Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

jaybeemusic wrote:

If the shakuhachi only had 4 nodes, for example,  and they were more or less equally spaced...they could potentially wreak havok with the tunability of the instrument.

Jacques,

One feature of jinashi shakuhachi is that a maker has the option of clearing the nodes or using them for spot tuning and tone control. A combination of these options can also be used.

One way to think of the nodes is that regardless of where they are located, they can still influence pitch and tone quality of many notes. Although a node may not fall exactly on the pinnacle of a wavelength, it can still influence the pitch to a lesser degree if it's anywhere near the pinnacle on either side. Since many of the wavelengths for each note overlap, a node located almost anywhere in the bore can be used as an opportunity to adjust pitch of more than one note at a time - in different strengths and sometimes different directions.

A shakuhachi with the usual seven node placement gives a maker a sometimes repeatable game plan. A shakuhachi with different node placement could be perceived as "wreaking havoc" with the tunability of the instrument. Theoretically, I think it could also provide a maker with different opportunities for tuning.

As always, it's important to note that with shakuhachi, there is often a large valley between theory and practice. Although it's very helpful to grasp scientific concepts of the bore, it doesn't always translate smoothly in practice.

Ken

dstone wrote:

With the 7 node ideal in mind, do makers who choose to work with 6 or 8 nodes on occasion have to approach those pieces that much differently?  I'm assuming they sometimes find a piece with less than "ideal" nodes or placement but exceptional in some other way, so they want to see it through to its final shakuhachi form. 

I wonder about this in the context of jiari more, because the 7 node ideal surprises me more in a paste-filled bore scenario than it does in a nodes-and-bore-left-to-see-and-influence jinashi scenario.

-Darren.

Hi Darren,

It's been my experience that for completely paste-filled jiari shakuhachi there is little, if any, functional relevance to the location of the nodes. This, of course, pertains to flutes with nodes which are not directly on holes. There are, however, philosophical reasons for the seven node ideal. For the sake of clarity about the mechanics of bore adjustment, these reasons are best addressed in another thread.

For jinashi shakuhachi, six, eight or nine node pieces often require a different approach only if one decides to use them. For example, on an eight or nine node flute, there is often a node at or close to the half-way point of the bore. This node can be very handy for tuning and/or tone control of ro. That's a great way to start working on a flute. One can always start from scratch and grind down all the nodes. Sometimes, the bore needs little adjustment after ginding. Sometimes it needs a lot. What to do? [Scratching head now!]

As always, these are just my observations and experiences.

Ken

No Darren, that's the right attitude. We recently decided when making Taimu to use the node that would make the shortest reasonable flute which also increased the aspect ratio. We look at what the 7 node flute would be and if it's possible to make that we do. In the past we would have been afraid the second octave wouldn't work but there have been some wonderful and surprising results. It was a breakthrough. Because a 2.3 with that wide bore makes a much more intense sound than the same hunk of bamboo if you attempt to make a 3.0 out of it.

Hey now.  It's a beaut.  Nice finish.  The holes found themselves a nice placement, eh?  Nice lines... it's a bit wiggly, like it's in motion.  Nice.

-Darren.

I like Mujitsu blues. Man, good recording too.I was listening today. Where did you recorded & master?

I would like to ask a question that stems out of some of what Darren and Brian were talking about.  By making a flute wider and fiddling about with the aspect ratio (an idea i don't fully "get" yet) you can essentially make a smaller flute sound like a longer flute.  So a 2.3 flute could be made to sound as though it were say a 2.8 for example.  Is this correct, or am I missing something fundamental.  I was under the impression that the wide bore size, if taken too far would result in a single octave instrument.  Just a little confused.  It may be a little while in the coming, but I want my next flute to be a big fat wide beast.  I want it to be a chunky wide bore with thick walls, but I also want both octaves.  I have a 2.7 hocchiku (which I am really enjoying getting to know), but I was thinking of my next one being a 2.4, as I find my fingers are more agile on a 2.4.  With the wider aspect ratio being discussed is it possible to make a 2.4 sound like a bigger flute, like a 3.0?  Thanks.

Thanks for replying Brian, it helped to clarify some things for me, as I do not have a background in music and I think I got myself confused.  I think I get what you mean by tone though.  The tone is what attracted me to the shakuhachi, as it was unlike any other instrument I had ever heard. 

Fat hiary sound, sounds good to me.  I think that's what I will be looking for later on.  thanks.

matt

I may just jump in here and tell what I know about the 7 nodes.
It seems that during the Edo period or even before, the 3 nodes within which the 5 holes are usually places were considered the most important for tuning, and therefore the shape of the bore. By looking at the x-rays of more than 100 Edo period flutes Simura Sastosi, one of my advisers at Osaka University of Arts, has taken of Edo period shakuhachi, I see that the 4 chambers that these 3 nodes create are crucial not only for tuning, but also for the tone colour. Because of these chambers, the ji-nashi shakuhachi can create the complex tones.
Before the shakuhachi became a religious tool for the Fuke sect, it had only 3 nodes. The Fuke shakuhachi in some ways kept these 3 nodes being the most important, but then began making the flutes with 7 nodes. I have never come across any explanation about this change, only that it is considered the best... So, one could perhaps guess it to be the relationship between Buddhism and the number 7. However, there are many Edo period shakuhachi with 6~8 nodes or even more if there are many nodes at the bottom.

chikuzen wrote:

A 'shakuhachi' with three nodes? I don't get a visualiztion easily. Does anyone know what  these were called?

I think the one here on John's page called Miyogiri is an example.

http://zenflute.com/gallery.html

I think the one here on John's page called Miyogiri is an example.

Yes, they are called miyogiri, although apparently miyogiri also comes under the category Fuke shakuhachi.
Tukitani Tuneko, an amazing shakuhachi scholar from Japan, writes, that there are 4 types of shakuhachi:
1. Gagaku shakuhachi with 6 holes
2. Tempuku
3. Hitoyogiri
4. Fuke shakuhachi, hereunder miyogiri

That, of course is one scholar's opinion.

I'm planning to have Perry make me another flute... this time a 3.6! But he doesn't have any boo in stock long enough... since I live in Taiwan, I told him I'd go hunting for a shoot myself. Unfortunately, he said there are too many nodes (he guessed it's moso). 15 nodes if you don't count the root rings. I couldn't let it go to waste, though, so I went ahead and crafted it into a 3.6. Note the nice discoloring on the skin (and no, I didn't dig a hole and cover the boo with chicken shit). Too bad some of the notes are out of tune... (Ro is a spot on C#, though.)



Zakarius

Miyogiri comes from the word, "mitsu" which means "three" and "giri" from the verb "kiru" or "kiri'. As does hitoyogiri comes from "hitotsu" or "one".