Types of Shamisen Notation: Bunkafu, Katei-shiki, Kenseikai, and Aoyagi

Shamisen music is actually written in more than one notation system. This article compares the four main systems — bunkafu, katei-shiki, kenseikai, and aoyagi — and explains which one to focus on.

Comparing the four systems

Bunkafu

The most widely used notation today. See What Is Bunkafu? for a full explanation of how to read it. It's used broadly across schools and method books.

Katei-shiki

An older number-based system with its own conventions for how numbers and lines are laid out. Still used in some nagauta schools today.

Kenseikai

A notation associated with the Kenseikai lineage, closely tied to jiuta and koto repertoire, with its own symbols and layout conventions.

Aoyagi

Used in the Aoyagi school, often seen in folk-song method books. It shares the same basic string-plus-number structure as bunkafu but has its own style for rhythm and technique marks.

Which one should you learn?

• If you're self-taught, bunkafu is the practical default — it has the most learning material available.
• If you already study with a teacher from a specific school, follow whichever system they use.
• If you're unsure which system an old score uses, compare the number style and line layout.
• All of these systems share the same basic idea — strings plus numbers for finger position — so learning one makes the others easier.