Learning Yuri technique

Playing/Techniques
#1

I’ve been learning shamisen a while now, but never tried out “Yuri” ( = vibrato). When i started shamisen it seemed to be an advanced technique - well, reading a tab note to note was hard enough for me so didn’t want to do anything extra :frowning: But I know using Yuri technique will definately make your play sound more “official”. Now I’m feeling the later i leave it the harder it gets…So, it’s time to learn I guess.

Tabs basically won’t tell when you excute Yuri, so I imagine you add it whenever you feel like? But adding Yuri on every note looks really tiring? Any efficient ways?

Any suggestions, sneaky tips to start learning Yuri, all welcome :slight_smile:

Thank you :slight_smile:

#2

You’re right on with the fact that the vibrato does add a certain flavor of “pro’ness” (as I like to call it), it is something normally used sparingly in very traditional Tsugaru playing. One of the key audible diffefences between Tsugaru and the other Shamisen styles, other than its significant increase in volume, is that its much more crisp, clean, and fast. The older styles, often associated with Geisha, like Nagauta for example, will use vibrato constantly.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t play with vibrato or tremelo, but that it is relatively rare in the more contemporary Tsugaru style.

Traditionally it is understood (especially from a competitive tournament standpoint), that the less vibrato you use, the more accurate your intonation and pitch must be in order to produce a good sound. However, there is still a time and place for vibrato in tournament playing as well. The theory behind it is kind of advanced to type out.
If you’d like to know more, id be glad to try and explain, or maybe even post a clip up.

Again though, it is totally cool to play with as much as you want, and i totally encourage you exploring your own techniques outside of the traditional norm. Some of my favorite recordings I’ve done with Kevin are completely off the wall and take from some crazy techniques i came up with when i first started playing.

#3

Hi Grant,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

I see, like you say using yuri technique is not so common on fast tsugaru pieces ( such as jongara ). I’m trying to learn many Minyo songs now, that’s how i came up with this question maybe.

Yes, if you could explain more about yuri that will be interesting!

Thank you :slight_smile:

#4

Hmm… I believe yuri is still used even on fast Jonkara. There might be a miscommunication of how much vibrato we are talking about.

Take a look at this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=EP0l52jMSD4#t=120s

As Asano Sho strikes the ichi-no-ito, he’s putting in light vibrato by pressing the string about 1cm BELOW the intended position, and then sliding it up to said position. (This is all done in the period of 1/4 second) Because it’s a light amount of yuri, the accuracy is still evident.

I would say most all professional players do this on the ichi-no-ito, as that little bit of yuri adds more “life” to the sound than just holding the string and thwacking away on it.

Vibrato and slides are all fine. All the shamisen “legends” (like Chikuzan or Gunpachiro) sounded different from each other, because they went for what appealed to them. In the same spirit, there’s nothing wrong with putting in more vibrato if you like the sound of it. The critical part is intention. It’s fine to get wild and slide all over the sao, as long as you show you are doing it with control and intent. In taikai, wide vibrato (from position 6~9, for example) is done to show “controlled frenzy.” When executed cleanly and with intent, it yields big points. Without control, it loses points.

In summary: Like anything in life, what you actually do is not really important. It’s the attention, control and intent that matters.

1 Like
#5

Kyle just explained it perfectly, hehe.

#6

The vibrato i was talking about was only slight ones ( not like big “suri”), so i guess what Kyle’s saying makes sense to me.

OK, I need to watch the professional players do A LOT and see how I can learn from it!

Thanks for your tips anyway :slight_smile:

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