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The sound of shamisen strings being strummed is a traditional feature of Japanese summer festivals.
Some readers probably have fond memories of lazily fanning themselves while listening to the charming sounds of a shamisen during a Japanese summer evening.
The shamisen has a long history and its delicate yet resonant tones are quite moving both to music fans and the players themselves.
The Japanese shamisen is said to be derived from the sanxian, a three-stringed Chinese lute.
String instruments in general are believed to have originated somewhere in the Middle East.
Then the instruments went through some structural changes as they spread to India and on into China.
Sometime in the 15th century, the sanxian was introduced to the Ryukyu Kingdom, currently Okinawa prefecture, and became the sanshin.
The instrument was introduced to mainland Japan around the end of the 16th century. Okinawan sanshin usually use snakeskin to cover the body of the instrument,
whereas shamisen usually use animal skins from dogs or cats for the cover.
This change occurred because there were not as many snakes on mainland Japan as there were in Okinawa. The shamisen quickly became widely popular for its rich deep sound.
And by the Edo Period (1603 ? 1867 A.D.), the shamisen had established its status as one of the essential instruments in Japanese music.
There are various shapes and sizes
of shamisen. People use each particular type depending
on the kind of music to be played. But the basic structure
of the instrument remains the same and all use three
strings. The futozao shamisen has a thick neck and is
used to play accompaniment for minyo (Japanese folk songs).
The firmer neck supports the dynamic play which is characteristic
of this type of music. The neck of futozao shamisen is
also longer than other types of shamisen, enabling a
wide range of sound, spanning up to four octaves. The
famous Tsugaru-jamisen is based on the futozao type.
The chuzao shamisen, on the other hand, has a medium sized neck. People prefer to use chuzao type when playing the accompaniment for hauta or kouta
(short little tunes) with other instruments such as the koto (Japanese harp) and the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute).
Not as bold sounding as the futozao shamisen, the chuzao type is mellower and balances better with softer music.
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