Shamisen online: play a virtual shamisen
The shamisen is the Japanese three-string lute, with a long fretless neck, played with a large plectrum called a bachi. This shamisen online player puts the neck on your screen with a recorded shamisen sound, downloaded the first time you play. Like the real instrument, it has no frets: the dashed lines only mark positions to guide you, and their numbers are just for reference.
How to use it
- Tap a position on the neck to hear the note; the light strip before the nut plays the open string.
- In Scales, pick a root and a scale (major, minor, pentatonic, blues, mixolydian): the notes light up along the neck and ▶︎ Play scale plays it up and down.
- Strum with ↓︎ Downstroke and ↑︎ Upstroke, or drag your finger across the strings.
- On a computer, each keyboard row is a string: 1 2 3… is the high string, Q W E… the middle one and A S D… the low one, starting with the open string. Space strums down; Shift + space strums up.
- Use the full-screen button; on a phone, turn it sideways for a horizontal neck. Tuning switches between honchōshi, niagari and sansagari, and there is a left-handed option.
Help and explanations
The page opens in Scales with the pentatonic scale highlighted on the neck, so you can find the notes right away. Tap with your finger or mouse, use several fingers at once, drag across the strings to strum, or play from your computer keyboard. There is a Chords mode too, but chords are rare in shamisen music, which is mostly played one note at a time.
Shamisen tunings: honchōshi, niagari and sansagari
Here the low string is C3, the same as the shamisen tuner on this site. On a real shamisen the pitch is chosen to suit the singer's voice; what stays the same is the distance between the strings. Honchōshi (本調子): C3 F3 C4, a fourth and then a fifth. Niagari (二上り): the middle string goes up a whole step, C3 G3 C4. Sansagari (三下り): the high string goes down a whole step, C3 F3 B♭3.
Mind the numbering: on the shamisen the first string (ichi no ito) is the thickest and lowest, the opposite of the guitar. To avoid confusion, this page names the strings by pitch: low, middle and high.
Scales and songs to practice
The C minor pentatonic the page opens with is C E♭ F G B♭. In all three tunings the open strings already belong to it, so you can start there and add the stopped notes. The scale list is Western; Japanese scales are not in it, but you can still play them note by note.
For a first tune, try Sakura Sakura (さくらさくら), which in its usual key uses only five notes: A, B, C, E and F. Simple Japanese folk songs (min'yō) work well too. The Tsugaru style, as in Tsugaru Jongara Bushi, is fast and percussive and usually played in niagari: a good reference for the sound, not a beginner piece.
Tips
- A real shamisen has no frets, so players find the positions by ear. Use the dashed marks to learn where each note sits, then try again with the note names turned off.
- Switch tunings and notice that only one string changes: that is how players move between honchōshi, niagari and sansagari.
- Turn on Notes on the fretboard and sing each note as you play it.
- Start with the volume low, especially on headphones.
Frequently asked questions
How is a shamisen tuned?
The three common tunings, from the low string up, are honchōshi (C F C), niagari (C G C) and sansagari (C F B♭). The actual pitch depends on the singer; on this page the low string is C3.
Does the shamisen have frets?
No. The neck is smooth, and players find each note by ear and practice. Here the dashed lines show positions, but they are not frets.
Which is the first string on a shamisen?
The thickest, lowest one (ichi no ito). The numbering runs from low to high, the opposite of the guitar.
Can you play chords on a shamisen?
You can, and this page has a Chords mode, but traditional shamisen music is played mostly one note at a time. Use the chords to experiment.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The online shamisen is free and runs in the browser on your phone or computer. The shamisen sound is downloaded the first time you play and comes out of your own device.