Sanshin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The sanshin (三線, literally meaning "Three strings") is an Okinawan musical instrument, and precursor of the Japanese shamisen. Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings.
Its close resemblance in both appearance and name to the Chinese sanxian suggests its Chinese origins, the old Ryūkyū Kingdom (pre-Japanese Okinawa) having very close ties with China. In the 16th century, the sanshin reached the Japanese trading port at Sakai in Osaka, Japan. In mainland Japan, it evolved into the larger shamisen.
The Okinawan names for the strings are (from thick to thin) uujiru (男絃, "male string"), nakajiru (中絃, "middle string"), and miijiru (女絃, "female string"). The strings are white, except in Amami, where they are yellow.
Traditionally, players wore a plectrum, made of a material such as the horn of the water buffalo, on the index finger. Many still do, whereas others use a guitar pick or the nail of the index finger. In Amami, long, narrow plectra of bamboo are also in use.
In mainland Japan, many people refer to the sanshin as jabisen (蛇皮線, literally "snake-skin strings") or jamisen (蛇三線, "snake three strings") because the body of the instrument has a snakeskin covering. A bamboo bridge raises the strings off the skin.
In the years following World War II, many Okinawans made sanshin from empty tin cans. These "kankara sanshin" were a sign of both the poverty of the postwar years, and the Okinawans' tenacious love of music.
Due to international wildlife protection treaties, it is not legal to export snakeskin-covered sanshins to some countries (for example the United Kingdom and United States). If buying a sanshin to take out of Okinawa, it is probably advisable to purchase one that is not covered with snakeskin.
Since non-snakeskin-covered sanshins tend to be cheaper and less well-made, there are two options for individuals wanting to buy a high quality sanshin for export. The first is to purchase a snakeskin sanshin and have the snakeskin replaced with (usually snakeskin-patterned) cloth. Most sanshin workshops will do this. However, anyone thinking of doing this should be advised that changing the material can radically affect the sound of the sanshin, so there is no guaranteeing that the instrument's tonal qualities will be preserved. Perhaps a better option is to have a non-snakeskin sanshin custom-made. In many cases, this should not cost significantly more than buying a snakeskin sanshin and having it re-bound, and the risk of disappointment is lower.
