I was wondering if maybe you have a technique for learning timing. I tend to go out of sync as I read the tablature and it makes the piece sound block y. Knowing the rhythm would be helpful as the tablature doesn’t really descibe it.
Memory is also a problem. I am not familiar with these Japanese songs so the melody just doesn’t seem to want to “stick”.(I must admit many of these songs tend to sound the same. Playing freely without reading any music seems to flow better for me. Maybe its just me that I have a problem following written music. Any advice would help as I would really like to play one of these songs completely through without difficulty.
You’ve pointed out one of the big problems with tabs. Instead of being explicit with the rhythm like standard notation (y’know, blobs and stems), they rely almost entirely on physical spacing, which can be vague and hard to understand if you’re not familiar with the song.
I would suggest when first learning a song, try to find an audio and/or video example to get yourself familiar with the basic structure and rhythm. Whenever possible, use tabs as your backup resource, not your main one. They’re there to help you figure out certain details when the audio/video is too difficult to follow, or when you just need to brush up on a piece you’re already familiar with.
If you need any help finding stuff, feel free to post about it on the forums. Sometimes you can run into problems where it’s very difficult to find examples because you’re searching in English, in which case it usually helps to switch into Japanese. Maybe you already speak Japanese, but if not, there are lots of people here who could help you with those searches.
Would be great if people who have audio files of popular songs could share here or on dropbox. I have some files and I know how much it helped me.
Yeah I mean if you mean learning a song you never heard before only from some tab you happen to have i find that quite impossible too be it guitar or shamisen tabs … Some song i heard and would like to play and then having the tabs for it is great and also for me the only way that makes sense … Sakura is perfect for a first tune to learn how to play completely and a famous one too … I found it convenient to pay for the bachido lesson just to see the tab also and be absolutely sure and Ringo Bushi is definitely worth the lesson as it’s like an advanced version of playing around with a sequence of notes also prominent in sakura so similar in a good way as i like this tune i almost have the whole piece down and i felt the same way exactely about wanting to know at least something anything completely and as for me i am enjoying a lot that to be sakura and ringo bushi for starters …
Also and with kevin neglecting to have included tabs i took the effort and think i figured out the infamous ponponpon ballad version by ear and its a matter of technical playing practice hitting the right spots fast enough now …
After a new koma cause i have undesired koma notch buzzing on the existing one I hope it makes sense for me to post a medley clip of some efforts soon … 
I stay away from even trying to approach the taxi tune as i wanna play it right with details or not at all and im too untalented to catch it by ear at this time …
Happy Easter!
The only way i’m learning is by having the tab and listening/watching and learning that way, i can’t read music at all (i tried for 20 years) and i’m finally begining to do something i’ve always wanted to with Tab
I think musically i’m the kind of person who needs a physical teacher and to be in the same room to improvve
I got this video while I was visiting my relatives in Sapporo.My cousin Tanaka Mitsuya set me up with Hiroshi Nitta for my first lesson with my new shamisen. I tried to play along with him and found that his shamisen is tuned C# G# C#.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=451977968264215&set=vb.100003560472119&type=2&theater
Here is jyongara bushi #2 and #3
This is me playing Sakura when I first got the instrument.