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はい、皆さん注目。上の写真でこっさんが持っている物は普通の三線ではありません。これ、ヘッドの部分を見ると分かるのですが、ペグが６本ついています。つまり六線（ろくしん）です。噂には聞いていましたが、初めて見ました。12弦ギターのように２弦づつ組みになっています。弦は普通の三線の線と１オクターブ高い奄美三線の線を張るそうです。
I know that sanshin, the three-string Okinawan banjo, is not really familiar instrument in the U.S., but what you are seeing on this pic is even less familiar. Ladies and gents, this is rokushin (meaning "six strings"). I have heard of it but have never actually seen it before. The strings are paired together like a 12-string guitar. Normal sanshin strings and also Amami sanshin strings, which are one octive higher, are used on rokushin. |
お坊様のこっさんがお忙しい中、また稽古をつけて下さいました。ありがたや、ありがたや。今日の課題は前回の『安里屋ユンタ』と『三線の花』に加えて『てぃんさぐぬ花』と『オジー自慢のオリオンビール』をやりました。
今日の大発見。それは『三線を弾く時は（左手の）薬指を使わない』ということでした。し、知らなんだ。しかし、なぜ？確かに運指に制約がある弦楽器はいろいろありますが、それにはそれぞれ明確な理由があります。コントラバスではロー・ポジションでは薬指を使いません。それは楽器が大き過ぎて、薬指では届かないからです。（蛇足ですが、全く新しい運指の方法としてウチの一雄さんのように薬指も使う運指方法がありますが、これはかなり特殊な方法です）。フレットレスのエレキベースでも薬指を使わないで教える人もいるそうですが、これもコントラバスほどではないにせよ、弦長が長い楽器なので分かります。（私は全部の指で弾くように教えますがね）。三味線では小指を使いません。それは三味線のように人差し指の爪を立てて演奏すると、小指は短過ぎて薬指より遠くには届かないからです。さて、三線に話を戻します。これが分かりません。ギターよりもちょっと短めの弦長なので指が届かないわけがありません。三味線のように特殊な運指もしません。うむむむ、不可解。ネットで検索しても、あんまり納得のいく説明が出てきません。しかも薬指を使った方が全然ラクです。うーむ、どうしませう。矯正するなら今しかないんだよなぁ‥‥‥‥‥
My new friend who is also a zen monk, Kossan, kindly gave us another sanshin lesson in spite of his busy schedule. Thank you so very much, Kossan. I have discovered a shocking fact. It is "You don't use the ring finger (on left hand) to play the sanshin." I had no idea, but the question is "why not?" Although there are several string instruments which omit certain fingers to use, there are crystal clear reasons for that. For example, when you play the acoustic bass, which is my main instrument, you don't use the ring finger because the instrument is way too big and it is physically impossible to reach with the ring finger. (there are exception for this. Some bass players, especially young guys, use the newly developed fingering which utilizes all the fingers and our bassist Kazuo is also using this technic). Some bass instructors teach their students not to use the ring finger when you play the electric fretless basses. Though I don't teach that way, I kind of understand it because an electric bass is not as huge as an acoustic bass but still its string length is quite long, meaning you have to spread the left hand when you play. When you play the shamisen, which is Japanese three-string banjo used in the main islands, you don't use the pinkie because you have to place the nail of the index finger on the finger board. In this particular fingering, the pinkie does not reach further than the ring finger. Now let's go back to sanshin. The scale (the length of the strings) is a bit shorter than guitars so you can easily use all fingers on every position. There is no special fingering technic like shamisen. Mmm, incomprehensible. I searched on the net but there is no convincing explanations. To be honest, it is much easier and much more natural to use the ring finger. Well, what should I do? If I correct my fingering, I have to do it now.....
It was the party gig with my old buddies, Lou and Enrique. The thing was the venue was in Gladston, New Jersey. That is quite deep in New Jersey and took me three hours to get to the nearest station. Unlike New York City, the place is made with lands. I walked 20 minutes to the gate of the club and another 20 minutes from the gate to the club house. That was insane!
Enrique Haneine (Piano)
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