Like many of my peers, that is Canadian born in the 1960s and brought up on rock and roll, I enjoy a good guitar solo, but, probably unlike them, I also particularly savor the music of another acoustic stringed instrument, the shamisen from Japan.
The shamisen has three strings and is one of many traditional Japanese musical instruments. It is played with a plectrum called a bachi. Its origins are with the ancient Chinese instrument called the sanxian, according to Wikipedia. Unlike the guitar or violin, the shamisen does not have a hole in the top, which gives it a unique sound.
I first became a fan of the shamisen after seeing a live performance of Japanese music in 1989 at a concert hall in Vancouver. At that time the two instruments that made the biggest impression on me were the shamisen and, to a lesser extent, the massive taiko drums.
I am including a few videos that show the instrument’s unique sound and various ways it is used. Have a listen and make up your own mind about it.
Below, a master shamisen player performs a flawless eight-minute solo at a museum in Milan, Italy:
In the video below a female shamisen player puts the instrument to use in modern rock music:
Showing the shamisen being used to play a classical European song are the Yoshida Brothers, below.
I hope that these videos have given you a good appreciation for the unique and fascinating sound of the shamisen. For me, this music touches the soul. If you ever have the opportunity to see the instrument performed live I urge you to do so!
During the two years I lived in Tokyo as an English teacher (1990-92), I got to experience a lot of Japanese culture, such as Kabuki theater, and music including the shamisen. Those are some of my best memories from that time. A fine example:
Explanation of shamisen music from a Japanese YouTuber:
Incidentally, the shamisen is not the only Asian traditional instrument that captivates me. There are others that I may devote posts to in the future.
Patrick B’s Blog 