Posted by: karl314285
The Shakuhachi/art/breath control/spiritual - 08/18/09 02:32 AM
WOW...so sad...either y'all loved the blurb on Japanese Woodblock prints or (more sadly) NO MA folk are interested in the well rounded arts a classic Samurai was to practice, the simplicity/perfecting the exacting eye(or Ear)/and the ritualized entertaining of guests required to compliment and enhance the warrior as whole. Ikibana, rock gardens, calligraphy, music,and the tea ceremony just a few.
The Shakuhachi has a history, an initial form and the form samurai could use as a weapon as well. Names of distinct portions and has masters who choose the bamboo to harvest,carvers, testers, and a host of types of individuals who played this instrument (Buyer be patient, no reed but an exact angle carved as the blowing end called the "utaguchi", i'm no musician, picked mine up at a ritzy art fest, cheap too compared to modern custom mades, why low price....
It is a bear to get the first octave and then there is a second octave obtained first on the "root flutes" or those whose base was cut and shaved 3 circumferential root rings (the noggin knocker samurai used as a weapon) which has a tapering of the bamboo bore, in combination with exacting lip formation and flute angle as second octave is had....IF YOU EVER LEARN HOW TO MAKE A NOTE, hahhahh took me a while and sadly the dude I was boxing as I was gettin good at scales on both octaves closed my eye and punched my mouthpiece out with the bonus of causing a lower incisor to fully exit my lower lip, cutting a nerve, now sensation is been back but cant quite purse lips just right.
This is not an easy pick n play flute expect lots of practice time, thus lower price cause no one was buying, got lucky, new root flutes start at~$600 now, mine is near 22 years old (storage and cleaning moisture from bore after playing as well as paranoid protection of Utaguchi to avoid chipping thin edge later), More than scales needs must find Internatonal Shakuhachi Society accreditated teacher. But the rich sound and the variations well worth the time to get just 1st note.
There are four forward finger holes and one rear, so the flute has a pentatonic scale, starting out easiest if no holes covered, held lightly index and pinky will cover holes and two middle fingers between holes gently hold the Shakuhachi.
The lips form a gentle smile and the proper shape of the purse portion is a loose to tight "Shakuhachi embouchure", lower 1st octave sounds are looser and second octave tighter, to play scales in both octaves also requires slight alterations in lip proximity and flute angle, notin' to do but practice. Good luck and patience.
Store flute in what resembles a small sword bag. after playing a moisture removal cloth is fed through,the "Tsuyutoshi"
theres more but another intrepid soul may have to contribute, sorry I skipped history and types as well as the healing properties of the songs of the Zen monks called Kumosu, or that repentant samurai wore goofy baskets and begged out of sorrow for the lives they took.
there is a part two, may-hap one day i can finish
Karl. Peace. You get what you pay (and wait) for...but if not the determined to practice type one may spend thousands to hear "passing wind"
The Shakuhachi has a history, an initial form and the form samurai could use as a weapon as well. Names of distinct portions and has masters who choose the bamboo to harvest,carvers, testers, and a host of types of individuals who played this instrument (Buyer be patient, no reed but an exact angle carved as the blowing end called the "utaguchi", i'm no musician, picked mine up at a ritzy art fest, cheap too compared to modern custom mades, why low price....
It is a bear to get the first octave and then there is a second octave obtained first on the "root flutes" or those whose base was cut and shaved 3 circumferential root rings (the noggin knocker samurai used as a weapon) which has a tapering of the bamboo bore, in combination with exacting lip formation and flute angle as second octave is had....IF YOU EVER LEARN HOW TO MAKE A NOTE, hahhahh took me a while and sadly the dude I was boxing as I was gettin good at scales on both octaves closed my eye and punched my mouthpiece out with the bonus of causing a lower incisor to fully exit my lower lip, cutting a nerve, now sensation is been back but cant quite purse lips just right.
This is not an easy pick n play flute expect lots of practice time, thus lower price cause no one was buying, got lucky, new root flutes start at~$600 now, mine is near 22 years old (storage and cleaning moisture from bore after playing as well as paranoid protection of Utaguchi to avoid chipping thin edge later), More than scales needs must find Internatonal Shakuhachi Society accreditated teacher. But the rich sound and the variations well worth the time to get just 1st note.
There are four forward finger holes and one rear, so the flute has a pentatonic scale, starting out easiest if no holes covered, held lightly index and pinky will cover holes and two middle fingers between holes gently hold the Shakuhachi.
The lips form a gentle smile and the proper shape of the purse portion is a loose to tight "Shakuhachi embouchure", lower 1st octave sounds are looser and second octave tighter, to play scales in both octaves also requires slight alterations in lip proximity and flute angle, notin' to do but practice. Good luck and patience.
Store flute in what resembles a small sword bag. after playing a moisture removal cloth is fed through,the "Tsuyutoshi"
theres more but another intrepid soul may have to contribute, sorry I skipped history and types as well as the healing properties of the songs of the Zen monks called Kumosu, or that repentant samurai wore goofy baskets and begged out of sorrow for the lives they took.
there is a part two, may-hap one day i can finish
Karl. Peace. You get what you pay (and wait) for...but if not the determined to practice type one may spend thousands to hear "passing wind"