November 2008
40 posts
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琉大留学生 →
Ryukyu University Foreign students group on mixi.
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FAQs
I’ll try to organize the questions into categories for easier accessing.
About
What’s a sanshin?
Should I buy a snakeskin sanshin, or an imitation snakeskin sanshin?
Are there any sanshin websites that sell quality sanshins at a reasonable price?
What are the proper precautions for when traveling with a sanshin? All I have is a soft case with straps on the inside to store my...
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Update: One week mark
It’s been exactly one week since I started this site, and if you don’t mind me saying so, I think I’m doing a decent job so far! I’ve got some of the basic how-to posts out of the way, and I’ve been trying to think of better ways to organize the site—like adding a “how to” section that links to specific how-to posts. If it’s easier for users to...
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How to
Set up String the gen Set the uma
Chindami - honchoushi （本調子） ・ sansage （三下げ）
Play Locate notes Mark the notes Read kunkunshi Use a bachi
(…more to be added…)
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Stringing the sanshin
Question: How do I string my sanshin?
This is something I didn’t know before, but picked up from karakui.com. If you’re unsure of which strings go where, just count the loops to determine which string is which—six loops for uujiru, seven loops for nakajiru, and eight loops for miijiru.
Anyways, find the gen you want to string and insert it through the...
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Setting up the uma
Question: How do I set up the uma?
The uma is the bridge that holds up the gen (strings) of the sanshin. Usually made of bamboo, uma are quite fragile and just as necessary to keep spares of as strings.
Setting up the uma is pretty simple. Thread the uma under the strings where the sou and chiiga meet, and as you lift the strings up, move the uma down towards the end of the sanshin....
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Update: new domain!
I purchased a new domain for this site!
Just type “simplesanshin.com” into your browser and voila, you’re here. I went with simplesanshin.com because, after some discussion with friends, I realized that it’s best to be clear and to the point when establishing a site with a purpose; this is such a site.
To those who have been e-mailing and contacting me about the site,...
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Advice to foreigners buying a sanshin
Question: Should I buy a snakeskin sanshin, or an imitation snakeskin sanshin?
The first thought that jumps into minds of international students is, “am I going to be able to bring this home?” Well, I asked one sanshin store manager about my options, and he said that because a lot of tourists come in and out of Okinawa, a sanshin makes a great vacation memento. Meaning that the store...
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Update: Tuning and quick links
I edited the chindami post into two parts, adding a separate post about tuners in the process.
I also figured that some people might want quick access to tuning, so I added a new “quick links” section to the sidebar. This way you can get in, tune, get out and start playing.
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Okinawa International Cultural Exchange Seinenkai →
“Okinawa International Cultural Exchange Seinenkai” is a mouthful, but there’s no other way to accurately title what this new group does. “Seinenkai” means something like “youth group,” but with the ages being anywhere between 18 to mid 40’s, so it’s difficult to translate the phrase effectively.
The group consists of foreigners and local...
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Tools for playing the sanshin
Question: What should I use to play the sanshin?
Bachi, usually carved from buffalo horns, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Also called “tsume,” or (finger) “nail” in english, you can buy them with different designs or of different materials.
Playing with the bachi can be a little difficult at first, so strumming with a guitar pick or your thumb is an...
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Tuning devices
Question: What should I use to tune my sanshin?
You can find hundreds of different tuners for sale on the internet, but the most common ones I’ve seen are these:
[From the left: Korg CA-30, Tombo pitch pipe, Korg micro tuner.]
If I had to recommend a tuner, I’d probably go with the Tombo pitch pipe because even though most players I’ve met do not use tuners, the ones that...
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Sanshin notes: basic playing
Question: I’m a beginner picking up the sanshin. Where do I start?
Learning to play the sanshin is easy. It’s just a tad daunting when you open up a piece of music and see characters that you’ve never seen before. Get over that, and you’ll be right on your way. All you have to do is remember where these characters are in relation to the sanshin.
These top notes are...
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Update: About the site
I added extra information about this site in the “About me” section. Hope you check it out! :)
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Chindami: Tuning to honchoushi （本調子）
Question: How do I tune my sanshin? What notes should I tune it to?
There are several different tunings for the sanshin that I’ll cover later on, but the most commonly used one is “honchoushi,” which I’ve learned is C-F-C (do-fa-do). You can use this MP3 I uploaded to tune to:
ちんだみ（本調子）.mp3
(You can also click the link to download the MP3 for uploading to your IPod, NDS...
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Day two: Progress
I’m pretty proud of myself for coming this far in just a day! In my very first post I listed my plans for this site:
- Upload kunkunshi .pdf’s
- Upload sanshin music
- Write instructionals (Kinda…)
- Create FAQ (I get tons of sanshin questions. I’ll try to answer them all.)
- Find more to do
Progress so far:
I created the FAQ and Links part of this site using a tagging...
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Three Strings: Everything Sanshin →
An up-and-coming Hawaii-based sanshin site.
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ちんだみ (Chindami) →
One of the best places to buy a sanshin. I’ve never purchased from their online store before, but their shop in Naha is one of the best. Their store has released original books, CDs and sanshins.
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Questions
Need answers? Well, I need questions so ask me something!
You can post a question in the comments, but I recommend you ask in the sanshin forums.
You can also e-mail me at kenji@simplesanshin.com if you’re a privacy buff.
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Collected 工工四 (kunkunshi)
I’ll be posting various pieces of kunkunshi in this section. Some of the documents are in PDF format, so you’ll need a reader like Adobe or Foxit. (I recommend Foxit Reader because it’s smaller and faster than Adobe. Plus, it’s free.)
Asadoya Yunta （安里屋ユンタ）
Aha Bushi （安波節）
Bashoufu （芭蕉布）
Tinsagu nu Hana （てぃんさぐぬ花）
Mensoure (めんそーれ)
Donated pieces:
Bangamuri （ばんがむり）...
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Introduction to the sanshin
Question: What’s a sanshin?
Welcome to the wonderful world of the 三線 (sanshin), which literally translates to “three strings” and is considered to be the backbone of traditional Okinawan music. Made up of basically a long neck and a snakeskin body, the instrument is said to have derived from the Chinese sanxian during the 16th century. However, there are those who believe that...
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工工四集 →
This site has lots of kunkunshi with more to be added.
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Facebook | Sanshin →
The best sanshin group on Facebook.
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What to use to play the sanshin
Question: Does it matter if the sanshin is played with bachi or regular guitar pick? I like using guitar pick.
No, it doesn’t really matter. In fact, I use both depending on the situation. If I’m on-the-go, I usually have a guitar pick stashed in my back pack or in my wallet, but if I’m performing I’ll usually use my bachi. Other times I’ll just play with my index...
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“Playing a sanshin is easy; anyone can do it. It’s singing while you play...”
– a sanshin instructor
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Traveling with a sanshin
Question: What are the proper precautions for when traveling with a sanshin? All I have is a soft case with straps on the inside to store my sanshin in.
Soft cases are fine for traveling with a sanshin. Just don’t drop it, get it wet, or smash it against something and you’ll be fine. Hard cases, although expensive, are obviously the better choice for traveling; I’ve seen a lot...
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String alternatives
Question: Do you know if I can use other strings besides official sanshin strings and the sanshin will still sound the same or similar?
For people not living in Okinawa or around a sanshin shop, it might be difficult to get your hands on some strings. However, I have met a guy who strung his sanshin with different fishing lines. It sounded different, but still good enough to play on. :)
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The sanshin glossary
I thought it might be useful to put together a list of frequently used words associated with the sanshin. I might put up a map of the sanshin later, but for now I figure this should do well enough.
Sanshin parts
bachi, tsume (バチ、爪) - The nail like piece used to play the sanshin.
chiiga (胴) - The square-like wooden body of the sanshin.
chiru/jiru/gen (絃) - Strings used with the sanshin.
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About me
I’m Kenji, a Japanese-American and self-taught sanshin enthusiast.
I first encountered the sanshin when I moved to Okinawa four years ago, but it wasn’t until a year had passed before I started gaining interest in the instrument. As a foreign student at Ryukyu University, I soon joined the exchange student sanshin group and began teaching myself to play. As new international...
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Karakui (pegs) keep sliding
Question: I try to tune my sanshin, but the karakui keeps sliding back by themselves and the string loosens. Is there a way to remedy that?
The pegs sliding whenever you try to tune is a common problem for people whose karakui aren’t fitted properly. One fix taught to me by a sanshin artisan was to try shaving the karakui off using a knife or a pair of sharp scissors. I’ve done this...
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chikuten.com
I used to run a personal blog and informative sanshin site at chikuten.com, but the cost of keeping the site going was double what it was when I first registered, so I closed it down. However, I’m now back again to share my amateurish sanshin knowledge with whoever is willing to hear it.
Plans:
- Upload kunkunshi .pdf’s
- Upload sanshin music
- Write instructionals
- Create...