How to Turn a Paper Shamisen Score (Bunkafu) Into a Digital Score From a Photo

If you have a paper shamisen score (bunkafu) sitting in a drawer, you can turn it into a digital, playable score just by photographing it with your phone. Here's the step-by-step process, including tips for getting a clean scan.

Steps

1. Tip 1: shoot in good light, on a flat surface — Wrinkles and shadows hurt recognition accuracy. Use natural light and a flat surface such as a desk.
2. Tip 2: shoot straight from above — An angled shot distorts the numbers and lines. Hold your phone directly above the page and fill the frame with one page.
3. Tip 3: upload one page at a time — A single page per photo gives more stable results than a two-page spread.
4. Upload— From the Shami Ittai home screen, choose "Import from photo" and upload your photo (or a saved PDF).
5. AI recognition — The AI reads the strings, finger positions, and rhythm, and generates a draft digital score automatically.
6. Correction — Open the draft in the bunkafu editor and compare it against the original image to fix any misreads, especially on faded or handwritten scores.
7. Play and practice — Play the finished score back with one tap, slow the tempo down, and loop the parts you find difficult.

Tips for better OMR accuracy

• Use natural or white lighting — warm yellow bulbs can make numbers harder to distinguish.
• Avoid casting your own shadow over the page.
• For old, faded paper, shoot slightly brighter to boost contrast.
• Don't aim for a perfect scan on the first try — plan to correct the draft in the editor.