Lesson 01: Bachizuke / Otoawase – How to Play Shamisen

STEP ONE IN PLAYING TSUGARU SHAMISEN: BACHIZUKE

Welcome to the first playing technique lesson! One that you may come back to many times… the Bachizuke or 'Otoawase'.

In this lesson we are taking a look at one of the most important moments in any Tsugaru shamisen players performance. The moment where the audience decides whether they will even listen or not! 

Even professional Tsugaru players practice this regularly. Even after decades of playing.

Most Tsugaru songs will start with this, and it can take some time to perfect… and so today, we start our journey into playing the Tsugaru Shamisen with the Bachizuke!

This month we want you to focus as much as possible on this lesson, and the next one (which will be how to read Shamisen Tabs)!

As from next month, we will start jumping right into full songs by breaking down one of the most important songs in the Tsugaru Shamisen world!

今回は津軽三味線の音の出し方について説明しています。撥をどの角度で糸に当てるのか、手首はどのくらい曲げるかなど、三味線を弾く上で最初の大切なポイントを紹介しています。

糸の弾き分けができるようになり、撥がきれいに皮に当てられるようになると、曲の上達も早くなります。また、津軽三味線特有の曲に入る前の「撥付」や「音合わせ」とも大きくか変わってくるのでしっかりと練習しましょう。

撥付→撥を前後に動かして音の強弱を付け、津軽三味線特有のリズムを刻むこと。

音合わせ→津軽民謡や合奏曲で曲に入る前に演奏する部分のこと。一つずつ糸を引き分けてこの間に調弦をします。

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