Good day to all of you,
I am interested in learning the Shamisen; however, I have no formal music training (musical notes/notation and so on). My question is: would I be able to learn the instrument while learning basic music theory? Or, is it necessary that I learn music theory/notation before I even approach the shamisen.
On a slightly unrelated note, I am moving to Ichinomiya in Aichi Prefecture next month and would like to know if anyone knows of a shamisen teacher in that area?
Thanks for any and all help!
James
James,
Bachido member Pat Deaton lives in Aichi ken. I would try to send him a message over Bachido mail if you get the chance. He seems to know that area very well.
As far as learning Shamisen. Out of all the world’s instruments Shamisen is probably one of the few that require no theoretical or notational preparation at all! You will learn to read Shamisen tablature as you begin your studies which is a very simplified notation that visually shows you where to place your fingers.
As far as theory goes, it’s almost entirely a hands on learning experience so you really won’t need to know anything to get started. Just get one in your hands and start plucking/striking away.
Like any disciple such as martial arts or painting or whatever, the Shamisen as a musical art will require daily practice and tremendous focus. The more time you can put into repeating patterns and memorizing finger positions, the faster you will progress and thus the more fun it will be for you as you start to be able to play songs and perhaps even start to discover your own original melodies from within your own imagination. Just keep in mind Shamisen does not come easy or naturally to anyone on the first day. It takes practice but take it from all of us here at Bachido, the effort is well worth it !
Best of luck to you!
Hi James!
Welcome to Bachido!
I agree with Kevin! And I’ll add a bit more from my own experience. Personally, I have almost no formal musical theory knowledge yet have had no problem learn new instruments since I was young.
Learning theory is great for those inclined, but it’s in no way required to play music. Music is like learning a language. We’ve all learned to speak, it just requires doing it and above all, willingness to make “mistakes”. 
(fear of making mistakes usually holds us back)
The experience of learning an instrument is a lot like a baby learning to walk. A baby has to build a connection with his/her legs before walking can begin. This requires lots of attempting and lots of stumbling. But through that stumbling do we learn and eventually achieve the ability to walk! Even if a baby could read, I believe no baby would be able to instantly walk just from reading how to do it. It just requires doing and making mistakes. (which is a good thing!)
Because lots of practice is required, the most important thing is to make it fun! Play your favorite songs, learn with a friend. Making the experience of shamisen fun will naturally make you learn faster, and will make you want to play more!
Many say that beginners should start with formal techniques. Formal techniques are usually quite difficult without experience. Thus, I say before learning how to formally walk properly, you must first be able to stand on your feet. Once you have an internal understanding of the art, only then are you ready to process new skills. And that internal understanding comes from getting your hands involved.
Also important is keeping expectations low as you practice daily! They say music considerably predates language, so all of us truly have the ability to play and enjoy music together. Comparing ourselves to “musical athletes” is when we get discouraged. 
Whoa, I wrote a lot more than I intended to, but there we go! I mostly addressed the principal of how I approach music. All in all, my main message is to make it enjoyable. Language can be learned in a school, but language wasn’t created in a school. Likewise, music is organic as language, it can be done, enjoyed and mastered without ever stepping into a classroom.
So get started, take it easy and enjoy the ride!
I 2nd the two opinions above as well James, and of course, welcome to the forum!
I’m actually living very near Ichinomiya city, the neighboring Gifu city. It is only about a 12’ish minute train ride away. So perhaps when you get settled we could meet and you could get a little hands on crash course to see how you feel about the instrument itself. Though I can’t speak much about taking lessons in this area as I haven’t sought out a new teacher. There are some in the area, so depending on your schedule, and how serious you are of course, those of us out here could definitely aid in the ways of pointing you in the right direction.
But I submit that the best way to start is simply to get your hands on a shamisen and go for it!
practice, practice practice XD and as someone who is pretty (read: totally) dyslexic with western musical notation, i actually find it really easy to read (time sig is a bugger though )
Wow, thank you all for your insight and help. Thank you Kevin for your kind candor and direction. I will definitely look for him.
Kyle, you are absolutely right, once committed to a course of action or to a wanted goal, a person must get through the rough bits and failures in order to get to the desired outcome.
Thank you Josh for your warm welcome and advice! I will definitely need an introduction to it. I will arrive there on June 16th and jump right into training. So, I was thinking early July?
Also, when I do arrive there, would it be possible to get a “beginners” shamisen there in Japan or order one?
And Amanda thank you for your insight into it, and also thank you for relieving my worries as I look at musical notation with dread.
Hello, James and welcome to Bachido and Aichi area. I am in Kariya city and last year we had several Bachido Nagoya gathering.
It seems to be possible we get together(You, Josh, Pat and me) and have a Shamisen talk and possibly some play.
And I could recommend my teacher, Koji Yamaguchi, if you really would like to get a face to face lesson. He has lessons almost everywhere in Aichi prefecture.