Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ
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#1 2007-05-23 14:25:07
- david
- Member
- Registered: 2006-07-25
- Posts: 71
IS SHAKUHACHI NOTATION STRICTLY FOR SHAKUHACHI?
HELLO!
A QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN BUGGING ME FOR A WHILE!
I LOVE THE SHAKUHACHI NOTATION AND I REALISED THAT EACH SYMBOL DENOTES BASICALLY A TONEHOLE AND HOW TO PLAY IT. FOR EXAMPLE RO MEANS THAT ALL HOLES ARE CLOSED, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT A SPECIFIC NOTE IS TO BE PLAYED. DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE FLUTE DETERMINES THE ACTUAL NOTE THAT IS PLAYED.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF THIS NOTATION IS STRICTLY FOR THE SHAKUHACHI AND NO OTHER INSTRUMENT? OR DOES SOMEBODY PLAYING A GUITAR OR A KOTO IN JAPAN USE THIS NOTATION?
DAVID
david
'Listen to the words of no man; listen only to the sounds of the wind and the waves of the sea.,~Claude Debussy
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#2 2007-05-23 15:04:31
- mrosenlof
- Member
- From: Louisville Colorado USA
- Registered: 2006-03-01
- Posts: 82
Re: IS SHAKUHACHI NOTATION STRICTLY FOR SHAKUHACHI?
David,
Shakuhachi notation is really just for shakuhachi. Nobody playing guitar or koto will use this notation except possibly for a "I should transcribe this into koto notation" type of exercise.
Koto and shamisen notation are also specific for their instrument, koto notes which string to play and how to strike/pluck/caress it. I believe shamisen is similar.
I believe this style is also true for other traditional Japanese instruments. Most of the written music you'll find in Japan is in western lines and dots staff, but it's usually for western instruments too.
Mike Rosenlof
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#3 2007-05-23 17:31:27
Re: IS SHAKUHACHI NOTATION STRICTLY FOR SHAKUHACHI?
Hi David. You might enjoy reading about some of the history of the notation systems and the differences between them and theories as to how/why they originated or evolved. You can find several good articles in the Annals of the International Shakuhachi Society. Two volumes. Big books. Lots of beginner and advanced ideas in there. shakuhachi.com sells those.
I found Riley Lee's thoughts on the Fu Ho U note names (apparently emulating a breathy instrument) versus Ro Tsu Re (with sharper attack, apparently emulating koto or shamisen) interesting. He talks about that here: http://www.rileylee.net/shaku_article_assorted.html#fu
You can also find a larger article on the subject, by him, online via JSTOR -- free if you have university or public library access:
link
-Darren.
When it is rainy, I am in the rain. When it is windy, I am in the wind. - Mitsuo Aida
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