The lowest string is purposefully laid lower at the nut of the instrument in order to create a buzz, a characteristic timbre known as sawari (somewhat reminiscent of the "buzzing" of a sitar, which is called Jivari). The strings are stretched across the body, raised from it by means of a bridge, or koma ( 駒), which rests directly on the taut skin. They are stretched between the pegs at the head of the instrument, and a cloth tailpiece anchored at the end of the rod which protrudes on the other side of the body. The three strings of the shamisen are made of either silk (traditionally) or nylon. The pegs used to wind the strings are long, thin and hexagonal in shape though they were traditionally fashioned out of ivory, due to scarcity and trading regulations regarding and constricting the sale of ivory, many are now constructed from other materials, such as wood and plastic. The neck of the shamisen is a singular rod that crosses the drum-like body of the instrument, partially protruding at the other side of the body and acting as an anchor for the strings. The sao ( 棹), or neck of the shamisen, is usually divided into three or four pieces that fit and lock together, with most shamisen made to be easily disassembled. Contemporary shamisen skins are often prepared with synthetic materials, such as plastic. Traditionally, skins were made using dog or cat skin, with cat skin favored for finer instruments : 257–258 though use of animal skins was common throughout the 20th century, use of these skins gradually fell out of favor, starting around the mid 2000s, due to social stigma and the decline of workers skilled in preparing these particular skins. The skin used depends on the genre of music and the skill of the player. The body, called the dō ( 胴), resembles a drum, having a hollow body that is covered front and back with skin, in the manner of a banjo. The neck of the shamisen is fretless and slimmer than that of a guitar or banjo. Its construction follows a model similar to that of a guitar or a banjo, with a neck and strings stretched across a resonating body. The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument. View B shows the neck and head of a Azumasawari shamisen. View A shows the neck and head of a Yamasawari shamisen. protective piece of leather ( bachigawa, azumasawari).The one used to accompany puppet plays and folk songs has a longer and thicker neck instead, to match the more robust music of those genres. The instrument used to accompany kabuki has a thin neck, facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of that genre. The construction of the shamisen varies in shape, depending on the genre in which it is used. In Western Japanese dialects and several Edo period sources, it is both written and pronounced as samisen. The Japanese pronunciation is usually shamisen but sometimes jamisen when used as a suffix, according to regular sound change (e.g. It is played with a plectrum called a bachi. (all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument sanxian. The shamisen ( 三味線), also known as sangen ( 三絃) or samisen 1800 A Japanese man playing a shamisen while another sings A shamisen accompanying traditional vocals, with a solo (audio) 1870s Kitagawa Utamaro, "Flowers of Edo: Young Woman's Narrative Chanting to the Samisen", c. JSTOR ( June 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
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