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Kikuchi, Shunsuke

2 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Soundtrack

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Composer Overview

Shunsuke Kikuchi (1931-2021) was a legendary Japanese composer best known for his iconic anime and tokusatsu soundtracks spanning from the late 1960s through the 1990s. While Kikuchi himself was primarily a composer and arranger rather than a guitarist, his work is deeply relevant to electric guitarists because of the driving, melodic guitar parts woven into his anime theme songs. Tracks like "Goldorak" (the French opening for UFO Robo Grendizer) and "Gaby et les Petits Malins" feature punchy, energetic guitar work performed by elite Japanese studio musicians of the era. These session players brought a blend of rock, funk, and orchestral pop sensibility that makes Kikuchi's catalogue a goldmine for intermediate guitarists looking to develop melodic phrasing and rhythmic precision. The guitar style across Kikuchi's compositions leans heavily on clean-to-crunch tones with bright, articulate single-coil or low-output humbucker sounds. You will hear plenty of rhythmic strumming with tight palm-muted passages, melodic fills that bridge vocal sections, and occasional fuzz-driven lead lines that add drama to climactic moments. The playing is never excessively shreddy; instead, it rewards players who focus on tone, timing, and tasteful note choice. Think of it as a masterclass in serving the song rather than showing off technique. For guitarists, the difficulty level of Kikuchi's material sits comfortably in the beginner-to-intermediate range. The chord progressions are generally straightforward (lots of major and minor diatonic movement), but the real challenge lies in nailing the rhythmic feel, the dynamic shifts between verse and chorus, and the precise articulation of melodic hooks. Studio musicians on these recordings played with impeccable timing against large orchestral arrangements, so learning these parts will sharpen your ability to lock in with a band. If you are into J-rock origins, anime music guitar covers, or just want fun, catchy songs that sound great on electric guitar, Kikuchi's catalogue is a rewarding and often overlooked resource.

What Makes Shunsuke Kikuchi Essential for Guitar Players

  • The Goldorak (Grendizer) theme features a driving rhythm guitar part built on power chords and palm-muted eighth notes, making it an excellent exercise for developing tight downpicking consistency and muting control.
  • Melodic fills between vocal phrases in Kikuchi's themes are typically played in pentatonic and natural minor scales in the middle register of the neck, perfect for developing your ability to play concise, singable lead lines without excess.
  • Many of the rhythm parts use a clean-to-light-crunch tone with a bright attack, requiring precise pick dynamics. Playing too hard will sound harsh, and too soft will lose the energy. This teaches excellent pick-hand control.
  • Gaby et les Petits Malins features a bouncy, slightly funky rhythm guitar approach with chord stabs and muted scratches that will challenge your sense of groove and syncopation at moderate tempos.
  • The arrangements often shift from soft, arpeggiated clean sections to louder, driven chorus parts, so learning these songs is great practice for managing your amp's gain staging or rolling your guitar volume knob for dynamic transitions.

Did You Know?

Kikuchi's anime themes were recorded with some of Tokyo's finest studio musicians in the 1970s and 1980s, players who could seamlessly shift between jazz, rock, enka, and orchestral pop in a single session.

The Goldorak theme became a massive hit in France and the Middle East, meaning the guitar riff from a Japanese studio session became one of the most recognized melodies across multiple continents.

Session guitarists on Kikuchi's recordings typically used Japanese-made instruments from brands like Tokai, Greco, and Fernandes, which were superb quality copies of Fender and Gibson designs during that golden era of Japanese guitar manufacturing.

Kikuchi composed over 1,200 pieces of music across his career, and electric guitar was a consistent presence in his arrangements even when full orchestras were involved, showing his respect for the instrument's expressive power.

The guitar parts in Kikuchi's themes were often doubled or layered in the studio to create a wider, fuller sound, a technique you can replicate by recording two takes panned left and right for a huge stereo spread.

Despite being an orchestral composer by training, Kikuchi embraced rock and pop instrumentation earlier than many of his peers, making his 1970s anime soundtracks sound surprisingly modern and guitar-forward for the era.

Many of Kikuchi's French-language anime themes (like Goldorak) were re-arranged with slightly different guitar parts than the Japanese originals, so comparing both versions is a fun exercise in understanding how arrangement choices change a song's feel.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

UFO Robo Grendizer (Original Soundtrack) 1975

This soundtrack features the iconic Goldorak theme with its driving rhythm guitar and melodic fills that are perfect for intermediate players to learn. The variety of moods across the score, from intense battle cues to softer character themes, gives you a diverse workout in dynamics, tone control, and rhythmic precision.

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Dragon Ball Z: Complete Song Collection 1989

While not directly tied to the GuitarZone tracks, this collection showcases Kikuchi's later, more rock-influenced writing with heavier distorted guitar tones and more aggressive riffing. Songs like 'Cha-La Head-Cha-La' (composed by Chiho Kiyooka but arranged in Kikuchi's style) demonstrate how to play energetic anime rock with tight alternate picking and catchy power chord progressions.

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How to Practice Shunsuke Kikuchi on GuitarZone

Every Shunsuke Kikuchi song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Goldorak (UFO Robo Grendizer) - Guitar TabPractice Gaby et les Petits Malins - Guitar Tab