New Weekly Shamisen Webinars at Bachido!

General
#1

To help support regular and inspired practice for Bachido members, I’m planning to start a weekly shamisen webinar series!

In the webinars, techniques will be taught, questions from members will be answered, and drills and challenges will be issued. Each weekly webinar will be about 15 minutes, just enough material to challenge and inspire you still accommodating your busy schedule.

If you’re learning shamisen and would like regular, fresh weekly instruction, stay very excited! I will be starting a short beta program next month, so public registration can probably begin in December.

Stay excited!

#2

I think you should already now start asking on the forums and on facebook about what people want to see so that you can prepare some material.

For example, one thing that I’ve recently got aware of is that I sometimes dampen a string when I play on another string. Some techniques will sound much better if you let the string resonate freely. This should be something that many beginners are not aware of. Perhaps a select few examples of techniques where this is extra important could be taught with a demonstration of a bad and a good version.

Also, this will be awesome.

#3

Wahooo, finally the long awaited webinars are comming!
Hope all is going well through ‘beta’-stage.
How is the sound now in comparison to the ‘old’ studio setup?
Personally I’d like to learn some songs on a weekly step-by-step basis.
In Kyles book many songs are covered with notation/tabs and the appropriate sound-files are found on the Bachido-website, BUT I woud like to SEE how to play them. The lessons on the Bachido-Website are a good reference: Measure-bye-measure approach beginning very slow (4-8 measures/week are enough)…
Then you could cover some startup excersises, finger-training patterns, asf.
I really look forward to them!

Cheers
Ale

#4

Ah, great idea, Karl!
To everyone who’s reading this an interested in participating, please post a question you’d like to ask in the webinar. One thing I need to find out is how many questions I can reasonably answer each week while dedicating enough time for each one.

Hi Ale! The sound is like night and day. The audio from the video I posted came directly from the camcorder. If I filmed that same video before remodeling, it would’ve sounded very echoey and I would’ve had to tweak the EQ a lot. So, just by that, I’m already super happy with it. :slight_smile:

Oh yes!! I think a webinar for learning songs would be a great addition too! Perhaps the technique instruction and song instruction could be combined. Or, if there’s so much content, two separate webinars might be a good idea. Anywho, I think that would be awesome!

#5

I’ve got an idea which obviously I think is great. In any case, if you wanna go with the song learning as part of the webinars you can always put together courses like the ones that exist today by using all the parts from the webinar.

I guess we’ll have to see what people want. Personally my main EXCITE is learning new techniques and executing them flawlessly. The idea of two different webinars sounds like a good plan if songs should be learned as that will be a lot of more workload for you than focusing on demonstrating techniques and answering questions.

#6

I can’t wait to start watching the Webinars!

Meanwhile, I’d like to mention that I’d love to hear about fingerings. How do you decide on which finger you use to play the notes? On a historical point of view, I guess it was different at the beginning from now since the players are no longer blind…

Also Kyle, if you choose to make only one webinar a week because you lack of time, here is another idea:

If you explain a technique, it would be great that you play and teach an extract of a song as an exemple. I always fing it easier to understand and faster to learn when it is shown in a real context. Mostly for members who have few opportunity to hear various pieces and players.

#7

Jacinthe! Excellent ideas! I too learn much better when a technique (or math problem, or anything) has context to it. I’ll make sure to do that. And In song webinars, I’ll make sure to give different fingering options! :slight_smile:

#8

This sounds like a Great thing Kyle!

#9

Kyle, about the fingerings, I’d like to know if there are rules for using some fingers over others or strings over others and also understand why it is this way.

Coming from a guitar background, I was used to select my fingers for specific reasons such as the sound of a string. Also, we would use some finger over others in order to ‘fit’ in a chord pattern.

Am I making it complicated for nothing?

#10

The main thing is to move up the index finger when going up the string every time you know you will be moving up even more along the string. This applies to any string instrument but becomes even more important due to the fact that we only have 3 strings with another tuning so we are forced to move up the string instead of playing several octaves from the same location. For the thin string it also makes it sound better with the nail.

I’ve also heard that the traditional players do not use their pinky but I find that this is only a result of the instrument. On a guitar you are forced into using it so much that it becomes one of your strongest fingers. I think that since it works with the ring finger on the shamisen there hasn’t been much motivation into using it. I usually use my pinky when playing 6-9. It definitely matches the spacing better.

My personal experience when it comes to choosing which string to play something on is that it always ends up in how you can get open strings and resonance while playing. If you can keep strings ringing while you play your riff on other strings you will get the epic full sound of the shamisen. Another reason to select a specific fingering is of course what you want to be able to play next.

#11

Great answer Karl! The info about the index is exactly the answer I was looking for.

Now, let’s go back to suggestions about the Webinars before we begin a conversation that should be in another subject of this forum.

#12

Jeez, thanks for stealing the topic of a webinar, Karl. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#13

:slight_smile: Well, now you can show examples of it in a webinar where people usually make mistakes. Hint: The hajiki parts on 16 and 19 and above where you are moving your index finger around.

#14

Oh, that’s true! :slight_smile:

The studio is insanely close to being done. I made a test video and it looks amazing. A giant whiteboard sheet is on the ground for the POV shots, and successfully tested out the Samson se50 headset mic for clear sound. Working out a few details with the equipment, but for the most part, it’s an exceptional improvement!

Luke has the Webinar addition to the site almost completed, so we’re really rolling right along!

If all goes well, I’ll film another test run for everyone to see. Hold your breath! (wow, “hold my breath” was being sung in my music as I typed)

#15

Sweet.

#16

Were you listening Adèle’s song from the James Bond movie?

#17

Because, in that case, we also need to count to 10 :wink:

#18

In the last picture… Is that chair wearing boxers?.. :smiley:

And a real question. Are the webinars going to cost something? - how much? And this all sounds so great!
It would be awesome if there was a bachido application for phones so if there are challenges and other neat stuff at the webinars it would be great to just take a pic or vid and instantly upload it to bachido! :slight_smile:

#19

Jacinthe, Actually, I was listening to A Single Moment of Sincerity by Asking Alexandria. :stuck_out_tongue:

Is that chair wearing boxers?…. :smiley:

Excellent question! :wink: Actually that’s a white shirt stretched over the seat. As you can see in the premium courses, I coordinated my light pastel wardrobe so the eye would focus only on the shamisen. Covering the brown seat with the white shirt is the same idea. :slight_smile:

The webinars will have a monthly fee, but it’s all going to be much cheaper than regular lessons. I figure there will be two webinar subscription types. One will be $9.95/month, and I’m still thinking about the other membership type (which will be chock full of features)

Oh! That’s a great idea! Well, if someone wants to make it… :slight_smile: I know we’ve all been crying out for a Bachido app for years!

© 2020 Kyle Abbott