How to Tune a Shamisen: Using a Tuner Step by Step

The shamisen always needs tuning before you play — adjusting the tension, and therefore pitch, of each string. Handling the pegs can feel slow at first, but once you know the steps and how to use a tuner, you can get in tune quickly and confidently. This guide walks through peg handling and the step-by-step process of tuning all three strings.

Handling the pegs

The shamisen's tuning pegs are wooden pins set into the top of the neck, and turning them adjusts each string's tension. Because the pegs are simply friction-fit, press them slightly inward toward the neck as you turn so they don't slip, letting you bring the string firmly up to pitch. Turning too fast or too hard can snap a string or overshoot the pitch, so turn a little at a time and check the sound as you go.

Tuning from the first string

• Tune the first string to your reference pitch first — this sets the baseline for everything else, so get it precise.
• Then tune the second string to match the interval required by your target tuning (honchōshi, niagari, or sansagari).
• Finally, tune the third string to match its interval with the second string.
• Once all three are set, play each open string in turn to check nothing sounds off before you start practicing.

How each tuning differs

Honchōshi has a fourth between the first and second strings and a fifth between the second and third. Niagari raises the second string a whole step from honchōshi, giving a fifth then a fourth. Sansagari lowers the third string a whole step from honchōshi, giving a fourth between both pairs. See the tuning guidefor more on how each one sounds and when it's used.

Using a phone or web tuner

Tuning by ear alone takes practice, so it helps to use a tuner while you're still building that skill. A tuner that listens through your microphone and shows the pitch on a meter works well even with some background noise. Pluck a string, adjust the peg until the meter centers, then move to the next string — repeat for all three and you're done.