Few Questions About Tuning and Itomaki

Playing/Techniques
#1

I was recently in Japan and had the fortune of getting a few quick lessons with the person who got me interested in shamisen and his teacher.

They both gave me a lesson in rokudan, but instead of the CGC tuning for niagari from the Bachido lessons, they tuned their shamisens to C#G#C#. I am curious as to why they did that. Also for stringing the itomakis, they insisted that I string the ni no ito on the lowest peg underneath the one for the ichi no ito. Is there a reason to do this? The positioning of the holes on my itomaki make it seem like stringing the ni no ito on the middle peg the most logical.

Sorry to post these mundane questions instead of asking them directly. I was kind of in a “Just shut up, watch and listen” mode when I was with them.

Also, I got to go to Shamisen Katou and meet the owner. Extremely nice person who gave me some free items and a ride back to the station.

#2

as far as i know there is no fixed standard tuning like e a and so on on guitar but shamisen often also tuned to match other instruments or a singers range so POSSIBLY it could just have been a matter of personal preference as for tuning the thing a wee bit higher i guess

#3

It is the peg holes that should decide where the string goes so that the string continues straight.

As for tuning C# is not that unusual actually. It can help you play faster because the strings vibrate with a smaller distance which means your bachi won’t be in touch with the string for as long. It’s not a very big difference though, and some people just like the sound of a higher pitch more.

I think Kyle mentions that there is no standard tuning and as BH says it depends on to what other things you play to. But C is some kind of usual pitch that people choose, in some way probably inspired by western piano notation.

I would recommend that you tune down to B instead to get a feeling for how the instrument sounds in the different pitches. Compare B with C# and you will get two completely different feelings from the sound. I’ve even played tuned down to A. It definately gives a more mystic feeling. Asano Sho did this in this clip and it’s probably to match his singing voice:

#4

BH and Karl have the pitch info down, so I’ll add what I’ve heard about the tuning pegs.

Whether you string your shamisen 1-2-3 or 1-3-2 is basically just preference nowadays. 1-3-2 (with the 3rd string on the middle itomaki) is said to be the more traditional style. Supposedly, when people used to play on silk strings only, it was thought that putting the thin 3rd string on the lowest itomaki put too much stress on the string due to the sharp angle from the itomaki to the nut, which would cause the string to break more quickly, especially with the Tsugaru style of playing. Therefore, they would put the thin 3rd string on the middle itomaki to give it a shallower angle, and then put the more durable 2nd string on the lowest itomaki. Nowadays, most people use nylon for their 3rd string, so it’s not really a problem anymore.

Another theory is that 1-3-2 is easier to manage for blind people, and many folk shamisen players were blind. A 1-3-2 set up means one less major hand movement is necessary when tuning, which makes manipulating by touch easier.

In the modern day, though, most players are sighted, and with the materials issue solved, how you string your shamisen is more just a reflection of your lineage.

#5

Really interesting info, thanks for the replies!

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