Itoendo is an independent guide to the shamisen, the three-stringed Japanese lute. These English pages explain how the instrument works, how to choose and care for its parts, and how an adult beginner can start playing — in plain, practical terms for people outside Japan.
The shamisen (三味線) has a long neck (sao), a square body (do) covered with skin, and three silk or synthetic strings played with a large plectrum called a bachi. Its bright, percussive tone appears in folk song, classical jiuta and nagauta, and the powerful Tsugaru style.
Start here
- Can You Learn the Shamisen on Your Own? A Self-Study Guide for Adult Beginners
- The Parts of the Shamisen Explained: Sao, Do, Ito and Accessories
- Hosozao, Chuzao, Futozao: The 2.4 Millimetres That Decide Which Shamisen You Need
- Minyo (Folk) Shamisen: Its Character and the Gear You Need
Strings, bachi and koma
- Shamisen String Numbers Explained: What 15-2 Means, and the Set for Each Genre
- How to Choose Shamisen Strings: Silk, Tetron, Nylon and the Gauge
- The First, Second and Third Strings of the Shamisen: Thickness and Pitch
- The Shamisen Koma: Bridge Heights by Genre, and the Trade-offs Behind Them
- How to Choose a Shamisen Bachi (Plectrum): Material, Weight and Genre
Tuning
Owning one outside Japan
- Owning a Shamisen Outside Japan: Consumables, Re-skinning, and What to Stock
- Shamisen Skin: Animal, Synthetic, and What Changes If You Buy From Abroad
- How to Store a Shamisen: Humidity, Protecting the Skin, and Cases
These are all the English guides published so far. The rest of the library is currently available in Japanese.