Performing Te: Gesture and Timbre in Fujikura Dai’s neo for Solo Shamisen

Abstract

This article proposes an intercultural analysis of gesture and timbre in Fujikura Dai’s neo for solo shamisen (2014). I analyze neo through the concept of te, a term used by shamisen players to refer to 1) recurring melodic patterns; and 2) their characteristic fingerings, hand positions, and performance techniques. My analysis of neo highlights how a performer’s use of te can shape the form of a piece. Through aural and visual analysis of performances by shamisen player Honjoh Hidejirō, I demonstrate how the form of neo unfolds through changes in te. Weaving together the embodied knowledge of shamisen players, Japanese and U.S./Canadian theories of fretboard topography, and performance analysis, my consideration of te serves as an intercultural mode of analysis that reflects Fujikura’s and Honjoh’s backgrounds in Western art music, shamisen performance, and rock.