His father, Imperial Prince Atsuzane, was famous for his biwa play and, most probably because of its influence, Masanobu was also a past master mentioned as 'very good at music and the greatest master of his period' and he defined 'Gen-ke Konpon Roei Nanashu' (seven singing poems for the Minamoto family) and later called "the patriarch of Roei recitation."
また、父敦実親王が琵琶の名手として有名で、その影響か雅信自身も「音楽堪能、一代之名匠也」といわるほどの達人で「源家根本朗詠七首」などを定め、後世に朗詠の祖とまで言われるようになった。