I was wondering if singing modern pop songs could work playing the shamisen.
How hard is it to learn and strum basic chords? ( C, G, Am, D)
Should the bachi be used or fingers?
Let me answer your question with a video from your teacher, Mike Penny - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHHjny6u8fQ
So in summary, If he can sing modern (well, 80s style… 
) pop songs with shamisen, then nothing can stop you from doing it too!
Personally, I’ve tried singing songs like Akita Nikata Bushi while playing, and it’s like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time. Very difficult, but that was playing the shamisen melody while singing the vocal melody (which are different). Strumming chords would be much easier.
Chords are easy to learn for shamisen. (after all, only three strings! ) I’ve yet to learn chords myself, but soon I should learn them and create a Shamisen chords page for Bachido. Any other players out there have learned chords for shamisen?
Bachi or fingers work, whatever sounds good to you. Grant wrote a piece, which includes some fingerpicking on shamisen.
Go for it! 
Kyle
having a chord chart would be soooooo good. Please make one ^-^
Hey guys,
I’ve made about four sheets worth of scale diagrams for the shamisen (8 scales per page). I’ve also learned some major and minor chords and could put together a sheet of basic chords in the next couple days. Learning chords is really easy, and you can play a lot of stuff with them. (I just learned “Tears Don’t Fall” by Bullet for my Valentine, minus the guitar solo. )
Kyle, I can send one of the charts to you in an email. If you like it, I can send you the rest and you’re definitely welcome to put them up on the site if you think they’d be useful.
Hey Denver!
Oh snap! You are just on it!! That would be very awesome! I would really appreciate that. We’ll make a nice page to present all of your shamisen chords. 
I like Tears Don’t Fall. Youtube it!
On a side note, my brother and I are planning on starting a “plugged-in” band, featuring shamisen of course. 
(definitely will need to get it amplified) I was wanting it to be an Atreyu cover band, but Luke (my brother) is more partial to classic rock, so I have to pull away from the screamo side. It may end up being a Kiss cover band.
Many thanks, Denver!
Kyle
Btw, I see on your profile that you were homeschooled. My brother and I were homeschooled too. Having that freedom to pursue interests at that age played a huge role in the eventual creation of Bachido. I’m sure the same has been true in your endeavors.
Hey Kyle,
I sent you the first chart a few minutes ago, so you should have it. I can send you the remaining charts, but I’ll have to send them one-by-one, they’re too big to fit in one or two emails. Hope that’s ok!
Yeah, I’ve been wanting to do Youtube vids for some time now. I just never sit down and do them. lol I definitely need to put a few up before the end of the summer. A Kiss cover band would be cool, but the bassist is going to need an axe-shaped bass
Homeschooling has been a huge blessing for sure! I honestly don’t know if I’d be playing guitar or shamisen if I hadn’t been homeschooled, because I don’t know if I would’ve had the time. Not gonna lie, I’ve spent quite a few school days just playing guitar. “Music Theory” lol. My parents really just let us pursue our own interests and gave us the freedom to try a bunch of stuff out. I wouldn’t have been able to learn Japanese either if I hadn’t been homeschooled, because they don’t offer it in schools here. So yeah, homeschooling has definitely been a great fit for me!
Denver
May I see one of the charts?
Whew, well it turned out making a page 'n stuff is a lot more effort than I first thought it’d be. Thus, I uploaded all of Denver’s charts here - http://bachido.com/community/forum/topics/12
Check 'em out!
Personally, I’ve tried singing songs […] while playing, and it’s like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time. Very difficult
Kyle, I’m so glad you wrote that - from what I’ve known of you up till now, I thought there was nothing you couldn’t do!! [lol]
but that was playing the shamisen melody while singing the vocal melody (which are different).
And there you have a nice, simple description of jiuta shamisen. Hey, maybe you can move on to jiuta next… You could eventually take over the entire shamisen world!!! [g]
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Kyle, I’m so glad you wrote that - from what I’ve known of you up till now, I thought there was nothing you couldn’t do!! [lol]
Well, keep in mind, I didn’t say that I couldn’t do it. I just said it was difficult.
And there you have a nice, simple description of jiuta shamisen.
True, but it also applies to tsugaru pieces. Fortunately, they tend to be closer to the melody than jiuta, but still…
Hey, maybe you can move on to jiuta next… You could eventually take over the entire shamisen world!!!
At some point, perhaps. However, just looking at the way history moves, I don’t see classical shamisen styles regaining popularity the same way tsugaru shamisen has in the next 100 years. Because the founders of tsugaru style were able to listen to american jazz/blues players on the radio, it did influence the foundation of the style making it multi-cultural, and most likely why it appeals to people now. Nagauta and jiuta pieces are a capture of Japan in it’s isolated period, which makes it an excellent preservation of Japan’s history. But it terms of future generations wanting to learn it, like with all very traditional musics, I see it somewhat fading into obscurity as all the world cultures get homogenized. The thing that keeps tsugaru alive is because of it’s current integration with musical styles of other cultures. No?
That’s why tsugaru is my focus, because it has the most potential (of the shamisen styles) to being a mainstream instrument in the connected future. It’s cool too.
I actually don’t want the Tsugaru shamisen to be a mainstream instrument. I’m fine with others being aware of the shamisen, but to me, once it gets too popular, it’ll loose that special unique feeling to it.
And its fun to get that reaction from others “wow what is that strange, cool instrument???”
Oh, I doubt it will ever get as popular as the guitar, but I want it to be as accessible to learn as a guitar. Or in other words, because you are lucky enough to live close to Mike, you’re easily able to access/learn shamisen. My dream is that everyone with the desire to learn is able to learn with as much ease as you or I did.
Believe me, you’ll still be getting people coming up and saying, “Haha! Are you playing that instrument with a putty knife?” for a looong time.
haha yeah that’s true… I totally forgot how many people play the shamisen in the U.s… Well I’m glad you wrote a book to give access to those who want to learn. Very Generous!
^-^
I don’t see classical shamisen styles regaining popularity the same way tsugaru shamisen has in the next 100 years. […]
Spoken like a true non-jiuta player! [grin]. Hey, Tsugaru style has been supposedly dead in the water a few times already and risen from the deep, so who knows what the classical styles may do? They’ve held their own for hundreds of years already and are still going strong, even tho’ people said they’d die out once Japan opened musically to the West… Also, I think perhaps Tsugaru’s popularity has been helped by its expansion into the global music scene; the jiuta and nagauta “scene” still tends to be concentrated inside Japan, so that may be why you and others predict their demise, but that’s just my two-yen’s guess, don’t quote me on that.
Nagauta and jiuta pieces are a capture of Japan in it’s isolated period, which makes it an excellent preservation of Japan’s history.
Well, jiuta doesn’t need to “regain” popularity, because its popularity has been comparatively steadier than Tsugaru’s over time. It never “lost” that much of it of its popularity although, granted, it also has never gotten as popular as Tsugaru style so far. Tsugaru shamisen, by comparison, has had big up-and-down popularity swings/“booms” over the years, as you know, hence the “re-gaining”…
As for nagauta and jiuta capturing “Japan in its isolated period”, that would certainly be valid if one is talking solely about the classical repertoire for either style. However, I don’t think one can classify all the current body of work that has been and is being written, especially for jiuta, as “period” stuff.
in terms of future generations wanting to learn it […] I see it somewhat fading into obscurity […]. The thing that keeps tsugaru alive is because of it’s current integration with musical styles of other cultures.
Well, while jiuta (and nagauta, fyi) may not be integrating with the music of other cultures (although I have seen a bit of cross-cultural jiuta stuff), it certainly is integrating, and has been for years, with other musical styles. There is also a serious body of contemporary and even avant-garde music being composed for it these days - solo/duo/trio, etc. as well as for shamisen + other Japanese or non-Japanese instruments. And fyi, there has also been a thriving, if somewhat unknown, nagauta coterie in the United States for decades. So I think “obscurity” may not be happening all that soon!
That’s why tsugaru is my focus, because it has the most potential (of the shamisen styles) to being a mainstream instrument in the connected future. It’s cool too.
Aw, c’mon, you just like whackin’ the @#&%@ out of it - tell the truth! [lol] But being serious again, for me, I like both styles, and I find I get slightly different sensations and satisfactions out of playing each of them - it’s kind of interesting, actually.
Anyhoo, thought I’d I leave you with some non-traditional jiuta performances for your watching enjoyment (and they don’t have vocals, either(!)):
(P.S. - Kyle, in case you’re wondering why my posts have multiple edits in them, it’s 'cause I haven’t quite got the hang of your dang forum formatting yet! 
)
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Also, I think perhaps Tsugaru’s popularity has been helped by its expansion into the global music scene; the jiuta and nagauta “scene” still tends to be concentrated inside Japan, so that may be why you and others predict their demise,
Well fortunately, no music will ever have a complete demise, as the internet will be there to archive it. And I’m sure there will always be a group who will preform it. But the reason why I think these classical styles will recede is for this reason.
- The people who most appreciate a culture’s classical music is the people in that culture. (others outside of the culture do appreciate it too, of course) It’s reported that 80% of the Japanese population will die out in the next 100 years. That combined with the fact that very few young Japanese have an interest in it (that’s why they had started the high school requirement that all kids learn a hougaku instrument) really doesn’t bode well. Most Japanese kids I saw weren’t listening to Kurokami. They listen to Ayumi Hamasaki. (I don’t blame them. She’s hot! :-P)
It seems now we’re talking about shamisen styles. Just to clarify, my main hope is the best way to promote the actual shamisen, the instrument. I have no idea what will happen to the actual tsugaru style. I know that shamisen hasn’t stopped evolving, and it doesn’t end with tsugaru. Future styles of shamisen will be created. (as with all music) My point is what is the best way to spread the shamisen, the instrument, across the world. So far, it’s shown that tsugaru is doing that, and it’s use in modern music. If jiuta does the same, that’s great too. As long as the shamisen spreads, I’m a happy ducky.
but that’s just my two-yen’s guess, don’t quote me on that.
Oh, I will. 
Aw, c’mon, you just like whackin’ the @#&%@ out of it - tell the truth!
Another appeal of tsugaru shamisen. Stress-reducer! But true, it’s a highlight.
Anyhoo, thought I’d I leave you with some non-traditional jiuta performances for your watching enjoyment (and they don’t have vocals, either(!)):
Aw… I like jiuta vocals.
And I’ll counter with a video of Weird Al played Alternative Polka! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfPi1LBCJPE
(P.S. - Kyle, in case you’re wondering why my posts have multiple edits in them, it’s 'cause I haven’t quite got the hang of your dang forum formatting yet!
Ah yes. That was on purpose. I specifically told Luke to design it that way just to see you struggle.
By the way, folks, we’ve known each other since I got into Tsugaru shamisen, so we have a bit of a rapport.
Cheers for putting those four videos up Linda, I really liked 赤い月、I think it proves your point pretty well!