A three-stringed
Japanese musical instrument, the shamisen is shaped like a
banjo but has no
frets. A
pick is used to strike the strings, and the instrument is almost always used as
accompaniment for a singer. The shamisen's
pitch depends on the
range of the singer, but there are three standard
tunings. The first,
hon-choshi, consists of a
perfect fifth and a perfect fourth. Raising the second string produces
niagari-choshi, a fifth and a
fourth, and lowering the third string results in
san-sagari, two fourths.
Originally from China through Okinawa in the mid-sixteenth century, the shamisen developed its own style in Japan. It is commonly used to accompany Kabuki, folk songs (min-yo), and epic songs (naga-uta). Geisha also play the shamisen as part of the entertainment services they provide.