March 13, 2005
Healthy Side Effects of Playing shakuhachi
Another response to an email from a beginer. The name has been changed to protect the innocent.
Hi Mr Devito,
> Hey Perry,
>
> The flute came in today. It's very nice. So far we've just been trying to maintain a note --
> getting better though. Yes, it is quite a reach! We'll see how it goes.
> Thanks!
> Danny
Please look up my entries on Sasa Buki and How to Play Long Flutes on this blog. They'll give you a method to practice by
The experience of playing shakuihachi music is amazing. But the act itself has many rewards even if you can't play the music yet.
The hurdle of learning to get a sound can be difficult and can be frustrating when unguided. However, the activity of breathing with deep, full lung inhalations and long exhalations is something many Yoga practitioners do everyday. It will give you mental and spiritual benefits which leads to physical health. For me, breathing like this for just 10 to 20 minutes a day does wonders for my outlook on the world. This kind of meditative relaxed stated is a large part of the experience of shakuhachi, even if it is not recognized by some.
Thanks again and please stay in touch with your discoveries!
Posted by Perry Yung at 09:40 AM | Comments (1)
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 06:43 PM | Comments (2)
September 23, 2004
Sasa Buki Breath Exercise
Here is my method for getting started on playing the shakuhachi. I call it Sasa Buki (breath of Bamboo Leaf). It will guide the beginner into developing the neccessary skills required to play and appreciate shakuhachi at the fundamental level. IMHO, playing with Sasa Buki in mind is the best way to practice. Half of playing shakuhachi is listening. Sasa Buki will introduce the beginner to the essence of shakuhachi - the shifting tone colors.
Let's start.
The first thing that is required is to shape your lips properly. This is called the embouchure. Make a gentle smile with your lips. This pullss them against your teeth, which is ideal. Then blow the air stream with a gentle release. Think of blowing an tiny pinpoint airsteam, one that is round and not splayed or flat.
Next, Visualize the shape of a bamboo leaf, thin on the ends and gradually getting fat in the middle.
It's best to try your first note without covering any holes.
When you're comfortable, take the deepest breath you can hold in your lungs. In Yoga, it would be a three part breath - fill the abdomen, chest and throat. Then put your embouchure directly onto the center of the utaguchi for centering and pull back to create a gap of about a 1/4 inch form the embouchure openning to the center of the utaguchi (leting the back of the flute rest on the area under your lower lip and above the chin). Now, release your pinpoint air stream onto the utaguchi.
After a trial and error period, you will have produce a sound. You will have discovered that aiming the air stream perfectly creates the sound. The idea is to split the air stream in half on the utaguchi, half going into the flute, half going over the edge to the outer surface of the utaguchi. If you are having trouble, keep this in mind. Everytime you inhale, fill your lings to capacity. Everytime you blow, relax and let the airs tream flow evenly and continuosly. It's just like breathing. It doesn't take much embouchure force to produce a sound. Experiemnt with blowing over the utaguchi and into the flute until you hit the "sweet spot".Remember to maintain a direct and focused airstream.
When you can make a sound consistently (it can takes days), make the note last as long as possible. If you can hold the tone for more than 5 seconds the first few days, you are doing very very well....really. Time your self with a watch and see how much you improve in a few days. When you can get up to 20 seconds, you will notice some wonderful things happening around you. when you feel you can handle a simple Sasa Buki, try playing it covering the thumb hole as the next note to attempt. Then work your way down covering the holes in front from top to bottom (whne covering holes, the previously covered hole must remain covered for the music scale to work see my webpage on the static site for how to hold the shauhachi).
Once you have a grasp on consistantly producing a long sound or tone, start to manipute the sound into Sasa buki - thin at the beginning, gradually get louder and back down to thin at the end, like the shape of sasa. Work on shaping your lips so that the sound is the most beautiful sound you can imagine, one that comes from nowhere, captivates you and then fades out in a way that makes your ears reach out to hear it dissipate. Imagine the last bit of rays from the sun that dissapears on a horizon at sunset. That sort of greenish orange glow that happens after the last rays dissapears is the "Ma" we all refer to - the silence that is part of the music. If you practice with an awareness of musical growth, you will notice major improvements in a very short time. The full and deep breathing technique that is required for Sasa Buki will also have benifical affects on your mind and body. Try keeping a shakuhachi journal of how long your tones are and see the growth every few days. If you are primarily playing during meditation, you won't be timing yourself obviously. Try to do this before or after your practice.
After a while (that depends on how much you practice and how well you can develope and retain the lips muscles), you will play longer, louder and more beautiful tones. Your lips will adjust to the natural pressure increase from daily build up of technique. Obviously, daily practice is important for skill developement. Your lips will learn when to bear down, when to open up, when to get close and when to pull back to achieve Sasa buki. Just be aware of what is happening with your lips moment to moment, from the beginning of the tone to the end of the tone. Pay attention to the sound and what your lips are doing to get that sound. You'll be amazed at how your lips are constantly adjusting, however miniscule, to timbral shifts. Always take note of developements and use them the next time you practice to build yout technique.
Blowing Sasa buki is the basic skill neccessary to play and enjoy the shakuhachi. After some time, you may need to understnd pitch. If you have a grasp on Sasa Buki, you will easily adapt your playing into prpoer pitch for playing music. Finger movements will come easily and naturally once you have a grasp on producing and maintaining long beautiful notes.
It's good to play at the same time everyday. It doesn't matter when. Keeping a daily shedule helps you get into that frame of mind.
Enjoy the deep breathing!
Posted by Perry Yung at 10:56 AM | Comments (3)
June 10, 2004
Trouble getting a RO?
I just had a player over to my place who couldn't get the Ro to sound on a 2.4 Hocckiku I made for him. I assured him the problem was with his embroucher since I was able to get a Ro with no problem. When he arrived and began to play for me, I noticed that he was playing quite well until he came down to Ro.
I took the flute from him and blew. A nice fat Ro came out. Then he took the flute and tried again. Low and behold, a nice Ro emerged. Then he went up the scale and played each note again. On his way down, he couldn't get the Ro again. I was about to give him embroucher tips but I immediately saw the problem. He was not covering Tsu all the way. On these long flutes, when you have to use the meat of your index finger to cover Tsu and Ri, there is a chance that air could be leaking through one or more holes. Ro does not sound when there is leakage, whether from a crack or a finger hole. I gave him an exercise for tapping the holes to make sure each one is covered when playing. He got the RO each time!
So, if you can't get a Ro sound, first make sure there is no air leakage from any of the finger holes. This doesn't mean you should grip the flute. Always play with relaxed fingers. Train yourself to use the minimal amount of hand pressure required for full coverage. This way you won't get injured. Practice safe shakuhachi ;-)
Posted by Perry Yung at 05:29 PM | Comments (2)