Which Japanese instrument resembles a banjo and is derived from the Chinese sanxian; its strings are commonly nylon and it is played with a bachi?

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Multiple Choice

Which Japanese instrument resembles a banjo and is derived from the Chinese sanxian; its strings are commonly nylon and it is played with a bachi?

Think of an instrument with a round resonator that resembles a banjo, a long neck, and three nylon strings that are plucked with a flat pick called a bachi. This setup identifies the shamisen. It traces its origin to the Chinese sanxian and was adapted in Japan into a three-string, often nylon-stringed instrument played with a bachi, producing bright, crisp tones. The other options don’t fit because the koto is a long rectangular zither with many strings, the biwa is a different-shaped lute with separate playing style, and the taiko is a drum, not a string instrument.

Think of an instrument with a round resonator that resembles a banjo, a long neck, and three nylon strings that are plucked with a flat pick called a bachi. This setup identifies the shamisen. It traces its origin to the Chinese sanxian and was adapted in Japan into a three-string, often nylon-stringed instrument played with a bachi, producing bright, crisp tones. The other options don’t fit because the koto is a long rectangular zither with many strings, the biwa is a different-shaped lute with separate playing style, and the taiko is a drum, not a string instrument.

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