Tsugaru Bachi | Bekko

Traditional bekko bachi for Tsugaru playing style. Bekko bachi are the standard for Tsugaru playing style. The flexibility of the blade and the distinct snapping sound when striking the strings is an important nuance of the authentic sound of Tsugaru Shamisen. Playing with a bekko bachi feels entirely different from playing with a standard student plastic bachi. And it transforms the sound of your shamisen immensely, too.

The blade of this particular bachi is thick yet flexible and suitable for harder playing styles. The coloring of the blade is like coffee with a fresh pour of milk. Held against light you can see the warm brown is mixed with some yellow – and of course there’s this adorable little yellow spot that makes me happy just looking at it.

The corners show signs of use but are still great to play with. There are some scratches on the blade (see pictures) which I suppose stem from someone using to coarse sandpaper on it. They can be smoothed out with some sandpaper if it bothers you.

The handle is of average length and should be comfortable for players with medium-sized hands. It has some small matte spots from storing that are very subtle.

With its weight of 143,9 grams, this bachi doesn’t feel heavy while still providing you with some extra momentum when you swing at the strings. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to weight and it has nothing to do with your body size or playing style. It really is personal preference.

If you’re just starting out with playing the shamisen: It’s pretty common that the bachi feels a bit weird at the beginning. But it should not cause any pain – neither in wrist nor in any of the fingers of your bachi hand. Please make sure not to grip the bachi handle when playing but to have the bachi wedged in your hand in a relaxed way (I know, it’s hard! But that really is the key to a healthy swing, painless play and a great tone).

measurements:

• blade: 9,4 cm
• length: 18,4 cm
• hilt width (bottom end): 26,5 mm
• hilt height (bottom end): 24 mm
• weight: 143,9 g