So, I am both inexperienced, and out of practice, but I have a question.
All my playing experience has been in Jiuta Sangen thus far, however I am very much interested in starting tsugaru. I have the book that good sir Kyle made for the world, should I just start from square one? I feel like many of the techniques are similar, however with my undersized Nagauta sangen and somewhat reserved Jiuta style, I’m not anywhere near having the same dynamic flavor to anything I manage to play.
Where should I start, with what piece, and with what techniques?
Thanks for reading this, I figure the answer is probably just to go watch the videos, but I really just have the Jiuta mind set and I really want to get a separate Tsugaru thing going in my head.
Sorry if any of this didn’t make sense, I’m tired at the moment.
Hey Anthony!
Great question. Would be worth making a video response for. Unfortunately, I’m in the middle of installing Windows 8, so can’t film now.
If we’re talking tsugaru aesthetic, I think learning a new style/technique requires the person to already feel very comfortable with the melody they are playing.
A. If you want to start with a tsugaru piece, practice it with your jiuta style first so you can concentrate on internalizing the melody. Kuroishi Yosare would be a simple one to start with. Ringo Bushi is also nice (though no crash course… yet!)
B. If you want to start getting the feel for the technique, use a jiuta song you know very well. The first start is primarily playing in ushirobachi position, and striking with enough power to get a clean snap. Use this time to also get used to swinging the wrist more fluidly. (Note: not swinging wildly, but so that the bachi is swung down, not ‘placed’ down) You may start to hear the familiar tsugaru snap emerging. 
I think those would be two ways to get started on the tsugaru aesthetic. Anyone else have ideas on how to start?
Hi Anthony,
I played Nagauta for two years before switching to min’you and Tsugaru, so I know what you mean about having trouble adapting. Two big changes you need to make are the type of bachi you use, and how you hold the shamisen (up against the ribcage, with the neck at a steeper angle). Kyle’s book should tell you more about both of these points. You don’t necessarily need a Tsugaru bachi right away, but you’ll at least need something the size of a nagauta bachi - the jiuta bachi is just too big. These two things alone will change the way you feel when you play, and get you out of jiuta mode.
My other suggestion is that you learn some min’you pieces, many of which have a clear, strong beat, which gets you started playing in a rhythmic way that the classic genres don’t.
Sorry to pull this up from the depths, but I should hold the neck steeper? My Jiuta instructor already told me to hold the tenjin at head level, should it go higher?
Hey Anthony, Tsugaru is at head level as well. At least, head level is the ideal starting point. If you find holding it higher or lower is a little easier, then you can adjust to your taste.