So I thought I’d make my first non-introduction post to be sort of an informal one to kind of both at the same time show off my music taste, and just start a discussion on some songs that are cool, but would be even cooler with Shamisen. I’m doing 3 to kind of fit the 3 main styles of Shamisen: Tsugaru, Jiuta, and Nagauta.
X Japan - Kurenai
So this is probably X’s most famous song, and it definitely sounds like it could benefit from some Tsugaru Shamisen. Here in this footage is probably their best performance of it, back when they still had Hide and Taiji (The guitarist with the big hair, and the bass player. RIP to both…). I believe the solo and main riff can definitely be done on a Tsugaru Shamisen, and I believe the song may even have some traditional influence, since Yoshiki (The drummer, leader and main songwriter for the band) grew up around traditional music and Kabuki Theatre. In fact, Kabuki Theatre is one of the band’s inspirations (Along with David Bowie and Iron Maiden xD)
AvelCain - Yuki On’na
So this song starts off with a really authentic sounding Koto melody, then gets into the main riff, which has a quite simple, but fitting Koto melody. This song though would definitely fit with some Jiuta Shamisen. In fact, some of the guitar parts could even be played on the Jiuta Shamisen. With AvelCain, they often delved into traditional influences, but sadly, they never were allowed to get too creative, as their record label wanted them to be a 90’s style band, and the fact that their biggest fan happened to be Kisaki (Former Dir En Grey bassist, and bassist of what was Phantasmagoria and Lin), who is known for doing 90’s style VisualKei, didn’t really help that. Also, their record label decided to overwork them and have them prolifically pump out releases. Eventually, they broke up and had their final live in July of last year. (Their final concerts are on Youtube, and while guitarist and bassist Kaede and Zen really show their skills that in earlier lives, they wouldn’t have shown, Karma was drunk as heck so… his singing was not the best xD). However, there is a possibility they may come back soon as an Indie band, as the other band on their label, Lycaon, came back as an indie band a year after they broke up.
Ningen Isu - Shinagawa Shinjuu
So like the song above, this already has a traditional instrument: The Taishogoto. This band is known for their Sabbathy and Priesty type Metal, along with a traditional feel, and influence from the most obscure of Japanese Literature (Their name comes from “The Human Chair” by Edogawa Rampo, whose name is a play on Edgar Allan Poe). If they were widely considered a VisualKei band, I’d say they invented EroguroKei, a style of VisualKei that is inspired by Eroguro art and literature. And indeed, many Vkei bands are influenced by these guys.
The composition of this song feels like a real Nagauta song, which would fit with a Nagauta Shamisen (The members are even shown playing Shamisen in the music video xD). However, for the solo, you’ll need to pull out a Tsugaru Shamisen. For the solo, the guitarist pulls out a fretless guitar and begins playing it like a Tsugaru Shamisen.
Also, notice their accent? They’re actually from the Tsugaru region.
So yeah, main guitar parts definitely need a Nagauta Shamisen, but that shredding solo definitely needs a Tsugaru Shamisen.
What are some songs you feel would benefit from some Shamisen? What songs have you covered on Shamisen? I’m curious to see your thoughts!