Uraha

The shamisen tuner that records your own instrument as a tuning reference. Now with a smarter, glanceable tuner: auto-advance, tap-to-play reference tones, and more.

Why a shamisen-dedicated tuner?

The shamisen's distinctive tone — shaped by its percussive attack, rapid decay, rich harmonic overtones, and the characteristic sawari buzz — makes it notoriously difficult for general-purpose digital tuners to detect accurately. Uraha is purpose-built and optimized specifically for the shamisen.

Why choose Uraha?

■ Record Your Own Shamisen — My Shamisen

No two shamisen sound alike. Record your instrument at its perfectly tuned pitch, then play that recording back before every performance to tune your strings to it — not a generic reference pitch, but the character of your own instrument. Review each take before saving it, add a quick memo, and swipe away any you no longer need. Found in no other shamisen tuner app.

■ [New in Version 3.0] A Smarter, Glanceable Tuner

A giant, easy-to-read note display and one tap-to-play target pill — tap to hear the reference tone (the mic pauses automatically while it plays), long-press to loop it. Hold a string in tune for a second and Uraha hands-free advances to the next one. A built-in tuner test lets you confirm everything works before you're on stage.

■ Ear Tuning with Authentic Shamisen Tone

Uraha plays a synthesized tone that closely recreates the resonance and timbre of a real shamisen, so you can tune by ear the way musicians have for centuries. Fine-tune the timbre to match your own instrument and preference.

■ Digital Tuner Optimized for Shamisen

Calibrated specifically for the shamisen's pitch range and harmonic structure, Uraha detects the fundamental pitch far more reliably than conventional chromatic tuners — use it alongside ear tuning for precision you can see and hear.

■ Instrument-Type Presets

Fine-tune the synthesized tone for Tsugaru shamisen, nagauta, jiuta, and more, then save up to three configurations as presets — ideal if you own multiple instruments or switch between genres.

■ Full Support for All Three Traditional Tunings

Hon-choshi, Ni-agari, and San-sagari — accurate reference pitches for every standard shamisen tuning, one tap away.

■ Tuning Memos

Save named notes tied to a base tone and tuning — the song, the piece, the player — so your settings are always one tap away. Ideal for teachers tracking students' setups or performers managing multiple pieces.

■ Accessible by Design

Every primary control — record, play, save, tune — includes VoiceOver labels, and the app fully supports both Light and Dark Mode.

Who is Uraha for?

Anyone who has struggled to tune a shamisen with a standard tuner; players of Tsugaru shamisen, nagauta, jiuta, or other specific styles; those who play multiple instruments or switch between genres; performers who need to match pitch with others in an ensemble; and anyone who needs reliable, repeatable tuning at rehearsal or on stage.

A tuner built for the shamisen, by a shamisen player. Uraha supports your performance.