Kyle Abbott

Kyle Abbott is a shamisen performer, educator, and instrument-maker. He founded Bachido, the first global shamisen community, and creates resources, workshops, and recordings that expands accessibility of shamisen to new audiences.

Kyle Abbott (Santa Cruz, CA) is a leading shamisen artist, teacher, and craftsman dedicated to making the tsugaru shamisen accessible and inspiring to people around the world. In Waves of Harmony, he plays shamisen, mandolin, banjo, igil, and sings in countertenor, folk, and throat singing styles.

Musical Foundation

Kyle’s musical life began early: by age seven he was already playing mandolin, guitar, banjo, violin, and bass. These early explorations provided a deep musical grounding before he discovered the shamisen at age 13. With curiosity and persistence, he taught himself techniques, began building his own instruments, and refined his approach over time.

Founding of Bachido

In 2011, Kyle founded Bachido, the world’s first online shamisen community, with the goal of connecting players worldwide and creating a supportive, growth-oriented environment. Through Bachido, he offers instruction, workshops, instrument building guides, community discussion, and encouragement for shamisen learners at all levels.

Kyle’s teaching style emphasizes clarity and incremental progress: he breaks down techniques so beginners can advance steadily, while also offering nuance for refinement at higher levels.

Performance, Recordings & Collaborations

Kyle has produced solo albums like The Cuckoo and Frosty, and contributed to ensemble works such as Monsters of Shamisen. He also collaborated across genres and performance contexts, bringing shamisen into new musical conversations.

One notable role was supporting the 2015 film Kubo and the Two Strings: Kyle recorded live shamisen parts to help animators understand the instrument’s real-world sound and motion.

At festivals, concerts, and workshops across the U.S., Japan, and Europe, he performs tsugaru repertoire and leads interactive sessions to inspire learners and audiences alike.

Waves of Harmony Music

Kyle is the founder and leader of Waves of Harmony, an eclectic ensemble that merges traditional Japanese shamisen with a wide range of world folk music. With its five album (50 song total) series being it’s flagship project, Kyle’s uniting the talents of over 40 virtuoso musicians to create a symphony of wondrous melodies and arrangements. Kyle’s contributions to this project showcase his versatility and commitment to wholehearted collaboration.

Philosophy & Outlook

Kyle sees the shamisen as more than a traditional instrument—it’s a bridge for cultural exchange, personal creativity, and community building. Through Bachido and his performances, he invites people to experience the instrument’s energy, depth, and expressive possibilities.

He continues to evolve his own playing, instrument-building, and teaching materials, always with the goal of making the shamisen approachable while retaining its artistic core.