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Post subject: Cool stuff from Japan
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:48 pm
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They're the Yoshida Brothers--and they play the Japanese instrument called the shamisen.
Go to this page-http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/far_east.htm & click on Japan for more.

But here's a video I just keep watching over & over-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERXiliJfdI

They're backed up by guitar, bass, keyboards & drums on this one--but there are others of just them.
Incredible stuff--I want one--and the time to learn to play it!

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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:00 am
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how cool is this, I spent 3 weeks in Okinawa (2007) and saw some sanshin being played at the Okinawa village


this is not my video but check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PduQuM9PZEQ&NR=1

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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:32 am
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Anybody ever look at the catalogue or site for Lark In THe Morning? They have gobs and gobs and gobs of 'world' and exotic instruments.


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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:47 am
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A good Samisen can be had but it will cost you. Main reason is it takes a lot of Ebony wood and the soundboard is Habu. Thats a snake in Okinawa. Most soundboards are synthetic now. Our family house is surrounded by Ebony trees and the local makers in the village cant wait til us "Americans" sell the house so they can get the Ebony LOL!! The picks are also made of Ivory....if you get a real one. Ever saw the size of the pick? Thats a lot of Ivory.


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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:19 pm
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cush66 wrote:
A good Samisen can be had but it will cost you. Main reason is it takes a lot of Ebony wood and the soundboard is Habu. Thats a snake in Okinawa. Most soundboards are synthetic now. Our family house is surrounded by Ebony trees and the local makers in the village cant wait til us "Americans" sell the house so they can get the Ebony LOL!! The picks are also made of Ivory....if you get a real one. Ever saw the size of the pick? Thats a lot of Ivory.


I said I'd like one, but I don't think it's realistic--just a dream in a way--but even if I could get one--the bigger issue would be time to learn to play it.
So I'd probably wind up playing it like a guitar...

SO instead I'll listen to those guys & enjoy their playing.

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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:14 pm
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zontar wrote:
cush66 wrote:
A good Samisen can be had but it will cost you. Main reason is it takes a lot of Ebony wood and the soundboard is Habu. Thats a snake in Okinawa. Most soundboards are synthetic now. Our family house is surrounded by Ebony trees and the local makers in the village cant wait til us "Americans" sell the house so they can get the Ebony LOL!! The picks are also made of Ivory....if you get a real one. Ever saw the size of the pick? Thats a lot of Ivory.


I said I'd like one, but I don't think it's realistic--just a dream in a way--but even if I could get one--the bigger issue would be time to learn to play it.
So I'd probably wind up playing it like a guitar...

SO instead I'll listen to those guys & enjoy their playing.


When I was young I disappointed my parents when I played giutar instead if Samisen. I didnt take Karate either and they didnt like that to LOL!! My dad immigrated from Okinawa in 1941 after his dad so they had expectations from their kids. I was the youngest so I didnt comply with anything LOL!! My oldest brother has a samisen and I havent heard a note from it yet. I think he did it just for the tradition thing. All my brothers (3) and sisters (2) took some kind of Okinawan martial art or some type of Okinawan stuff. Im the black sheep. Rock and Roll baby LOL!!! Dont need martial arts, I have a gun LOL!!


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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:55 pm
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Well thanks for the information.
I've always been interested in the shamisen since I first heard one years ago---but these guys have me more excited about listening to it than I've been in a long time. I keep watching the video, and I am looking arounf to buy some shamisen albums.

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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:42 pm
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Besides great guitars made from American designs, one of my favorite things from Japan is the guitarist called Char .

He's been around a long time and is a very tasteful Fender player (Mustangs and Strats mostly). YouTube him! Look for "Char Bogert Appice" to see him "fill in" for Jeff Beck!

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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:33 pm
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I have a shamisen that I picked up on Mainland Japan, when I was stationed there with the U.S. military. It has a neck that breaks apart/locks together in two pieces (like a jigsaw) for carrying, I suppose. It is fretless and has three nylon strings, tuned by wood peg friction tuners It is supposedly completely (and definitely well) made of Mulberry wood, has a silk embroidered armrest/cover on the upper bout. I am not sure what the front or back heads are made of, but I was told that they were traditionally made of stretched and tanned dog or cat skin.

I use it as a display piece (it cost me $40 from a Japanese flea market used), I should set it up and try it! If my memory is correct, I was told that the tuning was that the 1st string and the 3rd string was an octave apart, and the 2nd string depended on the tuning or music played, usually tuned to a fifth.


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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:22 am
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[quote="twangee"] I am not sure what the front or back heads are made of, but I was told that they were traditionally made of stretched and tanned dog or cat skin.

Yes thats true. I said snakeskin (Habu) because I always forget that Okinawans use a Sanshin which is for lack of a better word the precursor of the Samisen. The Sanshin is round with snake skin and an ebony neck vs the Samisen is kind of rectangle with dog or cat skin and no ebony neck. The Sanshin is also smaller.


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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:04 pm
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Hello Zontar,

Thanks for that Yoshida brothers link,
Really neat stuff.

Those japanese banjo's are impressive
in the hands of masters like the yoshida brothers.

Cheers.


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