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February 21, 2005
Hitoyogiri Ancient Shakuhachi
Here is a photo os a Hitoyogiri I made. I saw one on display in 2002 when I visited Nara, Japan. This one was modeled after that one.
The Hitoyogiri was used around 13th century in Japan. It is a clear link to China's Xiao bamboo flute. This one plays a lot like a Xiao except that the Xiao has a few differences in construction: It has a notched blowing edge beveled into the flute where as the hitoyogiri (shakuhachi) has a bevelled utaguchi going out of the flute. The Xiao is also thinner in diameter and plays easier in second octave. It's clear why the Hitoyogiri gave way to the shakuhachi.
The lower octave of the hitoyogiri is quite easy to play, easier than the standard shakuhachi. I attribute this to the larger general bore size. It sounds a lot like the native American flute in both timbre and range (maybe proof of the Chinese crossing the barren straits into the Americas can be traced here! Any music anthroplogists out there?!) They may have done some jiari work (pasted bore) on these flutes but there is little information on how the construction since there are no makers of the hitoyogiri around today. The tradition was not passed on and music of the hitoyogiri died along with it.
Here is my music of the hitoyogiri recorded for a sound loop for a Student film at Columbia University.
HEAR this flute.
This certainly wasn't how it was used back then in the 13th century but today, according to the filmaker, "Acid sound loops are the bomb!" He wanted a contemporary sound with an ancient Asian feeling.
Namaste,
Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at February 21, 2005 10:41 AM
Comments
Hi there Perry, I, interested inthe Hitoyogiri you discuss in one of your blog entriues. I was wandering if you could tell me more about them and how they play. I play a Xiao that i built for myself that has a shakuhachi utugachi (or rather a shakuhachi with xiao fingering would be more accurate)- would a hitoyogiri be somewhat similar? Thank you Rory
Posted by: Rory at August 23, 2006 05:11 PM