How do shamisen honsū correspond to note names?

By the pitch of the first string: 1-hon = A, 2-hon = A♯, 3-hon = B, 4-hon = C, 5-hon = C♯, 6-hon = D, 7-hon = D♯, 8-hon = E, 9-hon = F, 10-hon = F♯, 11-hon = G, 12-hon = G♯. Each number up raises the pitch a semitone. In this tool’s chart, you can also check the note names of all three strings for honchōshi, niagari, and sansagari.

What’s the difference between honchōshi, niagari, and sansagari?

Honchōshi is the basic tuning, with the second string a perfect fourth above the first and the third string an octave above. Niagari raises the second string a whole step from honchōshi to a perfect fifth, and sansagari lowers the third string a whole step. At 3-hon (B), honchōshi is B–E–B, niagari is B–F♯–B, and sansagari is B–E–A.

Why does a shamisen tuner show the note an octave higher?

Because the shamisen’s “sawari” makes overtones ring strongly, a tuner may pick up the note an octave above the fundamental. If the note name matches, the string is in tune, so this tool moves the needle by note-name deviation ignoring the octave and shows octave differences as a supplementary note.

How do I find the honsū that suits my voice?

Turn on the mic and sing the tonic of a song (the note it settles on at the end), or play a recording, and it shows “this note is N-hon”. Men are generally said to use around 3 to 6-hon and women around 6 to 9-hon, but it depends on the song and range, so decide by actually playing and singing.

What notes are the sanshin’s honchōshi, niage, and sansage?

At 4-hon (C), honchōshi is ūjiru C, nakajiru F, mējiru C; niage raises the nakajiru a whole step to C–G–C; sansage lowers the mējiru a whole step to C–F–B♭; and ichiage raises the ūjiru a whole step to D–F–C. Sanshin are usually tuned starting from the mējiru.

What notes is the koto’s hirajōshi?

Hirajōshi with the first string at D is: 1 D, 2 G, 3 A, 4 B♭, 5 D, 6 E♭, 7 G, 8 A, 9 B♭, 10 D, to E♭, i G, kin A. Strings 1 and 5 are the same pitch, and 10 is an octave above. With the first string at E, everything moves up a whole step.

Should I tune to 440Hz or 442Hz?

Either is fine when playing alone, but when playing with piano or Western instruments, match that instrument, and in ensembles or classes match your teacher’s or fellow players’ reference. 442Hz is often used in Japanese traditional ensembles and orchestras. In this tool you can choose from 438 to 444Hz.

Japanese Instrument Tuner | Tune Shamisen by Honsū (Honchōshi / Niagari / Sansagari), Sanshin, and Koto Hirajōshi with Your Mic

The Japanese instrument tuner lets you tune a shamisen, sanshin, or koto with your phone or computer microphone. Choose honsū (1-hon = A up to 12-hon = G♯) with honchōshi, niagari, or sansagari for shamisen; honchōshi, niage, sansage, or ichiage for sanshin; or hirajōshi for koto (with a selectable pitch for the first string), and it shows each string’s target note name and frequency and, when you pluck a string, shows the deviation (cents) with a needle. Even if it picks up the octave above, as happens with the shamisen’s strong sawari overtones, it judges by note name so you won’t get confused. Press a string button to play a reference pitch instead of a pitch pipe, and change the A4 reference to 440Hz, 442Hz, and so on. It also shows which honsū a heard note corresponds to, so you can use it to find the honsū from a singer or a recording. Microphone audio is analyzed only on your device and is neither recorded nor sent.

Choose the instrument and tuning

Instrument

Tuning

The basic tuning. The 2nd string is a perfect fourth above the 1st, and the 3rd string an octave above.

Honsū (pitch of the 1st string)

Reference pitch (A4 = La)

Tuner (listens with the mic)

Mic is off

—

Strings to tune (press to play the reference pitch)

0 / 3 strings tuned. Tune the first string to the honsū note, then the third string exactly an octave above the first, and finally the second string. Checking again from the first string afterward helps you catch any drift.

Microphone audio is analyzed only on this device and is neither recorded nor sent. It’s steadier in a quiet place with the instrument close to the mic.

Shamisen & sanshin honsū and note-name chart

Honsū is the pitch of the first string (the ūjiru on sanshin), rising a semitone at a time from 1-hon = A. 4-hon = C and 6-hon = D. Some schools and regions name them one step off.

Honsū	1st string note	Honchōshi (1, 2, 3)	Niagari (1, 2, 3)	Sansagari (1, 2, 3)
1-hon	La (A)	A, D, A	A, E, A	A, D, G
2-hon	Ti♭ (B♭)	B♭, E♭, B♭	B♭, F, B♭	B♭, E♭, G♯
3-hon	Ti (B)	B, E, B	B, F♯, B	B, E, A
4-hon	Do (C)	C, F, C	C, G, C	C, F, B♭
5-hon	Do♯ (C♯)	C♯, F♯, C♯	C♯, G♯, C♯	C♯, F♯, B
6-hon	Re (D)	D, G, D	D, A, D	D, G, C
7-hon	Mi♭ (E♭)	E♭, G♯, E♭	E♭, B♭, E♭	E♭, G♯, C♯
8-hon	Mi (E)	E, A, E	E, B, E	E, A, D
9-hon	Fa (F)	F, B♭, F	F, C, F	F, B♭, E♭
10-hon	Fa♯ (F♯)	F♯, B, F♯	F♯, C♯, F♯	F♯, B, E
11-hon	Sol (G)	G, C, G	G, D, G	G, C, F
12-hon	Sol♯ (G♯)	G♯, C♯, G♯	G♯, E♭, G♯	G♯, C♯, F♯

The red row is the selected honsū, and the green row is the honsū of the note the mic is hearing now. Sanshin honchōshi, niage, and sansage have the same note patterns as shamisen honchōshi, niagari, and sansagari.

ABOUT

About Japanese Instrument Tuner | Tune Shamisen by Honsū (Honchōshi / Niagari / Sansagari), Sanshin, and Koto Hirajōshi with Your Mic

The Japanese instrument tuner lets you tune a shamisen, sanshin, or koto with your phone or computer microphone. Choose the instrument, the tuning (shamisen honchōshi, niagari, or sansagari; sanshin honchōshi, niage, sansage, or ichiage; koto hirajōshi), and the honsū, and each string’s target note name and frequency is listed; pluck a string and a needle and cents show whether it’s high or low. Even if it picks up the octave above because of strong overtones, as with the shamisen’s sawari, it judges by note name so you can tune correctly. String buttons play reference pitches in place of a pitch pipe, and it also shows which honsū the note you’re hearing corresponds to.

How to use Japanese Instrument Tuner | Tune Shamisen by Honsū (Honchōshi / Niagari / Sansagari), Sanshin, and Koto Hirajōshi with Your Mic

1Choose an instrument (shamisen, sanshin, or koto)
2Choose a tuning (honchōshi, niagari, sansagari, etc.) and the honsū (for koto, the pitch of the first string). If your ensemble uses 442Hz, change the reference pitch too
3Press “Tune with the mic” and allow the browser to use the microphone
4Pluck one string at a time and adjust with the tuning peg (the bridge, for koto) until the needle is centered (within ±5 cents). Loosen when it’s high and tighten when it’s low
5To tune by ear, press a string button to play the reference pitch (use “Keep playing” to leave it sounding)
6You’re done when every string has a ✓. To send the same tuning to someone, press “Copy the URL for this tuning”

Great for

Tune to the honsū before shamisen practice even without a pitch pipe
Check which string should be what note when a piece switches to niagari or sansagari
Tune a sanshin’s honchōshi, niage, or sansage with a tuner (chindami)
Quickly set the 13 bridges, from ichi to kin, for koto hirajōshi
Find which shamisen honsū a singer’s key or a recording’s note corresponds to
Tune with A set to 442Hz to match an ensemble or your teacher’s instrument
Use your phone’s browser instead when you forgot your tuner or its battery died

Good to know

Honsū is shown with 1-hon = A and each step a semitone higher (4-hon = C, 6-hon = D, 8-hon = E). Some schools and regions name them one step off, so follow your teacher if they say otherwise.
Whether a string is in tune is judged by note name (pitch without the octave). For strings with the same note name, like the third and first strings, it automatically picks the closer one by actual pitch. To specify a string, press its button.
Within ±5 cents is “In tune” and within ±20 cents is “Slightly high / slightly low”. One cent is 1/100 of a semitone.
The octave of the reference pitch is a guide. The shamisen and sanshin first string is based on 1-hon = A2 (110Hz) and 4-hon = C3, and the koto’s first string on D4.
Noise or an instrument far from the mic makes the needle waver. Use a quiet place and hold the instrument close to the microphone.
Microphone audio is analyzed only in the browser and is never recorded, saved, or sent.

Questions this tool answers

Use Japanese Instrument Tuner | Tune Shamisen by Honsū (Honchōshi / Niagari / Sansagari), Sanshin, and Koto Hirajōshi with Your Mic for searches like these:

I want to tune a shamisen with my phone’s microphone
I want to see a chart of shamisen honsū and note names
I want to know the notes for shamisen niagari and sansagari
I want to play a reference pitch in place of a pitch pipe
I want to tune a sanshin’s honchōshi, niage, and sansage with a tuner
I want to know the note names and tuning method for koto hirajōshi
I want to know which shamisen honsū a note I hear corresponds to
I want to tune Japanese instruments at 442Hz

FAQ

How do shamisen honsū correspond to note names?: By the pitch of the first string: 1-hon = A, 2-hon = A♯, 3-hon = B, 4-hon = C, 5-hon = C♯, 6-hon = D, 7-hon = D♯, 8-hon = E, 9-hon = F, 10-hon = F♯, 11-hon = G, 12-hon = G♯. Each number up raises the pitch a semitone. In this tool’s chart, you can also check the note names of all three strings for honchōshi, niagari, and sansagari.
What’s the difference between honchōshi, niagari, and sansagari?: Honchōshi is the basic tuning, with the second string a perfect fourth above the first and the third string an octave above. Niagari raises the second string a whole step from honchōshi to a perfect fifth, and sansagari lowers the third string a whole step. At 3-hon (B), honchōshi is B–E–B, niagari is B–F♯–B, and sansagari is B–E–A.
Why does a shamisen tuner show the note an octave higher?: Because the shamisen’s “sawari” makes overtones ring strongly, a tuner may pick up the note an octave above the fundamental. If the note name matches, the string is in tune, so this tool moves the needle by note-name deviation ignoring the octave and shows octave differences as a supplementary note.
How do I find the honsū that suits my voice?: Turn on the mic and sing the tonic of a song (the note it settles on at the end), or play a recording, and it shows “this note is N-hon”. Men are generally said to use around 3 to 6-hon and women around 6 to 9-hon, but it depends on the song and range, so decide by actually playing and singing.
What notes are the sanshin’s honchōshi, niage, and sansage?: At 4-hon (C), honchōshi is ūjiru C, nakajiru F, mējiru C; niage raises the nakajiru a whole step to C–G–C; sansage lowers the mējiru a whole step to C–F–B♭; and ichiage raises the ūjiru a whole step to D–F–C. Sanshin are usually tuned starting from the mējiru.
What notes is the koto’s hirajōshi?: Hirajōshi with the first string at D is: 1 D, 2 G, 3 A, 4 B♭, 5 D, 6 E♭, 7 G, 8 A, 9 B♭, 10 D, to E♭, i G, kin A. Strings 1 and 5 are the same pitch, and 10 is an octave above. With the first string at E, everything moves up a whole step.
Should I tune to 440Hz or 442Hz?: Either is fine when playing alone, but when playing with piano or Western instruments, match that instrument, and in ensembles or classes match your teacher’s or fellow players’ reference. 442Hz is often used in Japanese traditional ensembles and orchestras. In this tool you can choose from 438 to 444Hz.

Special Thanks

SOLO GUILD | サービス作るAIエンジニア

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