Classical music on Shamisen.

Playing/Techniques
#1

Hello Bachido!
A lot of you are familiar with me and my approach to Shamisen but seeing as there are always new bachido members popping up here on this site and forum I thought I’d take a minute to introduce some ideas for contributions I am planning for future bachido projects.
Right now there is a plan to transcribe some of the tunes from our new Monsters of Shamisen/Bachido cd and have them up here when it’s finally available so you guys can try playing along etc. I am planning to try and get the hang of Karl’s “Shamisen Composer” for that.

After that is done I will have time to transcribe even more material for whoever out there is interested. It occurred to me that some of you who are now joining bachido may not be aware of the many pieces we have translated from western classical music to the Shamisen.

So I decided to offer some links to a few of the selections we have worked on throughout the years .
Please let me know which pieces you guys would be interested in seeing notation for

Brahms arr. for three Shamisen

Chopin

#2

Sorry I posted too soon. Meant to include

Bach

More Bach.

Paganini.

#3

nice classical (you can play it all Kevin)

Wish you could be my Shamisen sensei " I’m dying to have a Shamisen teacher"

It sucks playing by myself - especially self-teaching

#4

:O! Amazing!! Bach in shamisen! Chaconne it´s one of my favourite pieces, you played it so good! 24 caprice from paganini! woow, that one are only for virtuous players, and you played it so well, so… :wink:

#5

Awesome.

#6

like the Paganini one best XD

The third video from the bottom reminds me of medieval and rennaisance music for guitar by melbay . . .

#7

I’ve seen some this before and they STILL blow me away.
If i’m honest I don’t even fully understand how to get all a clear tones out of all those notes and chords on the shamisen neck…but you do.
If these songs are the starting point for this style, then imagine how far it can go.

I would love to hear anything by Francisco tarrega, you could definitely do these, even if u needed more than one player


1-2 players could play hajiki for the tremolo part

#8

And romance, everyone covers this…well not everyone

#9

I think I liked the chaconne most but as for the playing it is all a showcase of what can be done with shamisen also as for classical music . . . awesome . . . on keyboard Air by Bach was one of my favorites also played it in church a couple of times although in general I am not that into classical music . . . okay I thought air great but organ / strings / long notes not so suitable for shamisen on the other hand I look it up and first thing I find is a cool guitar version . . .

#10

i have watch many of Kevins videos lately, went through loads of videos on YouTube on shamisendemon’s channel, there is tones of it…u Kevin have played and arranged so much music for past years…Hats down!! and thanks so much for it, you are truly an inspiration to me!

i went through classical piano training. I love Bach’s music I played loads of inventions, suites, partitas, preludes&fuges…but i have never done that chaconne piece, well its a violin original and it is quite popular with guitar players… i thing its sounds great on shamisen and i would give it a try and learn it on shamisen…

my personal favourite its the greek Mekapsis Yitonisa tune you play…and also like the Estradasphere Hungerstrike song…i am very interested in playing balkan, slavik, arabic music on shamisen…thus i also like the Brahms Slavonic Dance tune, sounds great…

currently i am trying to transcribe some Irish tunes and russian balalaika music…i am going home to Slovakia in two weeks time so am hoping to smuggle my shamisen with me and visit some local festivals immersing in slovak folk tradition as well…

#11

Lovely pieces, and Romance would be the piece i would’ave put up if liam hadn’t already put it here, but ill +1 it :slight_smile:

And if you dont play it at somepoint ill get around to it and do it myself.

I would love to see your tab when you get the hang of karls program :slight_smile:

if i think of any others ill send them your way :slight_smile:

#12

20th Century music please. I don’t care what, in particular. Let’s bring Shamisen to the new music. It’s a goal of mine, but it’s a long ways off for me, if ever at all.

#13

For me it’s going to be the Brahms.
It’s nothing against you playing solo; all of your playing is beautiful and I’m always impressed and enjoy it.
However the Shamisen as a solo instrument playing classical music like that doesn’t suit it in my opinion.
Yes there are dynamics, and yes there is loads of expression. However I believe that where Tsugaru Shamisen specifically shines, and has more and more potential, is in group arrangements.
All the harmonies and simultaneous rhythms speak to my soul and really make my heart leap.
I can recall the countless times you and Penny would rock out a Bach duet with one another and I would hands down be mesmerized.
I’ve always wanted to step into that world and try to join in with you guys, since it’s something you too are just so verse and familiar with, but I have such a hard time wrapping my head around it.

Anyway, I really love the Brahms piece, I believe it really kicks ass and exemplifies the power and dynamics of the instrument.

#14

However I believe that where Tsugaru Shamisen specifically shines, and has more and more potential, is in group arrangements.
All the harmonies and simultaneous rhythms speak to my soul and really make my heart leap.

I’m with Grant on this one. I love all of it, but some good harmonies and polyrhythms make me go nuts! Btw, did you ever find that Bolero recording you told me about back in Indiana?

#15

Hey Kevin!

Sorry it took me a while to finally get on here and chime in. I’m particularly interested in “geeky” music for the Shamisen! Video Game tunes (Legend of Zelda, Mario, Final Fantasy, etc), movies (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Ghibli, etc), TV shows, and like a few mentioned modern pop/rock, etc. But i’m mostly interested in the Geeky music.

One song in particular that i’ve had my heart set on playing (no pun intended) is “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic. This video in particular always inspires me to go “Shamisen” on this idea!

This is actually what got me asking about chords, I wonder if it would be possible to play this song solo with just enough chords to give it a beautiful sound.

#16

something i was thinking about when i couldn’t sleep last night was to do with a comment i made earlier about medieval music. I used to be pretty familiar with early western music and i remember seeing some blackletter ballad sheets with score, and they reminded me of shamisen tab for some reason.

Anyway, the correlation is that the tunes themselves were simple and were then arranged by the player how they liked. I think that might be another angle to look into.

i also like modern fusion music and middle eastern, that’s another angle that might be looked at.

I think that we have some serious ability to make a branch of shamisen fusion music here…

#17

I think that we have some serious ability to make a branch of shamisen fusion music here…

I agree! I would love to hear some early music arranged for shamisen.

#18

My heart will go on would be awesome :slight_smile:

but im pretty sure it would be abit of a challenge to extend the notes asfar as a flute can if you know what i mean…
would love to see an attempt though

#19

My heart will go on? anyway one quick off topic nugget from me too then before this gets back on topic and I just found tabs for it too . . .

http://www.banjohangout.org/tab/browse.asp?m=detail&v=16908

#20

Kevin,

I think that this is gold~
There is so much that we can do with this!!

Even Ki&Ki have taken to turning some classical pieces into shamisen works of art~

Im going to take another listen through when I get back home, and ill jump on again!

© 2020 Kyle Abbott