, a crucial work of classical Japanese literature written during this period, frequently mentions memorial services performed by monks from Mount Hiei, where Tendai chanting was utilized. In addition, Buddhist traditions other than Shingon and Tendai also have their own chanting styles, which are still passed down today.
Buddhist vocal music introduced from China during the Heian period was called the . This remains the term used for chanting styles in both Chinese and Korean Buddhism, where the same Chinese characters are read as fanbai and beompae, respectively. The study of the Siddhaá¹ script, used to write Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, also became popular. Eventually, the term shà Âmyà  came to denote the combination of Siddhaá¹ studies and the recitation of texts; from the medieval period onwards, it referred only to the recitation of texts.
Because shà Âmyà  was passed down orally, there was initially no equivalent to musical notation in modern music theory. This made transmission extremely difficult. Later, the equivalent of musical notation would be developed, with technical terms referring to the notation varying across Buddhist schools. However, the notations were merely a reference for chanting, and to formally master shà Âmyà Â, ), or face-to-face instruction by a teacher, was essential. Without face-to-face instruction, the school could not be maintained or passed on from teacher to student. For this reason, it was essential to train instructors and successors.
Before the medieval period, shà Âmyà  was difficult to understand, not only for ordinary Japanese people but also for Buddhist monks. As a result, there was a demand for easy-to-understand shà Âmyà  with lyrics in Japanese, and a form of shà Âmyà  called was created. Because Kà Âshiki was made up of a musical structure that deviated from the conventions of existing shà Âmyà Â, a new method of notation was devised. Kà Âshiki had a major influence on the development of Japanese music, such as the yà Âkyoku used in Noh plays.
Tendai shà Âmyà  was originally promoted by Saichà Â, the Tendai founder, based on what he had learnt during his studies in China. After him, it was further promoted by successive Tendai monks, including Ennin and Annen. Ryà Ânin, who later became the founder of Yuzu Nembutsu school of Pure Land Buddhism, was also a prominent promoter of shà Âmyà Â. In 1109, he built in Ohara, Kyoto. The sangà  (mountain name) of Raigo-in Temple in Ohara was , after a mountain of the same name in Shandong, China, which is regarded as the birthplace of fanbai. Eventually, Raigo-in and another temple, , became known as training centers for a style called ). The Tendai monk formed another tradition of shà Âmyà  in Ohara, and Sokai revived Ohara chanting.
During the early Kamakura period (1185-1333), the monk developed a systemic musical theory for shà Âmyà Â, which eventually became the core of Tendai shà Âmyà  and has been inherited into current Tendai shà Âmyà Â. The shà Âmyà  of the Yuzu Nembutsu, Jà Âdo-shà «, and Jà Âdo Shinshà « traditions are lineages of Tendai shà Âmyà Â.
The foundation of Shingon shà Âmyà  was passed down by Kà Âbà  Daishi and has been transmitted continuously down to contemporary times. Several eminent monks who promoted the Shingon style of shà Âmyà  includes , who systematized Shingon shà Âmyà Â, and , who led a revival of Shingon shà Âmyà  by composing new chants and maintaining existing ones.
Until the Kamakura period, there were many schools of Shingon shà Âmyà Â, but under , who was also a monk, they were consolidated into four schools: Honsoin-ryà « (捸å¿Âé¢æµÂ), Shinsoin-ryà « (æ°ç¸å¿Âé¢æµÂ), Daigo-ryà « (éÂÂéÂÂæµÂ) and Nakagawa Daishin-ryà « (ä¸Âå·Â大é²æµÂ).
The Honsoin-ryu, Shinsoin-ryà « and Daigo-ryà « were all abolished by the mid-Meiji period (1868-1912), with only Nakagawa Daishin-ryà « remaining. Currently, the Nakagawa Daishin-ryà « style of Shingon shà Âmyà  is divided into three main schools: Chizan Shà Âmyà  (æº山声æÂÂ) from Chishaku-in in Kyoto, Buzan Shà Âmyà  (è±Â山声æÂÂ) from Hasedera in Nara and Nanzan Shinryà « (Ã¥ÂÂå±±é²æµÂ) from Kà Âyasan in Kyoto.