Bachi ( 桴 , 枹 ; also batchi ) are straight wooden sticks used on Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum (written 撥 ) for stringed instruments of Japanese origin such as the shamisen and biwa .
65-657: Tsugaru-jamisen ( 津軽三味線, つがるじゃみせん ) or Tsugaru-shamisen ( つがるしゃみせん ) refers to both the Japanese genre of shamisen music originating from Tsugaru Peninsula in present-day Aomori Prefecture and the instrument it is performed with. It is performed throughout Japan, though associations with the Tsugaru remain strong. Tsugaru-jamisen is considered the most recognized genre of shamisen music, and has enjoyed multiple periods of popularity in Japan. While it
130-564: A dō kake , and players often wear a little band of cloth on their left hand to facilitate sliding up and down the neck, known as a yubikake . The head of the instrument known as a tenjin 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. The construction of
195-740: A ka ) without denting the wood. Cypress is slightly harder than magnolia, and is usually cheaper as well. On the opposite extreme, an evergreen oak ( 樫 , kashi ) bachi is heavy and hard. It brings out a better, fuller sound when playing larger taiko, but it muffles the higher harmonics of smaller taiko, sounding "thunky" and dead. Taiko drumming is a highly visual art form, and so bachi are sometimes decorated with bells or tassels for use during performance. Bachi used for stringed instruments ( 撥 ) are actually picks. They are very distinct in form and use from Western-style picks, which are usually smaller in order to be held between or mounted to fingers. In shape, bachi are similar to an ice scraper or
260-638: A putty knife . Bachi can be made of various materials and with varying levels of strength. Similarly to guitar picks, bachi were traditionally made of tortoise shell ( 鼈甲 , bekkō ) or ivory ( 象牙 , zōge ) , but these materials are rare and expensive (and illegal to trade in some territories, due to protection of endangered species ), therefore making bachi in these materials highly expensive and impractical. Modern and more affordable variants are often made of acrylic, plastic or wood. Generally, bachi made of softer, more flexible materials are easier to play with for beginners, but harder materials produce
325-406: A bridge, or koma ( 駒 ) , 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 known as sawari (somewhat reminiscent of the "buzzing" of a sitar , which is called Jivari ). The upper side of the dō (when on the player's lap) is almost always protected by a cover known as
390-428: A combination of ivory and tortoise-shell for example, are sometimes made of acrylic material to give the shamisen a more modern, flashy look. Recently, avant-garde inventors have developed a tsugaru-jamisen with electric pickups to be used with amplifiers, like the electric guitar. The hosozao ( 細棹 , literally "thin neck") , as its Japanese name implies, is the smallest kind of shamisen . The body
455-421: A different playing style. Nitabō rounded off the plectrum of the instrument such that it was shaped like a rice paddle . In addition, he adopted a playing style with the shamisen held upright, included the area around the bridge as the playing area, and incorporated beating and slapping the strings in contrast to exclusive use of the plectrum. However, other scholars, such as Gerald Groemer, argue that due to
520-482: A few select materials, such as yellow or black water buffalo horn ( suigyu ), which are the standard for jiuta . Blackwater buffalo horn does not have a significant sound difference when cut in the jiuta koma style, and is far less popular. Yellow suigyu is the most widely used for jiuta -style shamisen , both in practice and performance. Plastic is available because of the higher price tag of suigyu . Many people believe that for jiuta , there
585-470: A lack of documentation, the account advanced by Kazuo may not be entirely accurate. Nitabō had multiple blind students, such as Kinobo and Chōsakubo, who contributed to the development of the style. Nitabō's last student, Shirakawa Gunpachirō, performed outside of the Tsugaru region as a part of a folk performance troupe. Gunpachirō also performed in professional settings, such as in concert halls in Tokyo. As
650-472: A major part of the bosama repertoire. Instead, they tended to be sung by non-professionals, generally without shamisen accompaniment. But with the Tsugaru-shamisen "boom" after World War II, these songs began to receive renewed attention. Shamisen accompaniments were composed or arranged by such performers as Takahashi Chikuzan (Takahashi 1976:142). Somewhat earlier there had been
715-467: A nationwide movement to produce "new folk songs" (see Hughes 1985:144-54, 281–309; Kojima 1970), resulting in the songs listed in Group E. More recently still, solo shamisen versions of the songs of Group D have been arranged. Solo versions of the older songs have become the center of the repertoire, leading to the development of long solo improvisations (Group F) and ensemble playing (Group G). One of
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#1732776775161780-419: A performance. The bachi ( 撥 ) , the plectrum used to play the shamisen , also differ in size, shape, and material from genre to genre. The bachi used for nagauta shamisen can be made out of three possible materials: wood, plastic, or ivory. While many nagauta teachers generally do not approve of the use of plastic, if ivory is unattainable and wood is still out of price range, plastic
845-563: A result of his successes, tsugaru-jamisen became popular in the 1920s, but its popularity waned with the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War later in the decade. During 1955–1965, many performers of the genre moved to urban centers in Japan such as Tokyo . This migration was part of a larger movement due to a boom in the traditional arts in Japan. Tsugaru-jamisen enjoyed another bout of popularity when Gunpachirō performed with enka star Michiya Mihashi at
910-427: Is a plucked stringed instrument. Its construction follows a model similar to that of a guitar or a banjo, with a neck and strings stretched across a resonating body. The neck of the shamisen is fretless and slimmer than that of a guitar or banjo. The body, called the dō ( 胴 ) , 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
975-458: Is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument sanxian . It is played with a plectrum called a bachi . The Japanese pronunciation is usually shamisen but sometimes jamisen when used as a suffix, according to regular sound change (e.g. tsugaru-jamisen ). In Western Japanese dialects and several Edo period sources, it
1040-407: Is also an "all-round" instrument that can be used across many genres. The futozao ( 太棹 , literally "fat neck") shamisen is used in the robust music of gidayubushi (the music of bunraku ), jōruri min'yo , and tsugaru-jamisen . In these genres, a thicker neck facilitates the greater force used in playing the music of these styles. The futozao of tsugaru-jamisen
1105-416: Is also often used in kouta , where it is plucked with the fingernails. The chuzao ( 中棹 , literally "middle neck") is a size up from the hosozao . 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 hosozao , where it tapers off. The fingerboard ends abruptly, and
1170-460: Is believed that the ancestor of the shamisen was introduced in the 16th century through the port city of Sakai , near Osaka . The shamisen can be played solo or with other shamisen , in ensembles with other Japanese instruments, with singing such as nagauta , or as an accompaniment to drama, notably kabuki and bunraku . Both men and women traditionally played the shamisen . The most famous and perhaps most demanding of
1235-435: Is both written and pronounced as samisen . The construction of the shamisen varies in shape, depending on the genre in which it is used. The instrument used to accompany kabuki has a thin neck, facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of that genre. The one used to accompany puppet plays and folk songs has a longer and thicker neck instead, to match the more robust music of those genres. The shamisen
1300-491: Is clear that the shamisen originated from China through Okinawa in the 16th century CE, the specific developers of tsugaru-jamisen are not known with certainty, largely because written records of its development were not kept nor was it ever formally recognized by the Japanese government. What is known is that tsugaru-jamisen originated from a small peninsula due west of present-day Aomori Prefecture called Tsugaru. In addition, some researchers have conjectured on
1365-450: Is considered acceptable for use. Jiuta bachi are made entirely out of plastic or ivory, plastic and tortoiseshell ( bekko ), or ivory and tortoiseshell. Jiuta bachi 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 jiuta bachi that are made with a buffalo horn handle. The material, however, makes no difference in
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#17327767751611430-502: Is easy to recognize by its percussive quality (the plectrum striking the body of the instrument on each stroke) and the lilt of the rhythms performed. Unlike most other Japanese music, some tsugaru-jamisen pieces are in triple time , though the three beats are not accentuated in the manner of Western music. Tsugaru-shamisen has a large and steadily growing repertory. Interviews with noted performers such as Takahashi Chikuzan and Yamada Chisato and recordings issued by stars of
1495-565: 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 jiuta . Shari is used from time to time in practice, but never for jiuta performances. Koma used for both tsugaru and min'yo shamisen are typically 2.6 in height, though sometimes 2.7 or 2.8. Tsugaru koma are very easily identifiable due to their unique structure and use of two different materials. Tsugaru koma are very thin in width, and are not very high. The base
1560-399: Is one of the lightest and softest woods, most suitable for playing smaller drums with a sharp attack and less decay. On a larger drum, however, a magnolia bachi usually sounds "slappy" and flat, because it is too light to strike the thicker head of the drum with enough power to generate the lower tones of the drum. It is also too soft to strike the rim of the drum (in kuchi shoka , it is called
1625-427: Is quite a recent innovation, and is purposefully constructed in a much larger size than traditional style shamisen , and its neck is much longer and thicker than the traditional nagauta or jiuta shamisen . The heike shamisen ( 平家 ) is a shamisen particularly fashioned for the performance of the song Heike Ondo , a folk tune originating from Shimonoseki , Yamaguchi Prefecture . The neck of
1690-413: 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 hosozao is used in nagauta , the shorter and thinner neck facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of kabuki . Hosozao shamisen built especially for nagauta ensembles are often simply known as nagauta shamisen . The hosozao
1755-482: 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 shari is the most popular koma material for practice and with students who are performing. Because of ivory's volume and vibration, it is normally used by a teacher or tate-jamisen (lead shamisen ), so that the other players can follow their tone and signals. Plastic koma are increasingly harder in
1820-422: 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 futozao shamisen , the tsugaru bridge in general tends to be longer than the others. Both the gidayu koma (the highest koma made, fashioned out of black buffalo horn) and
1885-412: Is written differently. For example, in the min'yo shamisen style, nodes on the shamisen are labeled from 0, the open string called "0". However, in the jiuta shamisen 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 tsugaru -style shamisen . To add to
1950-430: The bachi is often used to strike both string and skin, creating a highly percussive sound. When playing kouta ( 小唄 , literally "little song") on the shamisen , and occasionally in other genres, the shamisen is plucked with the fingers. Sometimes, the shamisen is bowed with a violin bow, similar to the kokyū , a similar instrument. The shamisen is played and tuned according to genre, with
2015-428: The heike shamisen is about half the length of most shamisen , giving the instrument the high range needed to play Heike Ondo . The use of more typical shamisen 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 are made out of plastic to avoid breakage in
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2080-485: The kiyomoto koma (which resembles the nagauta koma exactly, save for its width) are sometimes confused with the tsugaru koma . In most genres, the shamisen strings are plucked with a bachi . The sound of a shamisen is similar in some respects to that of the American banjo , in that the drum-like dō , amplifies the sound of the strings. As in the clawhammer style of American banjo playing,
2145-429: The shamisen be made of the correct wood, the correct skin, and are played with the correct bachi , with little room for variation. The tsugaru-jamisen , 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 , and bachi which are fashioned from
2210-532: The shamisen to whatever register desired, so long as the above conventions are followed. Music for the shamisen can be written in Western music notation, but is more often written in tablature notation. While tunings might be similar across genres, the way in which the nodes on the neck of the instrument (called tsubo ( 壷 ) in Japanese) are named is not. As a consequence, tablature for each genre
2275-665: The shamisen varies in shape and size, depending on the genre in which it is used. The bachi used will also be different according to genre, if it is used at all. Shamisen are classified according to size and genre. There are three basic sizes: hosozao , chuzao and futozao . Examples of shamisen genres include nagauta , jiuta , min'yo , kouta , hauta , shinnai , tokiwazu , kiyomoto , gidayu and tsugaru . Shamisen used for traditional genres of Japanese music, such as jiuta , kouta , and nagauta , adhere to very strict standards. Purists of these genres demand that
2340-412: The shamisen will also learn naguata and will occasionally perform nagauta at banquets, the vast majority of musical performances seen at the parties and events they attend are kouta . Jiuta ( 地唄 , literally "regional song") is a more classical style of shamisen music. Bachi Drum bachi ( 桴 , 枹 ) are made in a wide variety of sizes and materials, as appropriate to
2405-533: The shamisen , is usually divided into three or four pieces that fit and lock together, with most shamisen made to be easily disassembled. The neck of the shamisen 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
2470-523: The Nihon Theater in Tokyo in 1959. As a result of this mass exposure to the genre, younger practitioners of the genre began to emerge. Takahashi Chikuzan , who was also a bosama , was also a highly regarded practitioner of the genre and began touring Japan in 1964. Tsugaru-jamisen is played on a larger shamisen called futozao ( 太棹 ) with a thicker neck and thicker strings than those used for most other styles. Tsugaru-jamisen
2535-527: The fermata have been imported. What tuning a work calls for is usually indicated on the tablature. The Japanese shamisen originated from the Chinese sanxian ( Chinese : 三弦 ). The sanxian was introduced through the Ryūkyū Kingdom ( Okinawa ) in the 16th century, where it developed into the Okinawan sanshin ( 三線 ) , from which the shamisen ultimately derives. It
2600-519: The "new folk song" movement) Matsuno Takeo Suda Naoyuki and Anthony Rausch (Abridged translation of Daijō 1995 and includes some more general anthropological material). Takahashi Chikuzan (Autobiography of one of the Tsugaru-shamisen greats of the past. Translated in Groemer 1991, 1999, and 2012). Shamisen The shamisen ( 三味線 ) , also known as sangen ( 三絃 ) or samisen (all meaning "three strings"),
2665-464: The "old", "middle", and "new" versions are differentiated not merely stylistically but also historically. Their structural differences contain, as it were, a congealed history. Daijō Kazuo Daijō has spent most of his life studying The Tsugaru-Shamisen and has met many of the old bosama . His writings, often in semi-novelistic form, emphasize that everything originated with one " Nitabō ". Most scholars reject this unilinear derivation of
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2730-418: The above, or plastic for the student level. Koma come in many heights. The higher the koma , the louder the sound will be, and the harder it is to control a rapid sukui . Higher koma are not considered suitable for beginners. The koma used for nagauta use a height between 3.2 and 3.6. Koma for nagauta are fashioned out of only three materials: ivory, bone, and plastic. Ivory
2795-411: The characters 桴 and 枹 are not always made in technical terms, but 枹 can also literally refer to the white oak tree, or Quercus . Some other woods commonly used to make bachi are (Japanese names in parentheses): maple ( 楓 , kaede ) , pine ( 松 , matsu ) , cypress ( 檜 , hinoki ) , magnolia ( 朴 , hō ) , beech ( 椈 , buna ) and bamboo ( 竹 , take ) . Magnolia
2860-751: 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 shamisen will find it difficult to read tablature from other genres of shamisen , unless they are specially trained to read these kinds of tablatures. Tablature can be written in traditional Japanese vertical right-to-left notation, or it can be written in Western style 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 and
2925-474: The drum it will be used to play. A typical bachi is about 22 mm (7/8 inches) in diameter, 400 mm (16 inches) long and made out of a hardwood such as oak . These would be suitable for a wide variety of playing styles. A bachi for playing a larger drum like the O-daiko would be bigger both in circumference and length. Similarly, smaller bachi are used for smaller drums. Distinctions between
2990-412: The early part of the 20th century, blind musicians, including Shirakawa Gunpachirō (1909–1962), Takahashi Chikuzan (1910–1998), and sighted players such as Kida Rinshōei (1911–1979), evolved a new style of playing, based on traditional folk songs ( min'yō ) but involving much improvisation and flashy fingerwork. This style – now known as tsugaru-jamisen , after the home region of this style in
3055-420: The exception of arrangements classified as shin min'yō , these pieces are usually considered to be traditional. The tsugaru-jamisen is characterized by many distinct phrases and styles. In acrobatic technique ( kyokubiki ), improvising is the feature. The player will often strike the strings and skin very hard and fast with the bachi . They use only left index and ring finger traditionally, and
3120-425: 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 Akita Nikata Bushi . Niagari means "raised two" or "raised second", referring to the fact that the pitch of the second string is raised (from honchoushi ), increasing
3185-519: 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 shamisen skins are often prepared with synthetic materials, such as plastic. The sao ( 棹 ) , or neck of
3250-490: The genre. Groemer, Gerald The new edition includes a good deal of newly discovered historical information and brings the volume up to date. Currently only available from amazon.co.jp, it remains the most detailed study of Tsugaru-shamisen to date in any language. Includes a translation of Takahashi Chikuzan's autobiography (Takahashi 1976) Hughes, David (introduction to Japanese folk song in general). Johnson, Henry Kimura Genzō Kojima Tomiko (Study of
3315-407: 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 Tsugaru Sansagari . 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 shamisen is tuned according to the register of the singer, or simply to the liking of the player. The shamisen player can tune
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#17327767751613380-417: 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 Tsugaru Jongara Bushi . Sansagari means "lowered three" or "lowered third", referring to tuning the shamisen to honchoushi and lowering the 3rd string (the string with
3445-447: The middle of the 20th century three songs (Group B) and their shamisen versions had become the core of the Tsugaru-shamisen repertoire, which they remain today. Indeed, " Jonkara bushi "—in a version that the old bosama would probably not even recognize—has today become virtually a symbol of the timeless "spirit of Tsugaru". The songs of group D—though no less traditional than those of groups A, B, and C—were not, it seems,
3510-411: The modern day, as the material is considered to produce an undesirable sound when compared to shari koma . Shari is not much more expensive than plastic, and most teachers openly express their displeasure with plastic koma and require shari . The koma used for jiuta vary between 2.6 and 2.8, though other heights can be specially ordered. Koma for jiuta are made out of
3575-546: The most interesting characteristics of the Tsugaru-shamisen repertoire is what might be termed its cumulative nature. As can be seen from the listing of songs in Group B, newer variants of songs tend to coexist alongside older versions, rather than replacing them. Although the older songs and their shamisen accompaniments or shamisen solo versions have no doubt themselves been somewhat transformed from what they were many decades ago (and they of course were never an entirely uniform to begin with), it remains certain that
3640-479: The narrative styles is gidayū , named after Takemoto Gidayū (1651–1714), who was heavily involved in the bunraku puppet-theater tradition in Osaka . The gidayū shamisen and its plectrum are the largest of the shamisen 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
3705-487: The nomenclature of the nodes in an octave also varying according to genre. A number of shamisen styles exist across Japan, and tunings, tonality and notation vary to some degree. Three of the most commonly recognized tunings across all genres are honchoushi ( 本調子 ) , niagari ( 二上がり ) , and sansagari ( 三下がり ) . Honchoushi means "home tuning" or "base tuning", and is called so because other tunings are considered to derive from it. For honchoushi ,
3770-464: The north of Honshū – continues to be relatively popular in Japan. The virtuosic tsugaru-jamisen style is sometimes compared to bluegrass banjo . kouta ( 小唄 ) is a style of shamisen historically developed by and mostly performed by geisha and maiko . Its name literally means "little song", which contrasts with the musical genre of nagauta found in bunraku and kabuki; though both maiko and geisha training to play
3835-419: The past allow one to produce the following table. Most of the titles given below exist in two versions: in song form (a vocal line with shamisen and taiko drum accompaniment) and as a solo shamisen piece (see sixth group below). Recently, younger performers have been attempting to combine tsugaru-shamisen playing styles or motives with jazz, rock, and other forms of more commercial music. With
3900-491: The performers are changed halfway through a scene. There is little notated in the books ( maruhon ) of the tradition except the words and the names of certain appropriate generic shamisen responses. The shamisen 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 onna-jōruri or onna gidayū also carried on this concert tradition. In
3965-404: 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 hatomune ( 鳩胸 , literally "pigeon's breast") . The result is an extended fingerboard that gives the chuzao a higher register than the hosozao . The chuzao is favored for jiuta -style playing, with a broader, more mellow timbre. It
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#17327767751614030-418: 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 (traditionally) or nylon . 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
4095-618: The scale is basically pentatonic (do re mi sol la). A technique unique to the tsugaru-jamisen style in recent years is the tremolo played with the back of the bachi without hitting the skin. Group A presents songs that are only rarely heard today, though they were once the mainstay of the repertoire of itinerant, often blind, musician-beggars known as bosama . At the start of the 20th century, these kudoki were gradually displaced by shorter non-narrative songs. The bosama (and, in time, other performers) tended to concentrate their efforts on some five favorite songs (Group C). By
4160-403: The sound. The gidayu shamisen style uses the heaviest and thickest bachi , though the nagauta bachi is wider. The bachi used for tsugaru-jamisen is the smallest, and is almost always tipped with tortoiseshell. The koma ( 駒 ) , or bridge, can be fashioned out of aged bamboo, ivory, ox-bone ( shari ), rosewood, buffalo horn, kōki wood , any combination of
4225-411: The style's origins based on available evidence. There is some consensus that the style was developed by homeless and blind individuals called bosama . One scholar, Daijō Kazuo, proposed that the genre originated from a bosama named Nitabō on the basis of interviews of musicians and their families. According to his research, Nitabō acquired and modified a shamisen in 1877 for which he adopted
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