this may be random, but i was sitting in my room thinking “Tsugaru…tsugaru…wasn’t there a song on Dance Dance Revolution called Tsugaru?” One of my favorite songs when I was a kid. Someone more skilled than me should figure out the notation for this piece =) I would be eternally grateful!
1 Like
I love this song, it’s awesome. I stopped playing DDR because my pad busted.
That’s my phone ringtone along with PonPon
THE MEMORIES!
Thanks for sharing this; it was a nice little nostalgia trip.
Side note: I like that whoever designed that background artwork gave them 4 ito-maki.
Whoa! Fortunately, we have the totally badass new Shamisen Composer to make the notation with! Dude! http://shamisen.karlhedlund.se
Hi. I also like that song
I found two versions of this song. There is the original version, and the “apple” mix.
Apple mix:
http://tinyurl.com/c9pegq9
Not sure what song that is laid over it. Anybody know?
Adrian, haha yeah the four Ito maki! Technically makes it a Shimisen as opposed to Shamisen (Shi being four). Our good friend and Bachido team member is the world’s first inventor of Shimisen
(yup. They do exsist) presenting Jack Matsumoto, one the most innovative minds in Tsugaru shamisen today. I have been a huge fan of Jack for the past four years or so. Can’t believe we will all be hanging out with him in a few weeks.
:-O!!! Oh my god!!! I had no idea that was finally designed! Those were two shamisen designs (four string and fretted) we were gonna produce after the “Affordable Shamisen Project” is complete, but I guess he beat us to it! Is he selling them?
Oh man, I want one SO BAD!!!
Is Jack using metal ito with it?
Kyle,
You could say he beat us to it or you could say He now has something to contribute (not that he didn’t have before but you know…) I mean who’s team is Jack playing for? That’s right ladies and gentlemen , TEAM BACHIDO! So wouldn’t it seem logical to consider that he just saved y’all a heaping ton of time by taking matters into his own hands?
We have an Amazing opportunity here to unite the most innovative minds of today. I can see the future of Bachido already. Chord theory lessons from Reigen Fujii, new instrument designs from people like Jack, More from Kmetz.
Now we just need to get Mike Penny to contribute some more footage!
Ah, I should adjust what I meant. Indeed, it’s super awemazing that he’s designed it. I’ve just written Nitta san about it to discuss potential bid’ness plans with him.
Personally, I’ve been toying with the idea of eventually making a four string or fretted shamisen for many years, so the competitive part of me felt beaten to the punch, as it were. 
But hey, I totally agree! Luke came over to discuss the new Sign-Up-for-Skype-Lessons page, and were discussing how we can eventually open it up to any who wants to teach. Wheels are in motion!
I’m toying with the idea of asking Reigen to come up later this year. I’ll offer to pay for his Shinkansen tickets, pay for his meals and offer him a place to crash. What I want to ask him to do specifically is film an official video chord lesson for Bachido. Then I’ll send you the raw footage and you can work your editing magic. I’ll need a better camera though before that happens so…maybe later in the year.
Cool.
Fourth string? I approve.
Frets? No.
Part of the good sound of the shamisen and Japanese traditional music in general is all of the slides, which will be cut up into noticable frequency steps now.
But of course, I don’t speak for everyone!
I have to agree with Karl. Going up and down the neck is one of the things that defines shamisen in my world 
Though that video was full of epic 
Please make 4 - String Fretless (like traditional Shamisen)
I would buy!
why not and cool although as for me and I think that topic came up already a while ago about ideas for shamisen variations in general I might find anything cool but I so absolutely want to stick to and enjoy 3 strings and no frets as for what I want to play probably cause 3 are already difficult enough for me to handle . . .
using a phoenix down on the old topic: anyone ever succeed in finding tabs/sheet music for the song?
Apologies, I haven’t been working on it. When I’ve not been working on the shamisen, I have been playing around with this song
That four-string sounds amazing! Aieeee, I haven’t got my paws on a 3-string yet.
Does the shimisen have an extra bass string?