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November 22, 2004
Playing long shakuhachi flutes
Once again, a blog entry from an email asking how to hold and play a long shakuhachi. The name has been changed to protect the innocent ;-)
Hi Oleg,
Thanks for your email.
> are there any books on playing or hand positions for long flutes?
Unfortunately, there are no published sources for fingering long flutes. The only way to learn is to have someone show you or explain it.
Contrary to popular belief, it does not take more air to play long flutes. Once the air hits the utaguchi, it's all the same.
Try this, it's easiest to get the note on thumb hole first. When you can get a long solid tone ( up to 10 sec or longer is great), try to finger the thumb hole so that it articulates the fourth hole (in front, up from the bottom). Try making trills with your thumb on the thumb hole. This is articulating a note.
When you can do this, attempt the same with the fourth hole. Do this all on long breaths. This way, you can hear the dynamics of lifting a finger on and off a hole in different speeds. This is where you begin to make music! When you can articulte both the thumb and the fourth hole, try for the third hole (in front, from the bottom). This may mean using your pinky on that hole since it's a long flute. Articultaing sometimes creates a "pop", a sound similar to slapping the top of a bottle. That's a good sign and something to hang onto if you can do it.
If you are able to articulate the thumb and the fourth hole, you should be able to articulate the third hole also. If you can not, this means your fingers are "leaking" somewhere, one of the holes are not completely sealed. Try articulating again to make sure the holes are sealed otherwise the note won't play. It doesn't take much pressure to seal a hole. Just complete coverage. As a matter of fact, practice using the least amount of pressure neccessary. This is to prevent repetative movement injuries on the hand or wrist.
Try articulating all the way down from the thumb hole to the first finger hole in the front. As you work your way down, you will discover where your problems are. For example, I often use the meat part of my bottom index finger because the reach on long flutes are much farther. I found that if I use the pad of the index finger, my wrist would be straight and not cramped up at a hard angle.
One thing to know is that each hole requires a slight adjustment in your embroucher to get the sound. After a while, you won't even know your doing it.
Please let me know if this helps.
Enjoy the daily practice, moment to moment.
Namaste,
Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at November 22, 2004 06:43 PM
Comments
thanks for the help, that definately helps with the three holes(closest to the utagachi), i find (tell me if this is a mistake) that if i hold the bottom of the flute with my left hand like i hold a guitar that it is far more comfortable to play (with ring finger on the 4th hole and index on the fifth hole from the utagachi) would it be okay to learn to play it that way or will it give me trouble later on down my shakuhachi path?
Posted by: oleg ;-) at November 22, 2004 09:41 PM
Hi Perry, I've been watching your site and eBay auctions for a few weeks with much delight. You really have caught the imagination of a quite a few eBay enthusiasts and budding Shakuhachi players with your Chikusing flutes. Impressive marketing and impressive instruments.
I have been "noodling" on large bore xsiao for a number of years and recently decided to meet the challenge of learning shakuhachi from the ground up. I am primarily a "folk" ear player, a pretty accomplished blues harmonicist and at one time a good Irish tin whistle player and beginning Irish flute player. I have never caught on to Western 5-line notation, but I feel ready to take the challenge of learning Kinko notation (it makes more 'sense' to me -- oddly enough).
I have fair to good success with the low register and my ability to achieve tonal separation using the meri and kari methods but my upper register falls apart pretty quickly.
I've practiced on a Meijro "Mon" 1.8 but have recently switched to an ABS Yuu because I travel to-and-from work, nightly, with instrument in tow and the Yuu is a hearty travelling instructional instrument.
I have yet to find a teacher who I can reliably take lessons with on my odd, nighttime schedule and location (Pomona/Claremont/Ontario Calif. area).
What I am most interested in is learning Myoan and Kinko music and would like to start working with a shakuhachi maker on finding which of the lower register shakuhachi that I should be focussing on learning. I would like to play at least a 2.4, left hand on top, right on the bottom. I have a fairly wide hand span, but short fingers. I'd like to player lower instruments, but as yet do not have enough experience to know how far I can take the reach. Needless to say I am not looking for a "travelling instrument" in seeking a deeper instrument.
Anyway, all this by way of introduction. Instrument makers, bartenders and psychologists all must share the same fate of listening to their clients drone on!
Could you let me know what your price range whould be for 2.4 instruments. When you have the time. I'm in no great hurry. I have a lot of studying to do, but I would like a goal to work with.
Thank you, once again.
Chris Moran
xrismoran@hotmail.com
p.s. the website I have listed in your email form (carlhertel.net) is one that I have created for my old college mentor who passed from this earth last year. It isn't my "personal" site.
Posted by: chris moran at March 1, 2005 04:23 PM