Shamisen three" or "lowered third" refers to tuning the shamisen to honchoshi and lowering the 3rd string (the string with the highest pitch) down a whole step, so that now the instrument is tuned in fourths, e.g. D, G, C. Instead of having a set tuning, such as on a guitar (i.e. E, A, D, G, B, E) or a violin (i.e. G, D, A, E), the shamisen is tuned according to the register of the singer, or simply to the liking of the player. The shamisen player can tune the shamisen to whatever register desired, so long as the above
Five string violin he first showcased his modification during his performance in Las Vegas. The components that make up a five string violin are very similar to those found on a traditional violin. The strings are typically tuned to the following pitches, given in scientific pitch notation: C3, G3, D4, A4 and E5. The shape of the body and neck of a five string violin closely resemble that of a traditional violin. The body may be slightly wider and deeper to improve the resonance of the C string. It features a larger pegbox to accommodate the fifth string. Although larger than a traditional