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Yakabi Chôki is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Okinawa's ''uta-[[sanshin]]'' musical tradition. The ''[[kunkunshi]]'' system of notation (tablature) is said to have been developed by Chôki, or by his teacher [[Terukina Mongaku]] ([[1682]]-[[1753]]), and the earliest surviving example of such notation, a volume containing lyrics and music for 117 songs, is attributed to Chôki. The two most prominent schools of classical ''uta-sanshin'' today, [[Nomura-ryu|Nomura-ryû]] and [[Afuso-ryu|Afuso-ryû]], both also trace their origins to Chôki.

Yakabi Chôki is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Okinawa's ''uta-[[sanshin]]'' musical tradition. The ''[[kunkunshi]]'' system of notation (tablature) is said to have been developed by Chôki, or by his teacher [[Terukina Mongaku]] ([[1682]]-[[1753]]), and the earliest surviving example of such notation, a volume containing lyrics and music for 117 songs, is attributed to Chôki. The two most prominent schools of classical ''uta-sanshin'' today, [[Nomura-ryu|Nomura-ryû]] and [[Afuso-ryu|Afuso-ryû]], both also trace their origins to Chôki.

He was born in [[Shuri]], the royal capital of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], the fourth son of Tamagusuku ''[[anji]]'' Chôo<!--玉川按司朝雄-->. His Chinese-style name was Shô Zenmo. When Chôki was young, his talent for the performing arts was already recognized, and he traveled to [[Satsuma han]] to study [[Noh]] chanting and performance. After returning from [[Kagoshima]], he served briefly as a government official, achieving the rank of ''[[peechin]]'', but was soon forced to retire as he began to go blind.

He was born in [[Shuri]], the royal capital of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], the fourth son of Tamagawa ''[[anji]]'' Chôo<!--玉川按司朝雄-->. His Chinese-style name was Shô Zenmo. When Chôki was young, his talent for the performing arts was already recognized, and he traveled to [[Satsuma han]] to study [[Noh]] chanting and performance. After returning from [[Kagoshima]], he served briefly as a government official, achieving the rank of ''[[peechin]]'', but was soon forced to retire as he began to go blind.

He began studying ''uta-sanshin'' under Terukina Mongaku, and developed his own style, which later came to be called the Tô-ryû (当流) school or style. He, or Mongaku, also developed the ''kunkunshi'' notation system still used today; judging from surviving ''kunkunshi'' texts from Chôki's time, the Tô-ryû style seems to have been an attempt to simplify the style pioneered by [[Tansui Kenchu|Tansui Kenchû]] ([[1623]]-[[1683]]), and to codify the repertoire. Chôki is also credited with the composition of a number of pieces in the ''kuduchi'' (J: ''kudoki'') form, featuring lyrics in a five- and seven-syllable format reminiscent of Japanese poetry, rather than the six- and eight-syllable forms more typical in [[ryuka|Ryukyuan poetry]].

He began studying ''uta-sanshin'' under Terukina Mongaku, and developed his own style, which later came to be called the Tô-ryû (当流) school or style. He, or Mongaku, also developed the ''kunkunshi'' notation system still used today; judging from surviving ''kunkunshi'' texts from Chôki's time, the Tô-ryû style seems to have been an attempt to simplify the style pioneered by [[Tansui Kenchu|Tansui Kenchû]] ([[1623]]-[[1683]]), and to codify the repertoire. Chôki is also credited with the composition of a number of pieces in the ''kuduchi'' (J: ''kudoki'') form, featuring lyrics in a five- and seven-syllable format reminiscent of Japanese poetry, rather than the six- and eight-syllable forms more typical in [[ryuka|Ryukyuan poetry]].