Everything you need to know about the Shamisen!
Shamisen Materials
Like buying any instrument, there are a few important factors to know in making an informed purchase. If this is your first time buying a shamisen, the information below will help you decide what shamisen materials are right for you. The quality of wood for the sao (neck) [...]
Caring for your Shamisen
Tips and tricks to keep your shamisen at it’s best.
Styles of Shamisen
First, let’s learn about the three main sizes of shamisen and a few of the many styles associated with them. Note: The shamisen styles explained below are commonly used with a particular neck size, but please know that the styles don’t necessarily require specific sizes. For example, shamisen for [...]
Evaluating Chuko Shamisen (Used Shamisen)
Chuko Shamisen (Used Shamisen) It’s no secret that decent shamisen (and bachi) are pretty expensive. You may spend over 100,000 yen on a mid range shamisen without accessories. Why is it so expensive? It’s mainly because most retailers will add a 200% (or more) markup, making the retail price [...]
How to Tune the Shamisen
Being a folk instrument, the shamisen is very easy for people to pick up and learn how to play (assuming they allow time to get accustomed to the large plectrum and the whole fretless thing). However, in the beginning, one major difficulty is understanding how the shamisen is tuned. [...]