Bachido

Audio Examples of Selected Songs

Most of these songs are standards in the Tsugaru repitoire, with some classic Japanese folk songs as well. Notation for songs with the * are included in the book Shamisen of Japan.

Note: Folk songs often have multiple versions (slightly different melodies). Years after writing Shamisen of Japan, I've grown to like some other versions and have recorded those. Thus, don't be concerned if some recordings differ from the notation. Notation should only be used as a stepping stone to learning the basic melody of a song, not to be rigidly conformed to.

(Pieces arranged in order of difficulty, from easiest to hardest.)