Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The sanshin (三線, lit., "three strings") is an Okinawan and Amami Islands musical instrument and precursor of the mainland Japanese shamisen . Often likened to a banjo , it consists of a snakeskin -covered body, neck and three strings.
The gottan (ごったん), also known as the hako shamisen ("box shamisen") or ita shamisen ("board shamisen "), [1] is a traditional Japanese three-stringed plucked instrument, often considered either a relative or derivative of the sanshin, itself a relative of the shamisen.
Popular in Edo's pleasure districts, the shamisen is often used in kabuki theater. Made from red sandalwood and ranging from 1.1 to 1.4 metres (3 ft 7 in to 4 ft 7 in) long, the shamisen has ivory pegs, strings made from twisted silk, and a belly covered in cat or dog skin or a synthetic skin.
The heike shamisen compared with a medium-sized, or chuzao shamisen. The construction of 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.
[5] [9] [10] Even more closely related is the Okinawan sanshin, which is also covered in snakeskin. Additionally, the sanshin and sanxian share a structurally similar body part consisting of a round-edged square of wood. In the Japanese shamisen, the body (sao) is made of four pieces of wood instead of one.
The instrument that defines Okinawan music is the sanshin (shamisen). It is a three-stringed lute , very similar to the Chinese sanxian and a precursor to the Japanese shamisen . The body is covered in snake skin and it is plucked with a plectrum worn on the index finger.
The following is a list of basic components that normally make up a kankara sanshin, with Japanese phrases that refer to the English terms in sanshin and shamisen parlance: Body (胴, chiiga/dou) — An empty metal can or cylinder is used to create the body of the instrument, in lieu of the snakeskin-covered bodies typical of sanshin.
They debuted in 1999 in Japan as a duo playing the shamisen. Their first album sold over 100,000 copies and made them minor celebrities in Japan, a fact that surprised the Yoshida Brothers themselves. [1] They have since attracted an international audience. [2]