Sakura Beginner Version

Get the notation for Sakura plus super useful play along files to help you learn and practice the song!

The mp3 play along files come in three different speed versions: 80 bpm, 100 bpm and 120 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.

Wanna have a short listen to see if you like the tune? Here’s the beginning of Sakura:

About the song:

Sakura is probably the most well-known song in japan. It’s a song about the beautiful cherry blossoms that have such a special place in the Japanese culture. This song has been adapted for every instrument one can think of. This version is written out for shamisen in bunkafu (tabulature) notation. This version is without lyrics and is suited for beginners. As the melody is so very catchy and the melodical elements are quite repetitive, this song is very well suited for absolute beginners.

• Tuning: Niagari
• Techniques: Hajiki (left-hand pluck)

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:

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.