Sakura

Sakura (or Sakura Sakura as it’s formally known as) is one of the most widely known Japanese folk songs in the world. Thus, the ideal song to know so you can impress all your friends at parties!

We start with the first part of Sakura, which is a very simple, traditional melody. Because the first part doesn’t use any special techniques (upstrokes, for example), it is great for beginners to start off with.

In Part Two, we learn the next part which I believe is a recently added section to the piece. It’s faster and upstrokes are included.

In Part Three, we play the final part which uses another special technique - suberi (also called ‘oshibachi’). Like the second part of Sakura, I believe this part is a recent addition. In any case, it’s still very cool!

Finally, I demonstrate Sakura with dynamics (changes in volume, speed and intensity to personalize the piece).

Enjoy!