The Three Classic Shamisen Tunings

tsugaru shamisen with koma closeup

Basics

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There are three basic tunings on the shamisen that every player should know and be able to tune without much thought. I’ll explain how honchōshi, niagari, and sansagari are tuned and show you an easy way to remember them.

The Three Classic Shamisen Tunings

Every shamisen player should master three basic tunings that you can set without much thought. Most traditional pieces use one of these tunings, and you’ll often find folk songs arranged in multiple tunings. These three tunings are:

本調子 Honchōshi

二上り Niagari

三下り Sansagari

These tunings connect logically, making them far less mysterious than they first appear. Once you understand the symbols, moving between tunings becomes intuitive. You’ll typically find the tuning notation in the upper left corner above the piece.

本調子 Honchōshi

Honchōshi literally means “base tuning”—your default starting point. While the exact root note isn’t fixed, C is standard nowadays, especially for purely instrumental pieces without vocals or flute. The characters break down as:

本 origin / base
調子 tuning

Using C for the thick string (ichi no ito), Honchōshi tunes to C3–F3–C4. The interval from thick to middle string is a fourth, middle to thin string is a fifth. Don’t worry about technical names—you just need to tune correctly.
Here’s my memory trick: from thick to middle string, it sounds like “Amazing Grace,” and from middle to thin string, it sounds like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Everyone knows these melodies! Definitely give it a try.

The other two tunings build from Honchōshi, and their names tell you exactly how to get there.

Note: When accompanying singers, adjust the tuning to match their range. Men often need lower tuning (sometimes down to A, making strings feel loose), while women may need higher tuning (up to E, making strings feel stiff).

二上がり Niagari

Niagari literally translates to “raising the second”—referring to the middle string (ni no ito).

二 two

上 up

上り raise

From Honchōshi (C–F–C), raise the middle string by one whole note, giving you C–G–C.
Now the intervals flip: from thick to middle string sounds like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and from middle to thin string sounds like “Amazing Grace.”

三下り Sansagari

Sansagari means “lowering the third”—you lower the thin string from Honchōshi by one whole note.

三 three

下 below

下り lowering

Instead of C3–F3–C4, you get C3–F3–B4b. Forget note names if they confuse you—instead, use your ear!

For Sansagari, thick to middle string sounds like “Amazing Grace,” and middle to thin string too sounds like “Amazing Grace“.

Quick Retuning Trick

Notice that the “Amazing Grace” interval (a fourth) appears in every tuning—twice in Sansagari. So instead of lowering the third string from Honchōshi, you can start from Niagari and raise the thick string by one tone. The middle-to-thin interval is already a fourth, so you only need to adjust the fifth (“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”). It sounds complex in writing but feels natural with your shamisen in hand.
Give this a try next time you pick up your shamisen. It’s an extremely useful trick when you need to retune quickly between niagari and sansagari pieces.
Conversely, to go from sansagari to niagari, simply tune the thick string down by one whole tone.

There are also a few technical tuning tricks worth knowing—both to prevent peg breakage and to keep the pegs firmly in place so the strings stay in tune. Be sure to read the tuning tips article if you haven’t yet; it’ll make your life a lot easier.

Pro tip: No tuner for C? No problem! When playing solo (without other instruments or singers), choose any comfortable pitch for your thick string. I prefer Bb—it sounds warmer to my ear. What matters is maintaining the correct intervals between strings (“Amazing Grace” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”).

The shamisen becomes more rewarding the more you play! Use these memory aids and don’t hesitate to hum or sing while tuning—it’s much more effective than imagining vague pitches.
Enjoy trying out the different memory aids and don’t be shy humming along while tuning and playing! It really helps to have the sound not just imagined in your head but get it out of your body.
I hope these techniques make tuning easier for you and eliminate confusion around different tunings and make your practice more enjoyable.
Feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or requests—I always enjoy hearing from fellow players!

Watch the video here:

Feel free to check out my video on YouTube for this article, where you can hear me humming, tuning, and chatting.

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