Hi all, apologies in advance for the vagueness! I’m two weeks into playing the Shamisen and am now unsure of the issue, but when I strike, it doesn’t sound ‘quite right’ when I compare it to other sources, either from lessons, courses or even Youtube. Tuning and comparing by ear and an e-tuner, it sounds relatively close but not exactly. I am using the Beginner shamisen with the strings from the set, the Kouki Koma #2 and a wooden Bachi (which is has taken unfortunate damage to one of the sides when it took a trip down the stairs).
I’ve looked into the forums and attempted to change the position of the Koma, restrung all of the strings, as well as looking into the Proper Form lesson to try and troubleshoot what it could be.
Here is a video link playing in 0, 3 and then 4 first striking with pluck, and then ‘in’ to the skin.
Any help or advice will be appreciated! 
(Hmm - YouTube)
I am very much a beginner so keep that in mind. To my ear it sounds like everything is in tune but the notes sound dampened. I’m not hearing much resonation. By any chance are you resting your hand or arm on the skin’s surface? I couldn’t tell from the video. Other than that I don’t hear a buzz but if I remember correctly the beginner’s shamisen does not have an azuma sawari. Maybe @Kyle_Abbott or @Brown could give you better feedback.
Hi Ashley! (Thanks for the tag, @Brian!)
Very interesting. As Brian said, the tuning sounds fine to me, and your pitch is quite accurate. Most people do incorporate a little bit of vibrato (which affects the pitch, overall “rounds” it a bit) when they press the string, so that might be a reason it sounds different?
Also as Brian noted, the strings do sound a bit dampened. The could be fixed by pressing a little harder on the string, and contacting the string with your fingernail on the san no ito (that’s quite important for getting a clear tone). By keeping the finger pressed down (doesn’t have to be hard, but firm enough that the sound gets clearer) and (eventually) incorporating vibrato, that will boost the sustain greatly. 
Vibrato is something that takes time to feel comfortable with. In general, it sounds good to me!
Ah so, thank you both so much for the quick replies @Kyle_Abbott @Brian I will have a go 
Merry Christmas by the way! 
Capital goodness!
Merry Christmas to you all too!
I’m going to echo our poobah and add a little bit. In lieu of just repeating the big A, take a look at this video.
As a note on vibrato: when you use it, you don’t want your left hand to interrupt the resonance you’re building while striking. Extending the distance that you wiggle about too far can lead to the sound getting muddied.
@Brown Thank you for the extra guidance!, sorry for getting back to you this late but I actually missed the notification 
It’s given me a bit more to think and work with, but I can actually feel and hear the difference
Thank you, Brown, for the very useful tips! And I really appreciate the details. You are such a good teacher 