Recently, thanks to my mildly improved financial situation, I decided to treat myself to a Jabisen (snake-skinned, stringed instrument), a traditional Japanese instrument that originates from Okinawa. It's very similar to, but not to be confused with a Shamisen (三味線) an instrument that came after the jabisen.
Having played the guitar for a couple of years, I wasn't completely at a loss as to how to get a nice sound out of it, but the lack of frets and the slightly odd tuning (A,D,A) make it quite difficult to play, not to mention that the strings are placed so closely together that when you place your finger on one string, it's quite difficult to avoid muting the adjacent ones.
Only by playing one note, you automatically generate a feeling of tradition, conjuring images of a long-gone Japan. It's a beautiful, tricky, and rewarding instrument. I look forward to getting better, and hopefully I'll be able to put up a little video of me playing it some time soon.
In the mean time, you'll just have to make do with a picture.
