Heeeeey everyone,
I was wondering where I could buy a shinobi goma, one that’s wide enough to mute my horrid playing and spare my roommates in college!
I’ll tell you the same thing that the brothers and the shamisen shop told me:
Don’t go with a shinobi goma.
Aside from the fact that they aren’t worth the price you will pay for them, other problems can arise.
One of the most common being the tendency for the back of the bachi to come into contact with it, leading to broken bachi, broken koma, and even broken skin.
I have had people at shops question why they were even made.
The most common suggestion that I get (and it works quite well) is to simply use an eraser!
I have an eraser that is about the width of a pen and about an inch and a half long that I use when I want to play quietly.
It is cheap quiet and easy to replace~
So what is the shinobi goma?
a nearly silent bridge, ive heard quite a few bad things about them but as everyone is saying its much cheaper anyway to improvise a bridge ^.^ eraser … pencil… etc like theyre saying would all work 
So why isn’t it called a shinobi koma? I’ve got one of those plastic ones and I do not see what the problem is.
It’s basically a piece of plastic that connects to the sides of the dou so that the sound is transferred to the wood instead of the open air below the skin.
It is great for practicing without disturbing your neighbours. I haven’t hit it with my bachi. But I feel that since it’s called “goma” and norm talks about that a shinobi goma can break your koma, it should be something else 
I can’t see how that plastic piece can be more stressful to the skin at all. In fact it should be the opposite.
Useful bits of info <3 thank you
its called a shinobi “Goma” because it makes it easier to say when speaking Japanese.
The same way shamisen is shamsen but when you add “Tsugaru” in front of it, it becomes “Tsugaru Jamisen”
its still a koma.
And IT is what can get broken (along with the skin or bachi)
If it splints and breaks, it can easily rip into the skin.
It is for this reason that it is dangerous.
@Kyle
One of the most common being the tendency for the back of the bachi to come into contact with it, leading to broken bachi, broken koma, and even broken skin.
[what I was saying here is that the bachi can break your koma (by which I meant the shinobigoma]
A shinobi goma (koma) is basically a very wide koma
and when you play, providing you are holding and using the bachi correctly, it is not uncommon for the back of the bachi to hit it.
the day I bought my shamisen I was advised not to use one as the width prevents you from learning how to use the bachi correctly, and builds bad habits into your playing skills. In addition to all of this, there are the dangers to the bachi, koma (shinobigoma) and skin (if it or the bachi were to break)
This was all later confirmed to me by several other players (including the brothers)
Anyway, my apologies for the confusion
I had thought I had made things clear in my first post, but in my rush I obviously failed to communicate a few details (-_-)
Sorry~
But I hope this helps clear it all up!
Cheers~
It clears things up, but makes me worried
I was just recently feeling the good stuff with this koma because I could go all out and not ruin my neighbours’ day.
Hi Anthony, you can buy the plastic kind in the Bachido store, or any other shamisen shop.
I’ve heard the same things about the plastic shinobi goma, Norm. However, there are shinobi goma made out of kouki and ivory that are a lot more expensive, but are much stronger, and I’ve never heard of them breaking. They have kind of gotten harder and harder to find, but most stores will be able to get them if you ask.
I use a kouki shinobi goma more than anything else and have never run into any problems with it. I’m actually more nervous to use an eraser with nagauta skin because of the amount of direct pressure that it applies to the one area, but I’m probably just being paranoid…
A shinobi goma is a fairly common investment for people who live in an apartment or a dorm, but most of the people who break them and puncture their dou don’t understand that shinobi goma are unable to take the same amount of playing force or string tension as a regular koma, and this leads to disaster. yikes
As Norm pointed out, when using a shinobi goma, we have to make certain accommodations with bachi, and I can see how this can be a huge issue when trying to do mae/ushiro passages…
Dont worry too much Karl, just use a lower tuning/string tension when you use shinobi goma, and everything should be fine.
PS: Another alternative to shinobi goma is placing a regular koma very close to the neo. It wont make as large of a difference as a shinobi goma, but will decrease volume quite a bit.
Personally, I’ve yet to use a shinobi koma (goma), so I don’t rightly know how much it sucks or not. In Masahiro’s opinion, they’re great to have for moments when needed, but is not meant to be used for regular practice. Being that the main sound is muted, one wouldn’t normally use it to play at full force anyway, because it’s not meant to be used for generating much sound.
Masahiro thought rather highly of it. His standards are quite high, so I don’t think he’d lightly give high opinion. But anywho, hopefully I’ll get a chance to use it for the first time in Sapporo, so I’ll make sure I go in with a neutral opinion.
I’m actually more nervous to use an eraser with nagauta skin because of the amount of direct pressure that it applies to the one area, but I’m probably just being paranoid…
I had thought that for a second myself, Joseph. But in actually, an eraser would put no more force than a normal 6mm wide koma. If anything, it would spread out the force at least twice as much, depending on the width of the eraser.
I don’t think I am striking particularly hard. You guys have talked about it in other threads that there is that point where you meet someone who shows you how hard to strike and that you are too sensitive until then.
What I want to point out is that if you want to get the snap and be as quiet as you can about it the shinobi koma is a good solution. I couldn’t get past any parts above the 10th position before the shinobi koma because I held back when practicing since it sounded crap. With the silent bridge I could get into the groove and learn the rhythm without my neighbours noticing.
I actually tried playing quietly last evening at 10 PM with the regular koma. It was kind of pointless I made it into intonation practice session instead because you don’t need much sound for that.
Im glad this thread got started
It seems like each person really has their own take on the shinobi goma~
It seems like one of those things that in the end you really just have to try for yourself and find out if it suits your needs.
I think as long as you are aware of whatever restrictions it may put on your playing style, it could come in quite handy.
Perhaps it’s time for me to even pick one up for the sake of trying it myself!
A few years ago Kevin and I were in Kanagi for a tournament. One if the vendors was selling a device that muted the shamisen. It was actually a dou shaped piece of rubber I believe. It fit right over the skin and made it completely quiet.
Anyway, it was something like that.
I don’t think I am striking particularly hard. You guys have talked about it in other threads that there is that point where you meet someone who shows you how hard to strike and that you are too sensitive until then.
Ah. That was just my personal experience, I think. Most people are too sensitive, but one shouldn’t overcompensate until someone tells you how to do it, as you may be putting undue stress on the skin.
You actually said it very well in the following line “get the snap and be as quiet as you can about it.” Strike with only as much force needed get a clean snapping sound. Any extra force only serves to damage the skin, bachi and your wrist. If every stroke has an intentional clean snap, you are striking it with perfect force. You may even want to use less force to verify. (Still maintaining a snap when force is lowered shows that too much power was used)
On a completely unrelated note, I just sneezed… or did I?
Interesting quote
I was once told that I should hold the bachi with the same force I should hold a golf club
“Imagine as if you were holding a sparrow. You dont want to kill it”
I always try and keep that in mind
Its a good way to make sure that you are hitting with enough snap but not driving the bachi through the skin~
Interesting quote
I was once told that I should hold the bachi with the same force I should hold a golf club
“Imagine as if you were holding a sparrow. You dont want to kill it”
Haha. Am I wicked, or did I just see the reality in that quote.
Imagine as if you were holding a sparrow. You don’t want to kill it, just torture it by almost doing so.
lol Karl. 
Actually, with the amount of force needed to hold onto the bachi/sparrow, the sparrow would probable feel safe to sleep. I was told to hold the bachi with as little force necessary to keep it in your hand. Almost to where it falls out (but doesn’t). That’s given me a clear tone.
lol Karl.
Oh I misunderstood. I thought we were talking about the force needed when striking the string. That’s why I found the sparrow reference a bit weird and funny
Holding the bachi for me these days is just as you say.
Oh I misunderstood. I thought we were talking about the force needed when striking the string. That’s why I found the sparrow reference a bit weird and funny
Hahaha!!! I see what you mean. Smacking it’s head only hard enough to make a clear snap against the skin wouldn’t be pleasant.
oh god no… lol that is definitely not what was meant by that.
When I said “holding” i meant holding, lol not striking (>_