Is hajiki easier with fingernails?

Playing/Techniques
#1

Hi everyone! Just bought my first shamisen a couple of weeks ago (after a couple years of plotting and scheming) and I’m having a bit of trouble getting sound to happen on a hajiki. Part of it is just finger flexibility (which I know will come with time and lots of practice), but it feels like I’m not really able to get enough of a hold on the string to pluck it. I was wondering if this might have something to do with the fact that I have no fingernails whatsoever, from a combination of years in food service and years spent gnawing them down to the quick. Would this make a difference?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

#2

Food service + gnawed off nails. Am I glad I didn’t eat at your place? :smiley:

Jokes aside, I’d say that yes it’s easier, but I don’t have any finger nails to speak of and I manage. You will get a slightly muddier sound. On the plus side you won’t destroy the wood.

#3

Are you supposed to use fingernails for hajiki? Is there a detailed picture somewhere that I missed?

#4

It’s like with with acoustic guitar. You get more treble if you use your nails. Essentially what you are doing with Hajiki is just re-striking the string, and then the nail will give a richer sound.

#5

The general practice that I was taught, was to grow your left index fingernail out and notch it (for the san-no-ito) so that you can get clearer intonation.
Also, to grow your left “ring finger” fingernail out, for hajiki, mostly on the higher notes. It does change the sound, but like Karl said, you will scoop up the wood slowly over time. However you should sand and polish the sao once and a while to maintain the instrument, so that isn’t so much a concern in the long run if you plan on doing it.
The other nails, I’ve always cut. In the end the most important one that will give you the most difference is the left index finger with a notch in it.
You can see it on most serious players.

© 2020 Kyle Abbott