Job Discussion Forums

Suwon23 · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 50

I'd really like to study a traditional instrument while I'm in Japan, like the shamisen. I don't mind the fact that it'll probably be horribly expensive, but how would I even find such lessons? I'll be in a tiny cabin in Mie-ken, many thousands of miles from the nearest human being (Matsuzaka). Does anybody know of some cultural learnings in Tsu, Matsuzaka, or anywhere in central Mie?

desu · Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 38

I wish you the best of luck finding something, I imagine I'll be in a similar situation, looking to find someone to teach me the shakuhachi once I'm over in August.

At least the good thing with music lessons is it doesn't require that much verbal language.

By the same token, I'm hoping I might be able to sell the idea of piano lessons and english lessons to potential private students if I can land a decent 2ndhand digital piano, as I am normally a piano teacher back at home.

Hey, if I'm posted in the same area and we both manage to get lessons, we can start a gaijin traditional group! Wink

BobbyBan · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 201

Shouldn't be too difficult if you ask around enough. It might not be too expensive for lessons but the instrument itself is likely to be very expensive.

You might find you'll be told by a very little very old lady who has very nonexistent English, however, and if you take lessons before or after another class you may have to put up with the goldfish-bowl experience as others watch the foreigner try something incomprehensible to non-Japanese.

Suwon23 · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 50

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

I once saw a Shamisen in a recycle shop in Nara for 8,000 yen. I regret not buying it to this day.

To see a modern slant on the instrument, search youtube for Rising by the Yoshida Brothers. Awesome stuff!

Suwon23 · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 50

$80 for a shamisen?!?! They run 1-2 thousand! It must've been plastic or something, there's no way. Still! Let me know if you see any more bargains like that!

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

So do expensive guitars. That doesn't mean you can't get a workable one for 5,000 yen in a recycle shop here.

I'm no expert but it was definitely a shamisen. I have no idea of the quality or the condition but it sounded okay when I had a look and a quick play. Found it in a bric a brac shop in the shopping arcade in Nara town proper, opposite way from the train station to Nara koen. It was about 4 years ago, but it might still be there! At the time I really fancied it but didn't want to have to carry it all the way back to Nagano. If I saw it now, though....

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

okay, here's a site I just found selling shamisen, cheapest one is $375, which isn't too bad. No idea of the quality.

www.kotosandmore.com

Suwon23 · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 50

The cheapest shamisen is $785. The one for $375 is actually a sanshin. You'll notice the resonator is made of snake skin, not cat or dog. I hear the sanshin is less prestigious, which probably explains the price difference.

EDIT: actually, it's not even snake skin. It's plastic.

Suwon23 · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 50

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

You're obviously a bit of a connoisseur! Good luck with it!

eiyosus · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 22

$375 is definitely too expansive for a fake sanshin. I own a good quality sanshin which I picked up for $450. You might be able to pick up a good shamisen for cheaper than you think. After $450, the sound of a sanshin doesn�t improve dramatically. You�re mostly just paying for higher quality materials. I don�t know much about shamisen, but it could be the same deal. I�ve seen what look like good ones for about $700.

If you can�t find any lessons, why not pick up a video for some basics? After that, get some music and play by ear or watch some youtube videos. There�s also a strong possibility that there�s a shamisen club somewhere around where you live, so see if you can dig anything up.

While the shamisen could be considered the more prestigious of the two, it seems to just boil down to where it's played. The sanshin was the precurser to the shamisen and hails from Okinawa and is pretty much exclusively played there. You might want to check out some videos of a sanshin. I actually prefer the sanshin sound and style of music as opposed to the shamisen. It seems to have a bit more heart to it, although that's just a matter of taste.

And while I'm at it, I might as well do some shameless promotion: if you want to hear a sanshin, go my myspace page and listen to my song "Parachute Hanahook." It's starts rather simply, but another sanshin part comes in a bit later. www.myspace.com/vlantis