Sōran Bushi Bundle
Traditional fishing folk song (Minyo) for shamisen.
This is what you’ll get:
- 4 pdfs with 4 pages total: tabulature notation in three levels with lyrics, plus lyrics overview sheet
- Level 1 (Beginner-Friendly): Simplified notation focusing on core melody and rhythm. Perfect for building confidence with the song’s structure.
- Level 2 (Intermediate): Full arrangement with ornamentation, advanced techniques, and authentic stylistic detail.
- Rhythm Part: An additional rhythm notation for shamisen, easy to play and ideal for group settings with mixed skill levels. The rhythm play-along also works as a natural-sounding and fun accompaniment/backing track when performing Level 1 or Level 2.
- 9 mp3 files: mp3 play along files in three speed versions for each level
Song specifications:
- beginner to advanced beginner level
- niagari tuning (C-G-C)
- Techniques in advanced level: sukui [ ス ], hajiki [ ハ ], uchi [ ウ ], スハ combos
4,69 €
Details
Get the notation for the energetic folk song from Hokkaido called “Sōran Bushi” – in three difficulty levels and with lyrics plus super useful play along files in three speed versions to help you learn and practice the song!
The notation comes in three different versions: the basic version, the advanced version with more intricate ornamentations, and a rhythm part. There’s an additional lyrics sheet for more singing fun!
The basic version (Level 1) gets by without any techniques so you can fully focus on the song’s catchy melody and energetic rhythm. The range of positions only goes until position 6 and there’s no quick shifts involved. This makes Sōran Bushi a great song for beginners.
The advanced version stays true to the main melody but adds embellishments to make it more challenging. The techniques you will find are sukui [ ス ] (upstroke) and hajiki [ ハ ] (pull-off), uchi [ ウ ] (hammer-on), and sweet スハ combos.
The rhythm version is great for group arrangements and is super easy to play. If you don’t have anyone to join you, you can use it as a backing track while you play the Level 1 or Level 2 version on top of it! It’s super fun, so make sure to try it out!
The mp3 play along files come in three different speed versions: 65 bpm, 75 bpm, and 90 bpm.
You can download the files from your customer account page after the purchase – a link will be provided in the order confirmation e-mail.
Sound Preview:
Have a short listen to see if you like the tune! Here’s the beginning of Sōran Bushi:
Level 2
Level 1
Rhythm
About the song:
One of Japan’s most famous fishermen’s songs, Sōran Bushi comes from the herring fisheries of Hokkaidō. Sung to coordinate the hauling of heavy nets, its powerful rhythm, driving shamisen accompaniment, and iconic kakegoe (shouts like “Dokkoisho!” and “Soran!”) capture the intensity of life at sea.
Over time, the song spread across Japan and evolved into many regional and stage versions. While often recognized today in its modernized festival form, the original folk version from Hokkaidō retains a raw, work-song character rooted in the daily labor of fishermen.
A General Note on Tuning:
In every tuning, the strings are tuned in a certain relation to each other. For folk songs, there’s no fixed rigid tuning to a definite pitch (in contrast, the A-string on the violin is always tuned to 440 or 442hz) but what’s most important is how the strings are tuned in relation to each other.
A good rule of thumb is to tune your instrument over the base of C. This means, the big string will be tuned to C and the other strings according to the tuning of the song:
Honchōshi: C-F-C
Niagari: C-G-C
Sansagari: C-F-Bb
Access to the pdf and mp3:
Please note that this item is downloadable once only – just as receiving a physical copy of the scores would be. Consider it a “direct delivery” 🙂
After the purchase, you can download the file from your account page under “downloads” or via the link in your order confirmation email.
Make sure you save your file in an easy to locate directory. Please don’t hesitate to contact us via email if you need further assistance.