Tsugaru-jamisen


or refers to both the Japanese genre of music originating from the Tsugaru Peninsula in present-day Aomori Prefecture and the instrument it is performed with. It is performed throughout Japan, though associations with the Tsugaru remain strong. is considered the most recognized genre of music, and has enjoyed multiple periods of popularity in Japan.

History

While it is clear that the originated from China through Okinawa in the 16th century CE, the specific developers of are not known with certainty, largely because written records of its development were not kept, nor did the Japanese government formally recognized it. What is known is that originated from a small peninsula due west of present-day Aomori Prefecture called Tsugaru. In addition, some researchers have conjectured the style's origins based on available evidence. Some consensus is that the style was developed by homeless and blind individuals called.
One scholar, Daijō Kazuo, proposed that the genre originated from a named Nitabō based on interviews with musicians and their families. According to his research, Nitabō acquired and modified a in 1877, for which he adopted a different playing style. Nitabō rounded off the plectrum of the instrument such that it was shaped like a rice paddle. In addition, he adopted a playing style with the held upright, included the area around the bridge as the playing area, and incorporated beating and slapping the strings in contrast to exclusive use of the plectrum. However, other scholars, such as Gerald Groemer, argue that the account advanced by Kazuo may not be entirely accurate due to a lack of documentation.
Nitabō had multiple blind students, such as Kinobo and Chōsakubo, who contributed to the development of the style. Nitabō's last student, Shirakawa Gunpachirō, performed outside of the Tsugaru region as a part of a folk performance troupe. Gunpachirō also performed in professional settings, such as in concert halls in Tokyo. As a result of his successes, became popular in the 1920s, but its popularity waned with the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War later in the decade.
During 1955–1965, many genre performers moved to urban centers in Japan, such as Tokyo. This migration was part of a larger movement due to a boom in the traditional arts in Japan. enjoyed another bout of popularity when Gunpachirō performed with star Michiya Mihashi at the Nihon Theater in Tokyo in 1959. As a result of this mass exposure to the genre, younger practitioners emerged. Takahashi Chikuzan, also a, was a highly regarded practitioner of the genre and began touring Japan in 1964.

Composition

is played on a larger called with a thicker neck and thicker strings than those used for most other styles. is easy recognizable by its percussive quality and the lilt of the rhythms performed. Unlike most other Japanese music, some pieces are in triple time, though the three beats are not accentuated in the manner of Western music.
has a large and steadily growing repertoire. Interviews with noted performers such as Takahashi Chikuzan and Yamada Chisato, as well as recordings issued by past stars, allow one to produce the following table. Most of the titles given below exist in two versions: in song form and as a solo piece. Recently, younger performers have been attempting to combine playing styles or motives with jazz, rock, and other forms of more commercial music. With the exception of arrangements classified as, these pieces are usually considered to be traditional.

The repertoire

  • A.
  • *, now rarely played
  • *, now rarely played
  • B.
  • *[:ja:津軽じょんから節|]
  • **
  • **
  • **
  • **
  • *
  • **
  • **
  • *
  • **
  • **
  • C.
  • *
  • *
  • D.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *Others
  • E.
  • *
  • *
  • *Others
  • F. : potentially all songs of B, C, D, and E, as well as free improvisation, freely entitled by performers.
  • *
  • *
  • *Others, etc.
  • G.

Playing method

The is characterized by many distinct phrases and styles. In acrobatic technique, improvising is the feature. The player often strikes the strings and skin very hard and fast with the. They use only the left index and ring finger traditionally, and the scale is pentatonic. In recent years, a technique unique to the style is the tremolo played with the back of the without hitting the skin.

Discussion of the repertoire

Group A presents songs that are only rarely heard today, though they were once the mainstay of the repertoire of itinerant, often blind, musician-beggars known as. At the start of the 20th century, these were gradually displaced by shorter non-narrative songs. The tended to concentrate their efforts on some five favorite songs. By the middle of the 20th century, three songs and their versions had become the core of the repertoire, which they remain today. Indeed, ""—in a version that the old would probably not even recognize—has today become virtually a symbol of the timeless "spirit of Tsugaru."
The songs of group D—though no less traditional than those of groups A, B, and C—were not, it seems, a major part of the repertoire. Instead, they tended to be sung by non-professionals, generally without accompaniment. But these songs began to receive renewed attention with the "boom" after World War II. accompaniments were composed or arranged by such performers as Takahashi Chikuzan. Somewhat earlier, there had been a nationwide movement to produce "new folk songs", resulting in the songs listed in Group E. More recently, solo versions of the songs of Group D have been arranged. Solo versions of the older songs have become the center of the repertoire, leading to the development of long solo improvisations and ensemble playing.
One of the most interesting characteristics of the repertoire is what might be termed its cumulative nature. As seen from the listing of songs in Group B, newer versions of songs tend to coexist alongside older versions, rather than replacing them. Although the older songs and their accompaniments or solo versions have no doubt themselves been somewhat transformed from what they were many decades ago, it remains certain that the "old," "middle," and "new" versions are differentiated not merely stylistically but also historically. Their structural differences contain, as it were, a congealed history.

Notable players

Main style

  • Oyama Ryu
  • Sawada Ryu