Hiroshi Sato Practices Sanshin In Silence
Hiroshi Sato practiced the sanshin without making a sound to avoid disturbing neighbors, revealing the importance of sound in playing the instrument. This unusual practice session highlighted the challenges of playing music without auditory feedback.
Original reporting · uxdesign.cc
Original: “Playing the sanshin without a sound”
Read “Playing the sanshin without a sound” at UX Collective →
How this was written. CTCV wrote this article with a language model from UX Collective’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from UX Collective’s report
- Hiroshi Sato practiced the sanshin without making a sound to avoid disturbing his neighbors.
- The absence of sound made it challenging for Sato to judge his playing and keep his place.
- Sato's experience highlights the importance of sound in playing a musical instrument.
- Sato's practice session provided valuable insight into the role of sound in music playing.
- Sato may apply this newfound understanding to his work and future music endeavors.
Hiroshi Sato, a designer and humanities learner in Japan, recently practiced the sanshin, a three-stringed instrument from Okinawa, in an unconventional way. He played the instrument without making a sound, pressing the strings without plucking them and miming the rest, to avoid disturbing his neighbors in the apartment.
The sanshin is typically played while singing old songs of the islands, but Sato's late-night practice session required him to adapt to a silent approach. This experience was much harder than he expected, as he had to rely solely on his physical movements and memory to play the instrument.
Sato had never played music as a hobby before and had assumed that playing an instrument involved reading the score and pressing the right strings at the right moment. However, without the sound to guide him, he found it difficult to keep his place and press the right position on the strings.
The absence of sound made it challenging for Sato to judge his playing, as he normally relies on the sound to determine if a note is correct and what should come next. This quiet judgment is usually done unconsciously, but without the sound, it had nothing to work with, making the practice session difficult and dull.
Sato's experience highlights the importance of sound in playing a musical instrument, even for experienced players. The sound provides feedback that helps players adjust their technique and stay on track, and its absence can make playing much more challenging.
Sato's practice session may have been unusual, but it provided valuable insight into the role of sound in music playing. As a designer and humanities learner, Sato is likely to apply this newfound understanding to his work and future music endeavors.
The experience of playing the sanshin without sound may also influence Sato's approach to music and instrument playing in the future. He may explore new ways to practice and play the instrument, incorporating the lessons learned from this silent practice session. This article is based on reporting by UX Collective.
Questions and answers
What is the sanshin?
The sanshin is a three-stringed instrument from Okinawa, typically played while singing old songs of the islands.
Why did Hiroshi Sato practice the sanshin without making a sound?
Sato practiced the sanshin without making a sound to avoid disturbing his neighbors in the apartment.
What did Sato learn from this experience?
Sato learned that the sound plays a crucial role in playing a musical instrument, providing feedback that helps players adjust their technique and stay on track.
