http://m.youtube.com/index?&desktop_uri=%2F#/watch?v=DMgSyzR-82s
I watched this video couple times and I like this song. When I tried reading the notation from “Shamisen of Japan” the song notation doesn’t come close to (Kyle A.) video. I’m not sure in the book this could be an old version of the song.
But can anybody send me the notation to the song “Aiyana Bushi” I tried figuring it out on my own, but still no luck.
I’ll repeat Kevin Kmetz’s words.
Each advanced player will not use the notation,he will try to create his own.
example: Tsugaru Jongara Bushi.
PS:
It’s Tsugaru Aiya Bushi,not aiyana
It had auto correct (aiya) I’m using my itouch.
Well that why I’m asking anybody here on Bachido, if they have a sheet notation. Because when I try playing it, it doesn’t come out right. (the sounding when I play is a bit off)
Kevin H.
I totally understand your point. This stuff is CONFUSING! Mostly it messes with our mind if we grow up learning about music from a western mind’s teaching. From classical to pop music we are taught that a song goes a certain way and when you write it on paper it should be written exactly how you heard it right?
But try to remember and try to imagine some traditions have a totally different way to create their songs.
Here are some steps you might think about taking to get closer to this.
If you want to learn Aiya bushi…(in 6 steps)
Step one.
Don’t worry about the Shamisen part…listen ONLY to the song.
Step two .
Study the music as written on paper.
Step three.
Go back and listen to many different Shamisen players as they play along to singers. Study the way the Shamisen fits the singing.
Step four.
Next, go and listen only to solo versions of the tune as played on Shamisen.
Step 5.
Make a list of all the ways you hear people playing it differently and make a point to find the “best ones” …the ones you like the most.
Step 6 .
Take all the parts from different peoples Aiya bushi that you liked and fit them together to make your own Aiya bushi.
The reason it never comes close to what you see on paper is because the point everyone is trying to get is to make it totally different from something written on paper. It’s all about creating your own Aiya bushi in the end. It’s never about copying the paper score music exactly like it is.
But the secret is to know the song. The singing part. The melody!
That is the only part you need to know completely. Everything else on the Shamisen is made up. Sometimes the best players don’t even have a plan . They make up a whole Aiya bushi right on the spot.
That’s the goal of Tsugaru Shamisen. To know the tunes so well that you can create a Shamisen part out of thin air anytime, anyplace!
Okay ( I see)
Well Kevin K. do you think you could help (because I’m the type of
person - when they learn new songs (I need to see the notation first -
the correct ones - then I play it slow and then I constantly listen to
the song until its stuck inside my head)
but I learn much better reading the correct notations
Kevin H.,
I think you seem to like one form of Aiya bushi and for you that is the correct one. But to ask for help is hard because when you say the “correct” one it could be one from 1,000 different players performance. It’s impossible to know which one you are talking about.
So best thing for you is to post a link here and show us your favorite aiya bushi (one that you heard that is correct for you and is totally different from any sheet music).
Kevin K. - so far I listed to about ten version of Aiya Bushi and I only like this version - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWXY0V5-y-4
The way the person plays it (it’s nice) kinda reminds me of Nitaboh.
(the part when the two Shamisen verse each other)
Woa, seriously? That’s my old friend Ryo Hagiwara. That clip was filmed at the school where I used to teach Tsugaru Shamisen. Talk about bringing back memories !
Well that version is quite a standard “major” version. Part of the reason it doesn’t match Kyle’s book is because his book offers the “minor” version.
My advice is to try to learn this by ear. You can use Kyle’s book as a guide and you can actually create the major version out of it by a simple method which is to
Replace all the 5’s with 6 and all the 1’s with 2.
I believe in the recording, Ryou san is actually playing the “intro” to Aiya Bushi, the prelude to the actual minyo melody with the unique timing.
Some may wonder why I put in the less common minor version instead of the major version. Well, I guess the best reason doing it is as Kevin describe: it’s just finding the version you like the best (or making one you like the best). I especially like the minor, and thus, in it went. 
So this topic is really important to me too. I too am struggling with making the jump from reading a song on paper to making my own versions. The advice all makes sense, but obviously theres only so far that takes you before you just have to take the massive plunge in doing it yourself. which is scary. so far I take solace in the fact I havent yet mastered to sheet music i have so Ive got a bit of time before I have to really focus on theExtra`.
anywhoo while searching for versions of Aiya after reading this post I just had to share this version of Aiya I found. It instantly became my favourite. Its one of the first times Ive ever seen so much humour in one of these minyou competitions and the lady is just too charming for words. hope you like it
Since there will be countless forum threads about each song where we say the same things over and over again (and of course new info as well), we should have one thread for each classical Tsugaru Shamisen song out there.
I have big visions about this. Each song could get different sections like this:
Discussion - A forum thread much like this where people can read and discuss the song and different versions of it.
Performances - This could go through the Discussion part and grab all of the videos that are linked in posts, and just show them here without any comments. This feature would be great for people who want to play to the song. We should have audio only files here as well.
Technical tips - An area that contains videos about how to play the song or parts of it.
sounds like an awesome idea Karl
very good idea, A thread for every song will be very helpfull. Surely it can be create a new categorie and, inside that categorie we can have this.
Not a thread, but it’s own category. So that there may be many well organized threads detailing the songs.
I love this idea and think it’s a great way to build content in a very structured way where we don’t just lose our thoughts/ideas/discussions as we post more and more. But rather it just builds and stays for people to study and dissect on their own.
I’ve played this song many ways over the years.
In the past I have learned all of my songs mostly through Kevin, including Aiya Bushi. I play it in a way where I combine the Major and Minor parts together. I hadn’t ever heard someone (live) play it in full minor until Kyle started dissecting the song for his book. I love that flavor of the song.
Understanding that the melody doesn’t change, and the song is still the same, makes it sensible to have it that way in the book.
Just as you can see how Kyle and I play the song differently on that video, so too will they differ from teacher to teacher.
The only way you could get a “perfect” version is by memorizing the lyrics and melody, and then playing along with the minyou, and developing your version from there.