[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”272px” custom_padding=”6px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]Scales are a controversial topic \u2014 some swear by them, others react almost allergically to the idea of practicing them. In Western classical music education, scales are standard training material and are considered a fundamental pillar \u2014 often enforced by teachers. In Japan, however, scale practice on the shamisen is not a standard part of lessons. I also didn\u2019t include scales in my shamisen routine at first; they gradually made their way into my heart as reliable, useful tools. That\u2019s why I encourage you to simply try them out \u2014 playfully and with enjoyment. Nothing is mandatory, but everything is possible. <\/p>\n
The term scale appears in many contexts. It can refer to the division markings on a measuring instrument or a graded series of degrees within a phenomenon (like a scale of brightness levels). In everyday speech, we also use it metaphorically: \u201cHow would you rate the customer service on a scale from 0 to 5?\u201d How many steps the scale has and how far apart they are depends on the context. There\u2019s always a starting point from which one moves step by step. <\/p>\n
In music, the starting point is a specific note or pitch \u2014 for example, \u201cC.\u201d On the shamisen, with the tuning C\u2013G\u2013C, that would be the open thick or open thin string. A musical scale spans one octave, for instance from the thick C string to the thin C string, or from the open thin C string up to position 10 on that string (again, C). Everything between those two points is divided into steps, which don\u2019t have to be equal in size or number.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
If you have a fujaku strip attached to your shamisen\u2019s neck, you can use it to see the standard points that make up a scale. From the open string to position 10, there are eleven marked points. When you play each position in order, they\u2019re evenly spaced \u2014 these are called half steps (semitones). You can picture it on a piano: between one C and the next, play all the white and black keys in sequence. That\u2019s the chromatic scale, which includes all the tones within an octave used in conventional music.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#4c5d7c” custom_padding=”10px|20px|10px|20px|true|true” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#4c5d7c” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Good to know: <\/strong>On instruments like the shamisen, where you can glide smoothly from one pitch to another, there are countless tones between the marked positions \u2014 these are called microtones. In Western and Western-influenced music, the chromatic scale forms the foundation for most scales. In other musical traditions, and in some modern Western compositions, microtones are also used to expand the tonal palette. <\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”272px” custom_padding=”6px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Within an octave \u2014 based on those eleven positions \u2014 players usually select just a few to create the specific set of tones for a piece. Another word for a scale in this sense is tone ladder (Tonleiter in German). This term might sound more familiar, though it often leads people to immediately think of the Western major and minor scales with seven notes. But both the number and spacing of steps can vary widely. <\/p>\n Just as major and minor scales became dominant in Western music (see also church modes), certain scales also became established in Japanese music. Japanese scales are typically based on five tones and are therefore called pentatonic (from the Greek penta<\/em>, meaning \u201cfive\u201d). <\/p>\n A scale defines the tonal \u201cingredients\u201d of a piece. Depending on how you combine them, you can create endless variations.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”272px” custom_padding=”30px||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n When students are forced to play scales by their teacher, they often do it without energy or focus \u2014 and get little benefit from it. I\u2019m a big fan of scales because I use them to direct my attention to specific technical aspects. Scales help me simplify complexity, create predictability, and give my mind some breathing room. <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”7px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n When you slowly play a scale up and down, either in parts or as a whole, you can really focus on how each note sounds. Besides listening to pitch accuracy, this simple structure gives space to observe the tone quality of each fingered note: Does it sound soft or hard? Clear or dull? What changes if I press differently? <\/p>\n When you\u2019re in the middle of a piece, your mind is juggling many elements at once \u2014 rhythm, phrasing, tone, emotion. The ear often doesn\u2019t have the capacity to focus on precise pitch. Whether you personally care about \u201cclean\u201d intonation or not is up to you. But it\u2019s an undeniable fact that your shamisen will sound richer and fuller when you hit pitches precisely. The tone opens up and shines. Your own music becomes more beautiful to listen to. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”31px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n So how can you practice scales on the Shamisen in a practical way? Using two examples \u2013 one for beginners and one for advanced players \u2013 I\u2019ll show how scale exercises can playfully improve intonation, technique, and finger coordination. <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n In my experience, the right hand is the trickier one. At the start of each practice session, I recommend first striking the open strings with the bachi to remind your hand how loose and effortless a relaxed strike feels. Once that feels good, add the other hand as a distraction: press a position, release, press again. Does the bachi hand stay relaxed? Then move on. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”9px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n If your bachi hand struggles with a new striking pattern in a piece, it\u2019s much more enjoyable to isolate that pattern and test it across different tones in a scale instead of repeating it endlessly in one spot. This keeps your ears engaged and develops finer control, since each position feels slightly different due to string tension. Even if the pattern uses multiple positions, begin simple \u2014 open strings first, then add one position, and only expand from there.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(19,178,199,0.13)” custom_padding=”13px|25px|13px|25px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\nScales in Japanese Music<\/h3>\n
Why Practice Scales?<\/h2>\n
For me, they\u2019re especially useful for: <\/p>\n\n
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Scales and Intonation<\/h2>\n
Clearing the Head<\/h3>\n
If you miss a note here and there in performance, that\u2019s completely fine and doesn\u2019t diminish a heartfelt delivery. But improving your awareness of when a note truly rings clearly \u2014 and training your hands to find those tones reliably \u2014 is something scale practice can develop beautifully.
The most important thing is always to have fun and enjoy what you\u2019re doing. If scales help you get to know your instrument better, embrace them. If they just feel like a chore, find other approaches that feel better \u2014 and skip them entirely. <\/p>\nPracticing Scales on the Shamisen<\/h2>\n
Beginner Example<\/h3>\n
Gradually increase the left-hand activity \u2014 add another finger, or shift the same finger to a different position. As soon as more than one position is involved, scales become a great tool. You don\u2019t have to invent new positions, and you\u2019ll also be practicing something directly useful for songs.
Predictability, simplicity, repetition \u2014 these three qualities make scales such a powerful exercise. <\/p>\nAdvanced Player Example<\/h3>\n
I would first play the pattern on open strings, then add one fingered note, and finally switch positions. If the pattern falls apart, go back a step and start again with open strings. <\/p>\n