In 2020, when I started my online research about how to play shinobue, pretty much everything I saw said I needed to have a "smiley position" (please see the pictures above). And being the excellent student that I am, I followed the advice... just to re-learn everything a year later.

I was playing lots of kan on songs, but I could see the tension in my cheek (using a mirror) and felt it, too. I wouldn't say I liked it, but I could only play kan on if I used the smiley position!! But I noticed none of the famous shinobue players showed tension in their cheeks.

When I started studying with Bunta Satoh sensei, he taught me how to play with relaxation, and my tone became full and round (not tight and edgy). But the change was gradual. For months, I couldn’t make any decent sound at all. Going from playing pieces with many kan on to not being able to make any sound was frustrating. I felt like I was starting all over again. But I’ve learned to play many instruments and even done sports, and I KNOW unduly tension is never the answer to mastering anything. So, I welcomed Bunta sensei's relaxed way even though I felt like I was starting from scratch again.

Why do most articles encourage the smiley position, then?? I’ve talked with other shinobue teachers, and we believe it’s because it IS easier to make a sound initially if you have a smiley position. If someone bought a shinobue and couldn’t make any sound, that would be super discouraging. They might even give up. To prevent that, many manuals encourage the smiley position. So, if you are just beginning, and the smiley position is the only way you can make a sound, that’s OK! But always know that the goal is to learn to play without unduly tension. The smiley position is like a training wheel for a bike. Eventually, you need to get rid of it, even if it means you can’t ride a bike like you used to for a while. So even though you might be super happy to play shinobue, if you want a beautiful tone, don’t smile!! 😛

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💓Love playing shinobue? Great! But don't SMILE! 😱

Miki Saito