The instrument and its background
Mid-16th century: introduced into Japan from Ryukyu islands (Okinawa)
Predecessors: sanxian (China); sanshin (Okinawa) - 3 strings; snakeskin covering.
Instrument first used by biwa musician/storytellers.
Construction: many slight variations depending on the genre of music.
Square wooden body covered with dog or cat skin.
Struck with a plectrum of ivory, plastic or wood.
Tone: buzz (sawari) created by small cavity at top of neck;
drum-like sound caused by striking plectrum against skin.
Three kinds of tuning:
Hon-choshi (“original tuning”) - a fourth and a fifth; solemn music
Ni-agari (“raise the second”) - a fifth and a fourth: cheerful music
San-sagari (“lower the third”) - two fourths; melancholy or serene
No absolute pitch; typically determined by vocalist’s preferred singing range.

Narrative shamisen music (katarimono):
Joruri: generic term for the many types of narrative shamisen music
Genres typically named after founding musician of the school.
New genres developed each time a pupil deviated from his teacher.
Each genre distinguished by vocal style, type of shamisen (and bridge, plectrum, etc.)

Narrative genres:
Naniwabushi - storytelling with song interludes; legally determined “not music.”
Katobushi - emphasis on domestic tragedies
Bungobushi - stories of love affairs ending in double suicides (banned during Edo).
Shinnaibushi - frequent use of high melismatic passages (banned in Yoshiwara).
Tokiwazu - gentler vocal style, less percussive shamisen than other forms.
Kiyomoto - narrative/lyric style; high register and falsetto; least percussive shamisen.
Gidayubushi - largest narrative genre; used in bunraku (classical puppet theater);
 Founded late 17th century in Osaka by Takemoto Gidayu;
Shamisen: largest used in Japanese music; percussive effects.
Vocal style: strong and vigorous; singer portrays all characters in a play.
Three kinds of vocalization:
text declamation (kotoba)
lyric singing (ji)
half-spoken/half-sung (ji iro).