Question everyone. I JUST started working on the crash course and I’m playing on a Nagauta shamisen. It sounds VERY different from the way the song sounds on the lesson. Is there supposed to be a significant difference in sound between nagauta and tsugaru shamisen? Thanks in advance.
Tsugaru is the papa bear of shamisen. It’s much louder and more aggressive sounding than all the rest. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn what the crash course provides.
Viel Glück!
Welcome to Bachido, Josh!
While Mr. Pants is right, I must admit that the shamisen used in the Crash Course is homemade and the skin was quite loose. Thus, it sounds a bit different from a standard tsugaru shamisen anyway. 
In any case, still just fine to learn from! 
Viel glück!
I guess that would explain why mine sounds a lot higher then. I kept thinking I’d tuned it wrong or something which is entirely possible since I’ve been playing for a whole three days. Where sound is concerned, yes I noticed the Nagauta isn’t quite as loud and annoying as I hoped it would be. Nobody’s complained about the overly loud twanging…yet.
Thanks for the help! Oh and btw, I appreciate the sentiment but I’m not German. I’m just a US soldier stationed in Germany.
I started guitar playing when i was in the army one could say a far fetched prelude i guess to getting into shamisen . . .
Tsugaru is supposed to have a lower sound. It is made for speed Nagauta is higher pitched and is made for theatrical playing, such as Kabuki Theater.