Changes

Three large tuning pegs, called ''karakuri'', are used to tighten or loosen the strings in order to tune the instrument. Though some modern variations on the instrument, known as "peg sanshin," use pegs which can be screwed in along a groove, like guitar pegs, traditionally, the ''karakuri'' are simply carefully carved so as to fit tightly into the holes in the top of the instrument (''tin''<ref>O: ''tin'', J: ''ten'', lit. "heaven"</ref>). The scale employed is fairly different from that of traditional Japanese music, and closely resembles that used in Indonesian gamelan. In the standard tuning, called ''honchôshi'', the three strings are most typically tuned to B-E-B, though variations exist.

Three large tuning pegs, called ''karakuri'', are used to tighten or loosen the strings in order to tune the instrument. Though some modern variations on the instrument, known as "peg sanshin," use pegs which can be screwed in along a groove, like guitar pegs, traditionally, the ''karakuri'' are simply carefully carved so as to fit tightly into the holes in the top of the instrument (''tin''<ref>O: ''tin'', J: ''ten'', lit. "heaven"</ref>). The scale employed is fairly different from that of traditional Japanese music, and closely resembles that used in Indonesian gamelan. In the standard tuning, called ''honchôshi'', the three strings are most typically tuned to B-E-B, though variations exist.

The body of the instrument is a rounded square wooden box, made of two sections of wood, and pierced through by the ''sao'', which extends a half-inch or so beyond the bottom of the instrument (''chii''<ref>O: ''chii'', J: ''chi'', lit. "earth"</ref.). Python skin is used for the skin of the body of the instrument, in contrast to the cat or dogskin used traditionally on Japanese shamisen. Though Okinawa is famous for the venomous ''[[habu]]'' snake, the ''habu'' is in fact too small for its skin to be used to make sanshin, and it is believed that the snakeskin for sanshin has always been imported from Southeast Asia. Though the pythons used to make sanshin skins today are not an endangered species, the difficulty of distinguishing one snakeskin from another makes transporting real-skin (J: ''hongawa'') sanshin internationally somewhat risky. However, cheaper sanshin with plastic skins are quite common today as well.

The body of the instrument is a rounded square wooden box, made of two sections of wood, and pierced through by the ''sao'', which extends a half-inch or so beyond the bottom of the instrument (''chii''<ref>O: ''chii'', J: ''chi'', lit. "earth"</ref>). Python skin is used for the skin of the body of the instrument, in contrast to the cat or dogskin used traditionally on Japanese shamisen. Though Okinawa is famous for the venomous ''[[habu]]'' snake, the ''habu'' is in fact too small for its skin to be used to make sanshin, and it is believed that the snakeskin for sanshin has always been imported from Southeast Asia. Though the pythons used to make sanshin skins today are not an endangered species, the difficulty of distinguishing one snakeskin from another makes transporting real-skin (J: ''hongawa'') sanshin internationally somewhat risky. However, cheaper sanshin with plastic skins are quite common today as well.

The sanshin's strings are played with a small claw-like piece called a ''chimi''<ref>O: ''chimi'', J: ''tsume'', lit. "claw"</ref>, made of water buffalo horn, lacquered wood, ivory, or another material, which is fitted over the index finger and held in place with the thumb and other fingers. Rather than plucking or picking at the strings, as is done with certain other instruments, the sanshin ''chimi'' is simply passed through the strings, coming to rest on the next string as each string is played.

The sanshin's strings are played with a small claw-like piece called a ''chimi''<ref>O: ''chimi'', J: ''tsume'', lit. "claw"</ref>, made of water buffalo horn, lacquered wood, ivory, or another material, which is fitted over the index finger and held in place with the thumb and other fingers. Rather than plucking or picking at the strings, as is done with certain other instruments, the sanshin ''chimi'' is simply passed through the strings, coming to rest on the next string as each string is played.