![Tokyo Geisha with Shamisen c1870s,](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Tokyo_Geisha_with_Shamisen_c1870s%2C.jpg)
The , also known as the or
(all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed
traditional Japanese musical instrument
Traditional Japanese musical instruments, known as in Japanese, are musical instruments used in the traditional folk music of Japan. They comprise a range of string, wind, and percussion instruments.
Percussion instruments
*; also spelled – cl ...
derived from the Chinese instrument . It is played with a
plectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harpsic ...
called a
bachi
''Bachi'' (, ; also ''batchi'') are straight, wooden sticks used on Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum (written ) for stringed instruments of Japanese origin such as the shamisen and '' biwa''.
For percussion
Drum bachi (, ) are ...
.
The
Japanese pronunciation is usually but sometimes when used as a suffix, according to regular
sound change (e.g. ). In
Western Japanese dialects and several
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
sources, it is both written and pronounced as .
The construction of the varies in shape, depending on the genre in which it is used. The instrument used to accompany
kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
has a thin neck, facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of that genre. The one used to accompany
puppet plays and
folk songs
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...
has a longer and thicker neck instead, to match the more robust music of those genres.
Construction
![Shamisen diagram](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Shamisen_diagram.svg)
The is a plucked stringed instrument.
Its construction follows a model similar to that of a
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
or a banjo, with a neck and strings stretched across a resonating body. The neck of the is
fretless and slimmer than that of a guitar or banjo. The body, called the , resembles a drum, having a hollow body that is covered front and back with skin, in the manner of a banjo. The skin used depends on the genre of music and the skill of the player. Traditionally, skins were made using dog or cat skin, with cat skin favored for finer instruments; though use of animal skins was common throughout the 20th century, use of these skins gradually fell out of favor, starting around the mid 2000s, due to social stigma and the decline of workers skilled in preparing these particular skins.
Contemporary skins are often prepared with synthetic materials, such as plastic.
The , or neck of the , is usually divided into three or four pieces that fit and lock together, with most made to be easily disassembled. The neck of the is a singular rod that crosses the drum-like body of the instrument, partially protruding at the other side of the body and acting as an anchor for the strings. The pegs used to wind the strings are long, thin and hexagonal in shape; though they were traditionally fashioned out of ivory, due to scarcity and trading regulations regarding and constricting the sale of ivory, many are now constructed from other materials, such as wood and plastic.
The three strings of the shamisen are made of either
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
(traditionally) or
nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic.
Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...
. They are stretched between the pegs at the head of the instrument, and a cloth tailpiece anchored at the end of the rod which protrudes on the other side of the body. The strings are stretched across the body, raised from it by means of a bridge, or , which rests directly on the taut skin. The lowest string is purposefully laid lower at the nut of the instrument in order to create a buzz, a characteristic
timbre
In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or musical tone, tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voice ...
known as (somewhat reminiscent of the "buzzing" of a
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
, which is called ''
Jivari
''Javārī'', (also: 'joārī', 'juvārī', 'jvārī' (alternately transcribed 'jawārī', 'jowārī', 'joyārī', 'juwārī', and 'jwārī')) in Indian classical music refers to the overtone-rich "buzzing" sound characteristic of classical In ...
''). The upper side of the (when on the player's lap) is almost always protected by a cover known as a , and players often wear a little band of cloth on their left hand to facilitate sliding up and down the neck, known as a . The head of the instrument known as a may also be protected by a cover. The material of the strings will depend on the skill of the player. Traditionally, silk strings are used. However, silk breaks easily over a short time, so this is reserved for professional performances. Students often use nylon or 'tetron' strings, which last longer than silk, and are also less expensive.
Variations in construction and playing method
The construction of the varies in shape and size, depending on the genre in which it is used. The used will also be different according to genre, if it is used at all. are classified according to size and genre. There are three basic sizes: , and . Examples of genres include , , , , , , , , and .
used for traditional genres of Japanese music, such as , , and , adhere to very strict standards. Purists of these genres demand that the be made of the correct wood, the correct skin, and are played with the correct , with little room for variation. The , on the other hand, has lent itself to modern use, and is used in modern genres such as jazz and rock. As a more open instrument, variations of it exist for show. The tuning pegs, which are usually fashioned out of
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...
, and which are fashioned from a combination of ivory and tortoise-shell for example, are sometimes made of
acrylic
Acrylic may refer to:
Chemicals and materials
* Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound
* Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity
* Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...
material to give the a more modern, flashy look. Recently,
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
inventors have developed a with electric pickups to be used with amplifiers, like the electric guitar.
The , as its Japanese name implies, is the smallest kind of . The body is small and particularly square-shaped, with a particularly thin neck, which tapers away from the strings just as it approaches the body. Generally, the is used in , the shorter and thinner neck facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of
kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
. built especially for ensembles are often simply known as . The is also often used in , where it is plucked with the fingernails.
The is a size up from the . As its name implies, the neck is slightly thicker. As the neck approaches the body of the instrument, the distance between the strings and the fingerboard is maintained, unlike the , where it tapers off. The fingerboard ends abruptly, and the rest of the neck curves sharply into the body of the instrument. The pronounced curve that occurs just before the neck meets the body is called . The result is an extended fingerboard that gives the a higher register than the . The is favored for -style playing, with a broader, more mellow timbre. It is also an "all-round" instrument that can be used across many genres.
The is used in the robust music of (the music of ), , and . In these genres, a thicker neck facilitates the greater force used in playing the music of these styles. The of is quite a recent innovation, and is purposefully constructed in a much larger size than traditional style , and its neck is much longer and thicker than the traditional or .
The is a particularly fashioned for the performance of the song , a folk tune originating from
Shimonoseki
is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. With a population of 265,684, it is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region. It is located at the southwestern tip of Honshu facing the Tsush ...
,
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). Y ...
. The neck of the is about half the length of most , giving the instrument the high range needed to play . The use of more typical is possible, but they must be properly adjusted with a
capo device to raise their pitch to make them suitable for use. Today the strings are made out of steel to make a better sound and the
drum heads
A drumhead or drum skin is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum. The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets, or hands, so that it vibrates and the sound resonates through the drum.
Additionally outside of percu ...
are made out of plastic to avoid breakage in a performance.
Variations in
The , the plectrum used to play the , also differ in size, shape, and material from genre to genre.
The used for can be made out of three possible materials: wood, plastic, or ivory. While many teachers generally do not approve of the use of plastic, if ivory is unattainable and wood is still out of price range, plastic is considered acceptable for use.
are made entirely out of plastic or ivory, plastic and tortoiseshell (), or ivory and tortoiseshell. are the easiest to identify as they are the longest, the widest, and also have a deep indentation where the tortoiseshell meets the handle. There are sometimes also that are made with a buffalo horn handle. The material, however, makes no difference in the sound.
The style uses the heaviest and thickest , though the is wider.
The used for is the smallest, and is almost always tipped with tortoiseshell.
Other structural variations
The , or bridge, can be fashioned out of aged bamboo, ivory, ox-bone (), rosewood, buffalo horn,
wood, any combination of the above, or plastic for the student level. come in many heights. The higher the , the louder the sound will be, and the harder it is to control a rapid . Higher are not considered suitable for beginners.
The used for use a height between 3.2 and 3.6. for are fashioned out of only three materials: ivory, bone, and plastic. Ivory is the most expensive and produces the most desirable sound and amplification, but due to its high price tag is normally only used in performances. Ox-bone or is the most popular material for practice and with students who are performing. Because of ivory's volume and vibration, it is normally used by a teacher or (lead ), so that the other players can follow their tone and signals. Plastic are increasingly harder in the modern day, as the material is considered to produce an undesirable sound when compared to . is not much more expensive than plastic, and most teachers openly express their displeasure with plastic and require .
The used for vary between 2.6 and 2.8, though other heights can be specially ordered. for are made out of a few select materials, such as yellow or black water buffalo horn (), which are the standard for . Blackwater buffalo horn does not have a significant sound difference when cut in the style, and is far less popular. Yellow is the most widely used for -style , both in practice and performance. Plastic is available because of the higher price tag of . Many people believe that for , there is not a great sound difference between the two, but there is a high change in vibration. Plastic makes a deader sound, which is not the most favorable for . is used from time to time in practice, but never for performances.
used for both and are typically 2.6 in height, though sometimes 2.7 or 2.8. are very easily identifiable due to their unique structure and use of two different materials. are very thin in width, and are not very high. The base is usually made of either bamboo, smoked bamboo, or a wood of some kind, while the top half in which the strings pass through can be made of ivory, bone, or tortoiseshell. Because of the thickness of both the strings and neck of the , the bridge in general tends to be longer than the others. Both the (the highest made, fashioned out of black buffalo horn) and the (which resembles the exactly, save for its width) are sometimes confused with the .
Variations in playing
In most genres, the strings are plucked with a . The sound of a is similar in some respects to that of the American
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
, in that the drum-like , amplifies the sound of the strings. As in the
clawhammer
Clawhammer, sometimes called down-picking, overhand, or frailing, is a distinctive banjo playing style and a common component of American old-time music.
The principal difference between clawhammer style and other styles is the picking direct ...
style of American banjo playing, the is often used to strike both string and skin, creating a highly percussive sound. When playing on the , and occasionally in other genres, the is plucked with the fingers. Sometimes, the is bowed with a violin bow, similar to the , a similar instrument.
Tuning
The is played and tuned according to genre, with the nomenclature of the nodes in an
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
also varies according to genre. A number of styles exist across Japan, and tunings, tonality and notation vary to some degree. Three of the most commonly recognized tunings across all genres are , , and .
means "home tuning" or "base tuning," and is called so because other tunings are considered to derive from it. For , the first and third strings are tuned an octave apart, while the middle string is tuned to the equivalent of a fourth, in Western terms, from the 1st string. The most commonly used tuning is C-F-C. An example of a song that uses this tuning is .
means "raised two" or "raised second", referring to the fact that the pitch of the second string is raised (from ), increasing the interval of the first and second strings to a fifth (conversely decreasing the interval between the second and third strings to a fourth). The most commonly used tuning is C-G-C. An example of a song that uses this tuning is .
means "lowered three" or "lowered third", referring to tuning the to and lowering the 3rd string (the string with the highest pitch) down a whole step, so that the instrument is tuned in fourths, e.g. C-F-B♭. An example of a song in this tuning is .
Instead of having a set tuning, such as on a guitar (i.e. E, A, D, G, B, E) or a violin (i.e. G, D, A, E), the is tuned according to the register of the singer, or simply to the liking of the player. The player can tune the to whatever register desired, so long as the above conventions are followed.
Musical notation
Music for the can be written in Western music notation, but is more often written in
tablature
Tablature (or tabulature, or tab for short) is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches.
Tablature is common for fretted stringed instruments such as the guitar, lute or vihuela, as well as many fr ...
notation. While tunings might be similar across genres, the way in which the nodes on the neck of the instrument (called in Japanese) are named is not. As a consequence, tablature for each genre is written differently. For example, in the style, nodes on the are labeled from 0, the open string called "0". However, in the style, nodes are subdivided and named by octave, with "1" being the open string and first note in an octave, starting over at the next octave. The nodes are also labeled differently for -style . To add to the confusion, sometimes nodes can be "sharped," and since the names of nodes and their positions are different for each genre, these will also vary. Consequently, students of one genre of will find it difficult to read tablature from other genres of , unless they are specially trained to read these kinds of tablatures.
Tablature
Tablature (or tabulature, or tab for short) is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches.
Tablature is common for fretted stringed instruments such as the guitar, lute or vihuela, as well as many fr ...
can be written in traditional Japanese vertical right-to-left notation, or it can be written in more modern horizontal left-to-right notation, which resembles modern guitar tablature. In traditional vertical notation, Chinese characters and older symbols for dynamics are used, however notation from Western style music notation, such as Italian names for dynamics,
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
and the
fermata
A fermata (; "from ''fermare'', to stay, or stop"; also known as a hold, pause, colloquially a birdseye or cyclops eye, or as a grand pause when placed on a note or a rest) is a symbol of musical notation indicating that the note should be ...
have been imported. What tuning a work calls for is usually indicated on the tablature.
History and genres
The Japanese originated from the Chinese ().
The was introduced through the
Ryūkyū Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in t ...
(
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
) in the 16th century, where it developed into the Okinawan , from which the ultimately derives.
It is believed that the ancestor of the was introduced in the 16th century through the port city of
Sakai
is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...
, near
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
.
The can be played solo or with other , in ensembles with other Japanese instruments, with singing such as , or as an accompaniment to drama, notably
kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
and . Both men and women traditionally played the .
The most famous and perhaps most demanding of the narrative styles is , named after Takemoto Gidayū (1651–1714), who was heavily involved in the puppet-theater tradition in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
. The and its plectrum are the largest of the family, and the singer-narrator is required to speak the roles of the play, as well as to sing all the commentaries on the action. The singer-narrator role is often so vocally taxing that the performers are changed halfway through a scene. There is little notated in the books () of the tradition except the words and the names of certain appropriate generic responses. The player must know the entire work perfectly in order to respond effectively to the interpretations of the text by the singer-narrator. From the 19th century, female performers known as or also carried on this concert tradition.
In the early part of the 20th century, blind musicians, including
Shirakawa Gunpachirō may refer to:
People
* Shirakawa (surname)
* Emperor Shirakawa, an eleventh-century emperor of Japan
Places
* Shirakawa, Fukushima, a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
** Shirakawa Domain, a feudal domain of Edo-period Japan
* Shirakawa, G ...
(1909–1962),
Takahashi Chikuzan
(; 1910–1998) was a renowned Japanese Tsugaru-jamisen performer and composer.
He was born in Nakahiranai, a village that is now part of the Hiranai township in Aomori Prefecture. He lost his sight at around age two from measles before ...
(1910–1998), and sighted players such as
Kida Rinshōei (1911–1979), evolved a new style of playing, based on traditional folk songs () but involving much
improvisation
Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...
and flashy fingerwork. This style – now known as , after the home region of this style in the north of
Honshū – continues to be relatively popular in Japan. The virtuosic style is sometimes compared to
bluegrass banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
.
is a style of historically developed by and mostly performed by
geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha
{{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
and . Its name literally means "little song", which contrasts with the musical genre of found in and kabuki; though both and geisha training to play the will also learn and will occasionally perform at banquets, the vast majority of musical performances seen at the parties and events they attend are .
is a more classical style of music.
in non-traditional genres
One contemporary player,
Takeharu Kunimoto (1960–2015), played bluegrass music on the , having spent a year studying bluegrass at
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an institutional Board of Tr ...
and performing with a bluegrass band based there. Another player using the in non-traditional genres is
Michihiro Sato, who plays
free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...
on the instrument.
Japanese American jazz pianist
Glenn Horiuchi played in his performances and recordings.
A duo popular in Japan known as the
Yoshida Brothers
The are Japanese shamisenist musicians who have released several albums on the Domo Records label.
The two brothers are performers of the traditional Japanese music style of Tsugaru-jamisen which originated in northern Japan. They debuted in 199 ...
developed an energetic style of playing the , heavily influenced by fast aggressive soloing emphasizing speed and twang, usually associated with rock music on the electric guitar.
Metal guitarist
Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 unti ...
has often used a in his recordings to give a more exotic sound to his music.
Takeshi Terauchi
, also known as Terry, was a Japanese instrumental rock guitarist. His preferred guitar was a black Mosrite with a white pickguard. His guitar sound was characterized by frenetic picking, heavy use of tremolo picking and frequent use of his gu ...
& Bunnys utilized played by
Michiya Mihashi
Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 ''Mihashi Michiya'', November 10, 1930 – January 8, 1996), born Michiya Kitazawa (北沢 美智也 ''Kitazawa Michiya'') in Kamiiso, Hokkaidō, was an enka singer in postwar Japan. Along with Hachiro Kasuga an ...
in combo with their instrumental rock group on their single with "Dark Eyes".
Japanese extreme metal band
Zenithrash played and in their latest album to achieve the band's ideal of Japanized extreme metal.
Japanese rock musician
Gackt
, better known by his mononymous stage name Gackt (stylized as GACKT), is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.
Born in Okinawa, Japan, to a Ryukyuan family, Gackt learned the piano at a young age and was raise ...
opened his "Sixth Day Seventh Night" concerts in 2004 seated on stage with a , joined by two musicians from his band, GacktJOB, also playing .
Japanese rock musician
Miyavi
, better known by his stage name Miyavi (雅, stylized as MIYAVI), is a Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor known for his finger- slapping style of playing a guitar.
He has been active since 1999, first as guitaris ...
has also played the on various occasions, incorporating its use in albums and during
concert
A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...
s (e.g. during the debut live of
superband
''SuperBand'' () is a spin-off of '' Project SuperStar'', a popular singing talent-search competition in Singapore. Contestants are bands of 2 to 6 people.
To mark the opening of the first season, a special SuperBand Big Jam where all the 18 ba ...
S.K.I.N concert at the 2007
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first w ...
convention at
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
on June 29, 2007).
Japanese folk rock/metal band
Wagakki Band
is a Japanese band that combines rock music with ''wagakki'' (traditional Japanese musical instruments) and ''shigin'' (Japanese poems reciting art). Their early songs were adapted from Vocaloid recordings but they have since written their own ...
takes several different traditional Japanese instruments and combines them with Western rock and
Vocaloid
is a singing voice synthesizer software product. Its signal processing part was developed through a joint research project led by Kenmochi Hideki at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, in 2000 and was not originally intended to b ...
songs. One of their members, Beni Ninagawa, plays a on albums and during concerts.
American player and guitarist
Kevin Kmetz leads a rock band called God of Shamisen, which is based in
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz (Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a pop ...
, and also plays the instrument with the band
Estradasphere
Estradasphere was an American experimental band that originated in Santa Cruz, California, during the late 1990s. The band, which in its last incarnation was based in Seattle, consisted of six multi-instrumentalists from a variety of musical back ...
.
Japanese traditional and jazz musician
Hiromitsu Agatsuma
Hiromitsu Agatsuma (上妻 宏光 ''Agatsuma Hiromitsu'', born July 27, 1973) is a Japanese shamisen artist who plays the Tsugaru-jamisen, a larger shamisen with thicker strings than those used for most other styles. He was born in Hitachi, Iba ...
incorporates a diverse mix of genres into his music. He arranged several
jazz standards
Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list ...
and other famous western songs for the shamisen on his album ''
Agatsuma Plays Standards'' in 2008. His previous recordings, such as ''Beyond'' from 2004, displayed traditional Japanese styles mixed with
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
and rock.
[
]
The is also used in the music of pop speed metal band
Babymetal
(stylized in all caps) is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal" and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrume ...
; it can be seen in their music videos and is played live onstage.
The French Metal band
GaidjinN use the in their compositions. One of their song
Illusion Of Love
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people.
Illusions may ...
is based on the traditional song . The main guitarist
Guillaume Fiat is also a player.
A magical is featured in the 2016 movie ''
Kubo and the Two Strings
''Kubo and the Two Strings'' is a 2016 American stop-motion animated action fantasy film produced by Laika. It is directed by Travis Knight (in his feature directorial debut) with a screenplay by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler from a story by Sh ...
''. In the movie, the main character (Kubo) uses its power to defeat his enemies and complete his quest. The instrument is featured in
Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.
After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...
's cover of "
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album '' The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While ...
," which plays over the end credits and is included on the film's soundtrack.
Shinobu Kawashima plays on a cover version of "What is hip" by Tokyo Groove Jyoshi.
Noriko Tadano
is a Japanese performer, composer and vocalist. Tadano is both a solo (music), solo artist and collaborator, and is known for crossover performances combining traditional and modern music.
Tadano has performed with renowned contemporary musici ...
is a player born and raised in Japan, who now resides in Australia. She has collaborated with a wide variety of musicians from genres such as blues, jazz, folk, experimental and electronic music. Tadano has performed in collaborations at a number of world festivals. Tadano performed in the
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
duo 'George & Noriko' on season 6 of ''
Australia's Got Talent'', making it to the finals.
See also
![Shamisen crafter with a customer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Shamisen_crafter_with_a_customer.jpg)
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References
Bibliography
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External links
Book on ShamisenJishin Shamidaiko (Brazil)God of Shamisen is a progressive/metal band that has implemented the acoustic and amplified sound of the tsugaru-jamisen(feature movie about the disputed origin of the Tsuragu-jamisen style)
KoutaS.K.I.N.'s World Debut– S.K.I.N. debut concert live report at JAME
Audio
Listen to a shamisen (in modern times)
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Japanese musical instruments
Drumhead lutes
Spike lutes
Shamisen players
Continuous pitch instruments
String instruments
Japanese words and phrases