Let's talk about string breaking!

Building/Repair
#21

Liam: If I may ask, are you still using silk san no ito? :wink: And if so, why? Do you prefer the sound of them over nylon san no ito?

For a short time, I tried using silk san no ito (before I got into tsugaru style), but they were always so quick to break, even if I loosened the string, so I just switched back to nylon.

I’ve heard that’s why nagauta/jiuta songs use the ni no ito as much as possible (e.g, playing a ‘7’ on the ni no ito rather than a ‘3’ on the san no ito) to prevent wear to the san no ito as much as possible. (I could be wrong though)

#22

I’ve settled into a pretty steady rhythm of breaking strings. I average about a san-no-ito every 1-2 months, a ni-no-ito every two months, and a san-no-ito every 2-3 months.

Recently, though, I’ve been breaking san-no-ito more frequently. Usually I use 15-gauge nylon strings, but I ran out awhile ago and was only able to get a 13-gauge replacement pack. The thinner strings are definitely wearing down more quickly. My strings usually break right in the middle of the dou, where I hit 'em the hardest, I guess, but these new san-no-ito are getting nicked right on the koma itself. あかんわ、これ。

I’m gonna buy so much stringz when I’m in Japan this summer!

#23

Kyle: No no no, I used them when I started because I thought I had to use the right kind of strings for my shamisen rather than the style I was playing.
The tone is nice, but because the skin on my shamisen isn’t stretched properly it’s quite hard to tell if there is a big difference.

The jiuta/nagauta thing is very interesting, I guess that’s why the players hands are constantly racing up and down the neck, when it doesn’t sound like there is a huge change in pitch.

#24

DAMNIT (>_

#25

Yikes! Your on par with Grant’s record of breaking strings (and he uses nylon!) :stuck_out_tongue:

Come on, Norm. They invented tetoron for a reason. :wink: Join us in the world of plastics!

Plus, you will make the silk worms very happy. :slight_smile:

#26

Hello! I started tsugaru shamisen last Dec. And already broken five nylon ni no itos and one silk ichi no Ito. My costarters broke none and I guess it is because I like fast stroke when I practice.
Ito breaking is so frequent to me and now trying to save money.At the beginning I thought Ito was inexpensive but not. It turned out to be unlike guitar’s 。
・°°・(＞_＜)・°°・
What do you think?
Anyway, have a good evening (^o^)

#27

Hello! I started tsugaru shamisen last Dec. And already broken five nylon ni no itos and one silk ichi no Ito. My costarters broke none and I guess it is because I like fast stroke when I practice.
Ito breaking is so frequent to me and now trying to save money.At the beginning I thought Ito was inexpensive but not. It turned out to be unlike guitar’s 。
・°°・(＞_＜)・°°・
What do you think?
Anyway, have a good evening (^o^)

If they break around the koma, try changing the koma because sharp notches can do that to your string. The market isn’t big enough but it would be epic to have teflon lubricated komas with really smooth notches.

#28

I’ve broken my fair share of strings, let me tell you.
Karl is is definitely accurate in saying that the koma can severely effect the lifespan of your strings. Another point to look into is your bachi. If it’s cracked or has a really sharp edge, depending on how you play, you can break the strings faster.
Kyle and I both have tried modifying some of the koma that seemed to have been breaking my strings, but the only solution that ever seemed to yield decent results was actually just getting a new koma entirely.
There’s also a matter of awareness in checking your strings for notches, knicks, and fraying. So that before they actually have the chance to snap, you can stretch them out and use them longer.

#29

Thank you so much for your kind pieces of advice. My problem seems still uncertain but might be bachi sharpness. I would like to be more careful of a string itself and also check it when I break a string next time.
My coma feels smooth but I learned the important parts of my shamisen to look into.
Your advice is really helpful(^O^)
今後とも宜しくお願いします。

#30

きょうこさんって日本人ですか～？
Bachidoへようこそ～(^-^)

If you play hard, there is a much higher chance of your string breaking quickly, even if its nylon.

And as Grant mentioned, checking both your strings and bachi is very important.
Especially if you are using a bekkou bachi, it can develop tiny sharp edges without you noticing~

Best of luck to you~

#31

Thanks. I am really happy to get your heartfelt welcome to bachido!
I am a pure Japanese and guess my DNA is mainly from Johmon Jin. Which is not from the Asian continent but pacific islands like Hawaii!
Good luck on your strings! 皆さん、頑張ってね(^O^).

#32

Broke another 2 no ito today (>_

#33

Oh my Buddha! ( I am not a serious Buddist, though)

My teacher once said breaking Ito is a proof of your practicing Shamisen hard!

Cheers! 頑張って(^O^)／

#34

Are you sure your bachi isn’t chipped at all? Or your bridge isn’t rough? I break my fair share of strings, but in the past 7 years or so, I’ve only snapped about 5 ni no ito.

#35

Some shamien player uses fising lines as shamisen string. You can use them instead!

#36

Interesting. I wouldn’t think fishing line be worth the loss of tone, but perhaps they use it just for practicing? I’d suspect that fishing line for deep sea fishing is used for the ichi no ito, as it’s quite thick.

Have you heard a real shamisen with fishing line? How does it sound?

#37

I’m joining the club :slight_smile:

My first string broke and it was the san-no-ito. It happened when I wasn’t playing but had it resting in my hands. I’d say 7 months is pretty good, although I’m not as mean on my strings as the talented players.

One out of 20 purchased san-no-itos used :slight_smile: After using Kyle’s book I noticed how easy it was to tie it to the neo. One thing though, which may have been fixed in a later revision of the book. It says in the book that you might have to redo it a couple of times for the san-no-ito since the string is so slippery. I did it one time and I just noticed the string being pulled away. Then I looked at the part that I had just removed. When I bought my shamisen from Bachido the strings were attached to the neo already, so I never had to learn how to do it until now. What I saw was that at the end was a small knot. I figured this is all I need to add to stop the string from cancelling the loop.

It worked wonders. I’m sure most of you already know this but I’m just happy the process was easy. After 7 months, I could definately hear a change in clarity of the string even though it is the san-no-ito. I might consider changing the other two now just to get a better sound.

#38

7 months is not bad at all. :wink:

What I saw was that at the end was a small knot.

That’s interesting. I knew some players tie a knot on the itomaki side, but didn’t know about the neo. I just make a few loops and that does the trick. :slight_smile:

Personally, I’m a cheapskate and don’t like to change strings unless it’s right before a concert. An ichi no ito is about the cost of 2~3 espresso shots.

#39

I had my first shamisen string break the other week at my very first performance the other week. It was the ni no ito. I pretty much just died inside.

#40

I pretty much just died inside.

Welcome to humanity! :wink:

Were you still able to continue through the piece? Fortunately it wasn’t your san no ito or ichi no ito, right? :slight_smile: Did you change your ito before the show?

Razor Bachi Grant has to change his san no ito before Kita no Hibiki because it seems to always breaks partway through that piece if he doesn’t change it. Even then, it still may break (neither of us knows why).

© 2020 Kyle Abbott