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Happy new year, everyone!

2026 is finally here, and we’re excited to kick off another year of growing together as a Learn Shamisen community.

To start things off, we’d love to hear your goals for this year — anything you’re aiming for, big or small.

• reflections from last year • techniques you want to tackle • songs you hope to learn • or simply what you want to enjoy more this year

Anything goes! Feel free to share in the comments.

And if you see a goal that inspires you, let’s borrow it, try it, and cheer each other on. The more we motivate one another, the stronger we all become.

Thanks for being part of this community.Here’s to a year of steady progress, new challenges, and enjoying every moment of playing together.

Let's make 2026 an amazing year!

Ki&Ki

------------------------------あけましておめでとうございます!ついに2026年がスタートしましたね。

今年も Learn Shamisenの仲間全員で、技術も表現も一緒に高め合える一年 にできたら嬉しいです。

そこでさっそくですが、みなさんの 「今年の目標」 をぜひ聞かせてください!

・昨年の反省や気づき・今年挑戦したいテクニック・新しく弾いてみたい曲

どんな内容でも大歓迎です!コメント欄に自由に書いてください。

そして、「それいいね!」 と思ったことがあれば、みんなでどんどん真似してチャレンジしていきましょう。みんなで刺激し合える場にしていけたら最高です!

今年も一年、どうぞよろしくお願いします!一緒にがんばっていきましょう!

輝&輝

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Comments

Mori T

あけましておめでとうございます🌅 「撥付け」がいつの間にか甘くなってしまう事が多いので、今年はしっかり&きれいに撥付けができるように頑張りたいです!

Kevin Schmidt

My 2026 shamisen goal is to improve playing with a more disciplined practice approach. I read some interesting articles and interviews with musicians who emphasized practicing and what they did to improve. So I am stealing some of their ideas in 2026. I’m now keeping a daily diary of practicing. The songs practiced, write down the challenges playing a new song and/or technique, and where I think I need to improve. To help improve, I’m also video recording a practice session at the end of each week. I can go back and study where I have difficulty and figure it out. Watching myself on video helps because I can see where I am improving over time and where more work needs to be done to improve. I always knew I needed to do more work on tremolo, but watching myself I realized I have difficulty at times with Maebachi and Ushirobachi. I may be too hard on myself, but this makes it easier for me to go back and review basics, and see how I am progressing over time. I’m going to focus more on playing by ear. I know I need a lot of improvement in this area. I’ve heard songs I think this is the note being played and am more willing to try and play/copy the phrasing. I found what is holding me back is that I try to get it right and perfect the first time playing it and it frustrates me because it was not perfect. So I am now more willing to allow myself to make more mistakes versus being a perfectionist. I guess being less critical of myself is a goal for 2026. Many times while warming up I play random notes. Over time I’ve come up with interesting phrasings that are satisfying to me and want to expand upon them. So I’m writing down those improvised phrasings down for future use. And that leads me wanting to learning three Western pop songs not covered by anyone else or Learn Shamisen. 2026 will be practice, learn some more, keep practicing, and grow as a shamisen player.

Ivan Batchelor

To be honest, I actually signed up to this because I wanted to support you generally as musicians, as I figured that I probably wouldn't have time to properly learn yet another instrument, however in March, I'm taking a trip to Japan, and... well, I may as well pick up a shamisen and start learning it. Also I would like to see if I can go see a tsugaru shamisen gig in Aomori or Tsugaru itself. That'd be kinda cool.

Aaron

Hi all. I'm rediscovering the shamisen after putting it down for a long time. I learned while I lived in Eastern Hokkaido, so I know a few minyou from there. I'd like to improve my Tsugaru-jamisen. I practiced so much in the past i gave myself carpal tunnel, I think this was to poor form, but I feel like my bachi is too small.. I have really large hands. I'm looking at purchasing a new shamisen, mitsu-ori with synthetic skin, I'm just going to keep going with my dog skin until it goes. To be honest, I'm amazed it has held up this long. So far this sight has been good. I learn mainly by ear, but it is nice to make my brain work with the notation. Is there a place to download the lyrics? I would like to sing along. Thanks for providing this content!

蛙暴走族

Finally be able to play the Shakuhachi properly after two years of struggles, now I will start a new journey with a Shamisen. I hope this year at least I will be able to master the basic!!!