5 Things You Need To Know About: The Shamisen
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- Опубліковано 11 сер 2014
- What do you know about the Japanese instrument called the shamisen? In honor of the series of upcoming performances at the Japan Society, we bring you "5 Things You Need to Know About -- The Shamisen." So watch and learn about this instrument that has evolved over the years!
1. What is a Shamisen?
A shamisen is a plucked instrument with three strings that is similar to the banjo. The body, dou, is a hollow and square box made of rosewood. The neck, sao, goes through the body and is typically made of red sandalwood or rosewood. The other side of the neck has a curved tail called the tenjin, a Japanese god. Right under the tenjin are the tuning pegs that are usually made of ivory or ebony. They are placed inside the peg box. There is a special mechanism called the sawari under the peg box; this is what gives the shamisen its rich sounds. The strings are made of silk and dyed with turmeric. The bridge of the shamisen is removable and made of ivory, water buffalo horn, tortoise shell, or bamboo.
2. How do you to play the shamisen?
To play the percussive sound on a shamisen a plectrum called bachi is used. The bachi is made out of similar materials to the bridge. The bachi resembles the ginko tree leaves. Using the index, middle, and ring finger on the left hand, you hold down the strings. When you pluck the string it is called hajiki, and when you slide you finger down it's called suri. With the right hand you hold the bachi and strum the strings up and down (sukui).
3.What is the history of the shamisen?
The shamisen is said to have come from China based on the three stringed lute sanxian. It was imported into the Ryukyu Kingdom (present day Okinawa) in the late 14th century. The instrument developed into the sanshin, which was used in traditional Japanese folksongs and court music. In the mid-16th century the sanshin traveled to Osaka City and was remodeled by the players of the heike biwa (Japanese lute) into the shamisen that we know today. The popularity of the shamisen increased during the Edo period from the 17th century to the 19th century. It was used to accompany stories told by blind storytellers and traditional folk songs played with shakuhachi and koto at the daimyo's salons.
4. What types of shamisen music styles are there?
There are many types of shamisen music, including jiuta, nagauta, gidaiyu-bushi (gidaiyu melody), and many more. They are played in different situation and have different timbres. Jiuta is performed with shakuhachi and koto and a middle neck type of shamisen is used. Nagauta is mostly heard in kabuki theatre and a thin neck type of shamisen is used. Kabuki also uses tokiwazu-bushi and kiyomoto-bushi styles as well but use the middle neck type shamisen. In Japanese puppet theatre (bunraku) gidaiyu-bushi is played using the thick neck type shamisen. It is also played in Kabuki but under then name "takemoto". Tsugaru-shamisen is another type of playing style that was developed in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture at the end of the 19th century. It is a very popular style among the young people as it incorporates improvisation, march, and dynamic rhythm. There are many more such as shinnai-bushi, icchu-bushi, kato-bushi, miyazono-bushi, ogie-bushi, kouta, hauta, utazawa, zokkyoku, folk song (minyou), rokyoku, etc.
5. Where can one hear shamisen music today?
You can hear shamisen music in kabuki, bunraku, variety halls, concert halls, and geisha quarters. Shamisen is taught in music and education departments in universities in Japan. You can listen to shamisen in concerts held by these departments.
So those are 5 things you need to know about the shamisen! For those interested in learning more, there are numerous teachers and retailers of shamisens across the United States. So please check them out!
If you are in the city, please check out upcoming shamisen concerts at Japan Society. More information can be found below.
www.japansociety.org/page/prog...
Thanks for watching! Stay tuned for more things you need to know!
www.japansociety.org
Music credit:
Yumiko Tanaka
what a character, I want to see more of her!
That's what she said
I love this video. The lady is so tiny and adorable too.
She is the music teacher I always wanted!!! I absolutely love her and the ending of the video is gold!
This is so awesome. At 6:50 when she says "etcetera" after that long list and sighs it was adorable. I cracked up.
The frayed bow noises made me cringe a little, though.
I Like her she is a laugh!!! Just started playing the Nagauta shamisen, Think i might be the only one in South Africa LOL
It's been 5 years. How is it going? Are you still playing it?
I love this lady. As a musician, I understand her passion, you can tell she's a teacher.
This is the video that started it all. Over a year ago I became enthralled with the shamisen. Thank you for giving my life purpose again.
Oh my god that bonus was amazing!
Please don't encourage her, she's broken enough shamisen bridges and strings already!
I love Japanese music so much! Japan has such a rich history and amazing culture. I hope to go there someday!
*watches end of video, laughing in confusion*
"Eh.... bye, sensei!" ^_^
She's so much fun!
i studied abroad in japan in 2007 for a year and got to play shamisen at school there. it was the first instrument i felt comfortable with. i found the music easier to read too. i miss my friends and the culture of japan so learning to play shamisen has been a fun and interesting journey.
Hows it going?
So nice to see a documentary on Shamisen.The history lesson is great.
the sound of shamisen is relaxing and has this healing property. Knowing more about it I grow to respect it more
Yumiko Tanaka seems like a very interesting woman. I plan on getting a shamisen with a pickup. I am a guitarist, and I keep hearing ideas in my head that I need to try out. I love channels such as this, as I try to learn as much about Japan as I can - especially ancient Japan.
Thank you Madame Tanaka Sensei for this exellent Video . I m very proud to learn that shamisen is now taught everywhere . Continue to be proud of this great Land of Japan !
Thank you so much for this video. I love listening to shamisen music, mostly kouta, hauta, jiuta, and nagauta.
This woman is amazing, a force of nature! I love it!
Super serious kabuki transforms into adorable goofball XD
greetings from the united states. thanks for the video! currently seeking a shamisen instructor in the charleston, south carolina area. love the intrument and the sound. wish it was more popular!
I love this instrument. The sound is Beautiful I just absolutely love the sound I would love to play it one day.
This was very helpful, I just recently started listening to Shamisen music and I love it!
this was very informative! I love it. plus its nice to listen to her.
Thank you kind woman! You are very expressive.
Fantastic in every way!
Bela explicação! Eu amo o som do Shamisen.
Obrigado
いい音色！
Very helpful!! Thank you for posting this.
This is total greatness! Thanks for posting the video! :)
Great video. Thanks for the insights and the music.
I think I fell in love the instant I heard "Special Mechanism". She's wonderful. Sugoi, Sugoi.
That was AWESOME! I loved the history.
Domo arigato ! This video is gold! and description is just what i need to research !!!
Great video. I linked it to our channel to help fans understand the amazing instrument which in one of the paintings. Thank you Japan Society!
Beautiful thank you
Amazing video. Perfect research.
She’s great. I love her.
Perfect explanation!! Thanks a lot
Thank you for a very informative and entertaining video. Love from Southern California!
Awesome💖
0:34 - 0:44 Me trying to kill a spider
that was great! thank you!
It was very helpful. Thank you Tanaka san.
awesome
I love this lady. ❤
Very informative. I learned a lot from your video.
This is literally the most helpful video I have ever seen. She is so funny.
got to love the end
This is great
I love and appreciate her
Thank you Master Tanaka :)
YES! This is great.
The ending confused me more than the beginning I think lol. Great video though.
I agree, lol :-)
I found my Yoko...... she is amazing.
I saw an instrument at a thrift store I thought might have been a shamisen, but now I'm not sure. It had three strings, but it had a flower-like shape for the body.
Speaks very well too!
All I can say is... Yumiko is absolutely adorable and talented.
Wow! My mind is blown.
The ending is a big WTF
Luis Alfonso González
Kinky lady... she seems cool 😎 😊
@@randywilliams208 ahaha xD
it sounds like my brain during a math exam
9:13 chef's kiss
I was like, What in the hell, is happening right now. My ears are dying.
Fantastica !!!
wow!!! I love the Japanese!!
for some reason, i remember Samurai champloo.
Well...That was Most Interesting! 🙂
Very awesome video,subbed.
I love her! I want her to be at my thanksgivings all of the time X,(
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Very good video. Shamisen seems to be a simple and, at the same time, complex instrument. I loved to learn about it. Japanese culture is very interesting and I like to learn about it reading texts here and there, from the web. Recently I read Musashi, an awesome book, and I was very pleased to learn about the ancient Japan. What a wonderful society. Thank you! :-)
This is exactly the same as the Sanxian of China. See the Historic sanxian "Song of monk". This Okinawa is imported. Okinawa is not original japanese. The shamisen is famous Okinawa.
I'm almost surprised she didn't go over the Doukake (Body cover) The thing she actually touches when talking about the Dou,
and the Yubikake (Finger cover) the white thing between her thumb and index finger, it just helps you slide along the Sao.
Or follow through with just the naming of the Sanxian of China, Sanshin of Okinawa.
But of course this is a Shamisen focussed video so I guess it is just a condensed version.
Wow, that was a very comprehensive list of styles but in my opinion the one:「民謡」
should have been said as "Minyo or folk song"
to continue with calling each one its native name, while teaching (this one) its general meaning, not sure if it would work for them all.
With my limited knowledge of Chinese and Japanese, is it correct to speculate "Icchu Bushi" roughly translates to "One string melody"?
And the use of a Kokyu bow on a Shamisen? Fascinating.
I like how a Kokyu usually looks like a Tiny Shamisen with an extra string (Look up NHK blends Kokyu to see one played).
I wouldn't be surprised if that last move with the bamboo skewer hasn't destroyed a couple of Kawa (skin) during testing or a number of performances.
I'd run away at the thought of doing that too.
Domo arigato, Tanaka San, nice video!
I'm just fixing a shamisen (new skins and pegs) that I picked up in a second hand shop in Japan. I'm a guitarist so I think it will be fairly easy for me to play it. I came across this video, really enjoyed watching it. Apart from being very knowledgeable on the subject, Yumiko is also very entertaining! Thanks for posting!
I'm a fellow guitarist and Bass player, I'm thinking about buying Sanshin Shamisen from Okinawa, but the two things I'm worried about is, the tuning as she says in this video the three strings are tuned to C, F, C, now does that tune to C, and F, on a 4 string Bass or is it more like regular guitar tuning, I never played a banjo or a any kind of small folk string instrument so I'm kinda confused. My other concern is how high the string action is set on the neck of that Shamisen that I saw on this video, I mean are the strings normally set that high above the neck on a Shamisen. because I'm so use to playing 4 string Bass guitars and electric guitars with low string action.
@@jms_rocker_8868 hiya, it's been a year so you might've found the answers to your questions already, but *just in case* you're still wondering...the C and F would be what you find on a guitar, the low C is not as low as on a bass. For the action, shamisen strings tend to be higher than on guitars, but the silk strings are both more pliable and muuuuuch easier on the fingers, so it actually takes less effort to press them down than it does with metal guitar strings. Also, the action is better to set low on guitar b/c you typically are pressing down multiple strings at once, so the less effort needed the better; on shamisen, you're mostly stopping one string at a time, chords aren't a native part of Japanese music.
I might buy on :)
Yumiko Tanaka in the house, what a magnificent ending ! pure melted fire!
Nice shiny shamisen
Would love to learn more about the sawari
I would love to learn the shamisen
In one of the Yoshida brothers rendition there was a beat almost like a clap coming from bachi. Was it from the handle end or from the striking end of bachi please? Thank You.🙏
i would have loved subtitles at the beginning.
Bery nice bideo
I wonder what the tuning is for the instrument I find it pretty intresting since I already do the banjo and other instruments
There must have been some beer involved with that bit at the end...
omg that is so cool. hilarious and bat shit crazy funny! thank u
Deeply admire her energy, skills and knowledge
And I wont forget to mention that at the end, she’s like she walked out of Pananormal Activity and playing Insidious music
#noscarsm #purerespect
Great informative video! Why -in 2017 after Kubo & the 2 Strings-was there not ONE shamisen at the current NAMM show in California!?
That is a shame! What a great instrument!!! Sitar meets banjo! Seems there are small and large ones! How much does a decent one cost?
I have seen from $150-$2000.
I shit my pants with visions of campy martial arts movies... i love this
2:56 "Bamboo~"
what brand Shamisen are you playing? and what are a few good brands I should look for when buying a Shamisen?
los amo
saludos desde argentina
yumiko esta bien(?
She is fantastic. I want to high five and hug her. I don't understand some of the comments below.
Peace and love from north Carolina US
I am curious about this instrument and want to know more about it :)
Anyone know what style of playing and shamisen is played in the anime ninja scroll?
I hope someone in Japan has all the types to show off, I’d like to see them
1:30, so the basic inner workings of a shamisen are similar to that of a daxophone?
oohh interesting instrument, I wanna one T.T
Can you finger pick this instrument? I don't see any videos about that anywhere.
А говорят, умом Россию не понять... помоему, умом не понять Японию... Я, конечно, слышал мелодическое исполнение на этом инструменте, но театральное сопровождение - это взрыв логики...))))) А видео интересное, спасибо!
that so fuckt up i love it
Shamisen fo life yall!
That reminds me of 3:58 a pull off and the other one like sliding. I kinda want a shamisen I want to be a multi instrumentalist
This answers a lot of questions that I've had over time! Thanks!
Is the shamisen related to the erhu, or do they just look similar?
@李詹姆士 I would instead say the Mongolian "Morin Khuur" is closer to the Erhu, because they're both upright, bowed, 2-string instruments.
And you can probably lump the Doshpuluur with the Sanxian-Sanshin-Sangen/Shamisen tree, But where those use a C-F-C 'Honchoshi,' it's a G-based tuning, for the Doshpuluur.
@李詹姆士 I can see the logic behind that. Wow, I have another 65 to learn about.
My inner musician dream is having and being able to play one of these😢
my question is, what is utoza, chuzao and hosozao? no webiste is telling me. but overall this video was very usefull!