三味线的构造在形状和大小上各不相同，具体取决于使用它的流派。 如果完全使用的话，所使用的 bachi 也会根据流派而有所不同。 三味线根据大小和类型分类。 共有三种基本尺寸：粗细早、粗早和不透早。 三味线流派的例子包括长歌、久太、民谣、甲太、羽太、真内、常轮、清本、义太汤和津轻。The construction of the shamisen varies in shape and size, depending on the genre in which it is used. The bachi used will also be different according to genre, if it is used at all. Shamisen are classified according to size and genre. There are three basic sizes: hosozao, chuzao and futozao. Examples of shamisen genres include nagauta, jiuta, min'yo, kouta, hauta, shinnai, tokiwazu, kiyomoto, gidayu and tsugaru.
用于日本传统音乐流派的三味线，如 jiuta、kouta 和 nagauta，遵守非常严格的标准。 这些流派的纯粹主义者要求三味线由正确的木头、正确的皮制成，并用正确的巴基弹奏，几乎没有变化的余地。 另一方面，津轻三味线已被用于现代用途，并被用于现代流派，如爵士乐和摇滚乐。 作为一种更开放的乐器，它的变体是为了展示而存在的。 通常由象牙制成的弦轴，以及由象牙和龟甲组合制成的八弦，有时由丙烯酸材料制成，使三味线看起来更现代、更华丽。 最近，前卫的发明家开发了一种带有电动拾音器的 tsugaru-jamisen，可与放大器一起使用，如电吉他。Shamisen used for traditional genres of Japanese music, such as jiuta, kouta, and nagauta, adhere to very strict standards. Purists of these genres demand that the shamisen be made of the correct wood, the correct skin, and are played with the correct bachi, with little room for variation. The tsugaru-jamisen, on the other hand, has lent itself to modern use, and is used in modern genres such as jazz and rock. As a more open instrument, variations of it exist for show. The tuning pegs, which are usually fashioned out of ivory, and bachi which are fashioned from a combination of ivory and tortoise-shell for example, are sometimes made of acrylic material to give the shamisen a more modern, flashy look. Recently, avant-garde inventors have developed a tsugaru-jamisen with electric pickups to be used with amplifiers, like the electric guitar.
细棹（细棹，字面意思是“细颈”），正如它的日本名字所暗示的那样，是最小的一种三味线。 琴身很小，特别呈方形，琴颈特别细，越接近琴身越远离琴弦。 一般来说，长歌中使用的是细草，更短更细的颈部有利于歌舞伎的敏捷和精湛技艺的要求。 专为长歌合奏而制作的细草三味线通常简称为长歌三味线。 hosozao 也经常用在 kouta 中，用指甲弹拨。The hosozao (細棹, literally "thin neck"), as its Japanese name implies, is the smallest kind of shamisen. The body is small and particularly square-shaped, with a particularly thin neck, which tapers away from the strings just as it approaches the body. Generally, the hosozao is used in nagauta, the shorter and thinner neck facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of kabuki. Hosozao shamisen built especially for nagauta ensembles are often simply known as nagauta shamisen. The hosozao is also often used in kouta, where it is plucked with the fingernails.
chuzao（中棹，字面意思是“中颈”）比 hosozao 大一号。 顾名思义，颈部略粗。 当琴颈靠近琴身时，琴弦和指板之间的距离保持不变，这与 hosozao 不同，它逐渐变细。 指板突然结束，颈部的其余部分急剧弯曲到乐器的主体中。 颈部与身体相遇之前出现的明显曲线称为鸽胸（鸽胸，字面意思是“鸽子的胸部”）。 结果是扩展的指板使 chuzao 比 hosozao 具有更高的音区。 初枣喜欢使用九塔式演奏，音色更宽广、更圆润。 它也是一种可以跨多种流派使用的“全能”乐器。The chuzao (中棹, literally "middle neck") is a size up from the hosozao. As its name implies, the neck is slightly thicker. As the neck approaches the body of the instrument, the distance between the strings and the fingerboard is maintained, unlike the hosozao, where it tapers off. The fingerboard ends abruptly, and the rest of the neck curves sharply into the body of the instrument. The pronounced curve that occurs just before the neck meets the body is called hatomune (鳩胸, literally "pigeon's breast"). The result is an extended fingerboard that gives the chuzao a higher register than the hosozao. The chuzao is favored for jiuta-style playing, with a broader, more mellow timbre. It is also an "all-round" instrument that can be used across many genres.
futozao（太棹，字面意思是“胖脖子”）三味线用于 gidayubushi（文乐的音乐）、jōruri min'yo 和 tsugaru-jamisen 的强劲音乐中。 在这些流派中，较粗的琴颈有助于在演奏这些风格的音乐时使用更大的力量。 tsugaru-jamisen 的 futozao 是最近的创新，并且有目的地构造成比传统风格的三味线大得多的尺寸，它的颈部比传统的 nagauta 或 jiuta 三味线更长更粗。The futozao (太棹, literally "fat neck") shamisen is used in the robust music of gidayubushi (the music of bunraku), jōruri min'yo, and tsugaru-jamisen. In these genres, a thicker neck facilitates the greater force used in playing the music of these styles. The futozao of tsugaru-jamisen is quite a recent innovation, and is purposefully constructed in a much larger size than traditional style shamisen, and its neck is much longer and thicker than the traditional nagauta or jiuta shamisen.
平家三味线是为演奏山口县下关市的民谣歌曲平家音堂而特别制作的三味线。 平家三味线的琴颈大约是大多数三味线长度的一半，使该乐器具有演奏平家音堂所需的高音域。 可以使用更典型的三味线，但必须使用变调夹装置适当调整以提高音高以使其适合使用。 如今，琴弦由钢制成以发出更好的声音，鼓皮由塑料制成以避免在演奏中破损。The heike shamisen (平家) is a shamisen particularly fashioned for the performance of the song Heike Ondo, a folk tune originating from Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The neck of the heike shamisen is about half the length of most shamisen, giving the instrument the high range needed to play Heike Ondo. The use of more typical shamisen is possible, but they must be properly adjusted with a capo device to raise their pitch to make them suitable for use. Today the strings are made out of steel to make a better sound and the drum heads are made out of plastic to avoid breakage in a performance.
拨子 (拨子)，用于演奏三味线的琴拨，在大小、形状和材料方面也因流派而异。用于长歌三味线的八极可以由三种可能的材料制成：木材、塑料或象牙。 虽然许多 nagauta 老师通常不赞成使用塑料，但如果无法获得象牙且木材仍超出价格范围，则认为可以使用塑料。The bachi (撥), the plectrum used to play the shamisen, also differ in size, shape, and material from genre to genre.The bachi used for nagauta shamisen can be made out of three possible materials: wood, plastic, or ivory. While many nagauta teachers generally do not approve of the use of plastic, if ivory is unattainable and wood is still out of price range, plastic is considered acceptable for use.
Jiuta bachi 完全由塑料或象牙、塑料和龟甲 (bekko) 或象牙和龟甲制成。 Jiuta bachi 是最容易识别的，因为它们最长、最宽，并且在龟甲与手柄相接的地方还有一个很深的凹痕。 有时也有用水牛角手柄制成的 jiuta bachi。 然而，材料对声音没有影响。Jiuta bachi are made entirely out of plastic or ivory, plastic and tortoiseshell (bekko), or ivory and tortoiseshell. Jiuta bachi are the easiest to identify as they are the longest, the widest, and also have a deep indentation where the tortoiseshell meets the handle. There are sometimes also jiuta bachi that are made with a buffalo horn handle. The material, however, makes no difference in the sound.
koma (驹) 或琴桥可以用陈旧的竹子、象牙、牛骨 (shari)、紫檀木、水牛角、kōki 木、上述材料的任意组合或学生级别的塑料制成。 Koma 有很多高度。 koma 越高，声音越大，越难控制快速的 sukui。 较高的 koma 被认为不适合初学者。The koma (駒), or bridge, can be fashioned out of aged bamboo, ivory, ox-bone (shari), rosewood, buffalo horn, kōki wood, any combination of the above, or plastic for the student level. Koma come in many heights. The higher the koma, the louder the sound will be, and the harder it is to control a rapid sukui. Higher koma are not considered suitable for beginners.
用于 nagauta 的 koma 使用 3.2 和 3.6 之间的高度。 nagauta 的 Koma 仅由三种材料制成：象牙、骨头和塑料。 象牙是最昂贵的，可以产生最理想的声音和放大效果，但由于价格高昂，通常只在表演中使用。 Ox-bone 或 shari 是最受欢迎的 koma 材料，用于练习和正在表演的学生。 由于象牙的音量和振动，它通常由老师或 tate-jamisen（主三味线）使用，以便其他演奏者可以跟随他们的音调和信号。 塑料锨在现代变得越来越硬，因为与斜里钺相比，这种材料被认为会产生令人不快的声音。 Shari 并不比塑料贵多少，大多数老师公开表达他们对塑料 koma 的不满并要求使用 shari。The koma used for nagauta use a height between 3.2 and 3.6. Koma for nagauta are fashioned out of only three materials: ivory, bone, and plastic. Ivory is the most expensive and produces the most desirable sound and amplification, but due to its high price tag is normally only used in performances. Ox-bone or shari is the most popular koma material for practice and with students who are performing. Because of ivory's volume and vibration, it is normally used by a teacher or tate-jamisen (lead shamisen), so that the other players can follow their tone and signals. Plastic koma are increasingly harder in the modern day, as the material is considered to produce an undesirable sound when compared to shari koma. Shari is not much more expensive than plastic, and most teachers openly express their displeasure with plastic koma and require shari.
用于 jiuta 的 koma 在 2.6 和 2.8 之间变化，但可以特别订购其他高度。 jiuta 的 Koma 由一些精选材料制成，例如黄色或黑色水牛角 (suigyu)，这是 jiuta 的标准材料。 黑水牛角在切割成 jiuta koma 风格时没有明显的声音差异，并且远没有那么受欢迎。 黄色水牛是柔塔式三味线中使用最广泛的一种，无论是在实践中还是在表演中。 由于 suigyu 的价格较高，因此可以使用塑料。 很多人认为，对于久塔来说，两者的音色差别并不大，只是振动有很大的变化。 塑料发出的声音比较沉闷，这对九塔来说不是最有利的。 练习时不时使用斜里，但从不用于柔塔表演。The koma used for jiuta vary between 2.6 and 2.8, though other heights can be specially ordered. Koma for jiuta are made out of a few select materials, such as yellow or black water buffalo horn (suigyu), which are the standard for jiuta. Blackwater buffalo horn does not have a significant sound difference when cut in the jiuta koma style, and is far less popular. Yellow suigyu is the most widely used for jiuta-style shamisen, both in practice and performance. Plastic is available because of the higher price tag of suigyu. Many people believe that for jiuta, there is not a great sound difference between the two, but there is a high change in vibration. Plastic makes a deader sound, which is not the most favorable for jiuta. Shari is used from time to time in practice, but never for jiuta performances.
用于津轻和民友三味线的驹通常为 2.6 高，但有时为 2.7 或 2.8。 由于其独特的结构和使用两种不同的材料，Tsugaru koma 非常容易识别。 Tsugaru koma 宽度很薄，而且不是很高。 底座通常由竹子、熏竹或某种木头制成，而琴弦穿过的上半部分可以由象牙、骨头或龟甲制成。 由于 futozao 三味线的琴弦和琴颈都很粗，一般来说，津轻琴桥往往比其他琴桥更长。 gidayu koma（最高的 koma，由黑色水牛角制成）和 kiyomoto koma（与 nagauta koma 完全相似，除了它的宽度）有时会与 tsugaru koma 混淆。Koma used for both tsugaru and min'yo shamisen are typically 2.6 in height, though sometimes 2.7 or 2.8. Tsugaru koma are very easily identifiable due to their unique structure and use of two different materials. Tsugaru koma are very thin in width, and are not very high. The base is usually made of either bamboo, smoked bamboo, or a wood of some kind, while the top half in which the strings pass through can be made of ivory, bone, or tortoiseshell. Because of the thickness of both the strings and neck of the futozao shamisen, the tsugaru bridge in general tends to be longer than the others. Both the gidayu koma (the highest koma made, fashioned out of black buffalo horn) and the kiyomoto koma (which resembles the nagauta koma exactly, save for its width) are sometimes confused with the tsugaru koma.
