 According to his research, Nitabō acquired and modified a shamisen in 1877 for which he adopted a different playing style.Nitabō rounded off the plectrum of the instrument such that it was shaped like a rice paddle.In addition, he adopted a playing style with the shamisen held upright, included the area around the bridge as the playing area, and incorporated beating and slapping the strings in contrast to exclusive use of the plectrum.