Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ
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Tube of delight!
#1 2008-05-18 17:34:29
- amokrun
- Member
- From: Finland
- Registered: 2006-08-08
- Posts: 413
Great shakuhachi makers in history.
Since it's somewhat difficult to describe what different shakuhachi sound and feel like, people often tend to use references to well known makers like "this shakuhachi is quite similar to those made by so and so". This makes sense and those of you who have tried a flute or two from every maker who ever existed can think back and get a decent idea of what is being talked about. That said, those of us who have tried a handful of shakuhachi that mostly fit into the not-quite-museum-grade tend to be somewhat lost when something is described as much like flutes that Yamaguchi Shiro made. The most I can figure out based on that is that the flute in question is most likely rather expensive because I don't have one.
Since everyone here seems to have owned a flute or two made by Yamaguchi Shiro, has anyone compiled any sort of list about features common to flutes made by different people? I'm sure that these makers made a wide range of different instruments which makes it hard to generalize. Even so, often there is something that can be said about each maker. For example, our very own Ken here is well known for making long flutes with exceptionally wide, natural bores. This isn't true for all of his flutes but if someone tells you that flute X is like one of his flutes, this is most likely what is meant in that case. I'm sure there is something similar to be said about Yamaguchi Shiro - other than that his flutes are expensive, of course.
Could those of you who own or have gone through endless stacks of shakuhachi describe some well known makers and what makes their instruments unique? If everyone would list even just their main instrument, its maker and some features of his flutes we'd soon have a decent list of the more common and/or well known makers. I'm sure this would help people like me who are still waiting for our Shiro flutes (one of these days, I'm sure).
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#2 2008-05-18 23:10:52
- LithoSphere
- Member
- From: Santa Fe, NM
- Registered: 2008-02-29
- Posts: 26
- Website
Re: Great shakuhachi makers in history.
3.15 Kodama (Hiroyuki) hochiku:
this flute plays with two hearts - one is your own, the other is nature's
you play within the flute, a merging, the sound is incredibly subtle and complex, many microtones, many different energies
Fear is the cheapest room in the house; I would like to see you in better living conditions.(Jalaluddin Rumi)
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#3 2008-05-18 23:14:17
- Jeff Cairns
- teacher, performer,promoter of shakuhachi
- From: Kumamoto, Japan
- Registered: 2005-10-10
- Posts: 517
- Website
Re: Great shakuhachi makers in history.
Excellent idea Amokrun.
I would like to start with my main 1.8 which was made by Tsurugi Kyomudo who was a student of Torii Kyomudo who in turn was a student of Uehara Kyodo and Kawase Junsuke I and contemporary of Yamaguchi Shiro. Tsurugi Kyomudo's flutes were favorites of Jin Nyodo, especially his 1.8s, 2.0s and 2.3s. These flutes usually bore Jin Nyodo's hanko as was often the custom of the time. Tsurugi sensei's flutes are traditionally made jiari shakuhachi with stock taken from the hills surrounding Kumamoto city in central Kyushu, Japan. His flutes are typically medium bore flutes within the range of 1.6 to 2.4. The characteristic sound of his flutes is slightly dark and woody with a high harmonic presence in the hands of a skilled player. These are excellent koten flutes.
Here is his hanko.
shakuhachi flute
I step out into the wind
with holes in my bones
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#4 2008-05-18 23:59:45
Re: Great shakuhachi makers in history.
OK, here are my favorite makers:
1-Miura Kindo (Absolutely without peers. Unfortunately, there aren't many of his flutes left!)
2-Judo Notomi (Another exquisite maker!)
3-Yamaguchi Shiro (You gotta love his flutes)
afterwards, (in no special order):
Yokoyama Ranpo
Inoue Shigemi
Kono Gyokusui (who is my favorite post WWII maker, along with Inoue Shigeshi)
But you know it is said that a great calligrapher can make beautiful art with a brush that only has one hair left.
Its the player, not the flute.
Think about it!
That being said, when you put a great player together with a great flute - WOW!
Ronnie
The magic's in the music and the music's in me...
"Do you believe in Magic"- The Lovin' Spoonful
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#5 2008-05-19 00:17:02
- Tairaku 太楽
- Administrator/Performer
- From: Tasmania
- Registered: 2005-10-07
- Posts: 3226
- Website
Re: Great shakuhachi makers in history.
Nyogetsu wrote:
1-Miura Kindo (Absolutely without peers. Unfortunately, there aren't many of his flutes left!)
Ronnie
I'll trade you my Kindo for your land in Hawaii. 
'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari
http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie
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#7 2008-05-21 22:09:56
- Daniel Ryudo
- Shihan/Kinko Ryu
- From: Kochi, Japan
- Registered: 2006-02-12
- Posts: 355
Re: Great shakuhachi makers in history.
Unfortunately I've never had the experience of going through endless stacks of shakuhachi (but would love to have the chance!) and my sampling of new flutes has been limited to trying out various flutes at Mejiro on the rare occasions I visit Tokyo and also passing flutes around in a circle of players while drinking sake following workshops in Bisei-cho once a year or so. I have played a few Miura Kindo flutes and yes, they seemed quite excellent (and expensive!); I've also tried out flutes made by Tom Deaver and Yokoyama Katsuya, both good, the latter sweet sounding, with a large volume, and also lighter in terms of weight than the flutes I'm used to playing. I've tried a few Roshu flutes; he is a maker in Matsuyama, and apparently his father, also a maker, was a brother of Tamai Chikuzen, who was a well known maker in Kansai . The maker who made the majority of my flutes (five, to be exact) is Genpu Morikawa, a student of Tamai Chikusen, and he has been making Tozan and Kinko flutes for the last 24 or 25 years. Just last month I bought another one of his shakuhachi, a 1.8, and it has a quite a big sound, nice full ro, delicate high octave notes, nice balance and a good vibration; I haven't had it long enough to get the full potential out of it yet but I'm very happy with it. I've been using his flutes for the last 17 years or so and I think his shakuhachi have gotten better and better over the years, especially recently; his flute making technique has been evolving quite nicely (just as I hope all of our playing and/or making is continuing to evolve positively with committment and creativity!) I had Furuya sensei and Ishikawa sensei try out my new flute at the last shakuhachi workshop in Bisei and they both gave it a definite thumbs up.
Last edited by Daniel Ryudo (2008-05-22 00:51:29)
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