Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Karmajampa wrote:

I am sure there must be a classical term for this, I have not seen reference to it, so for discussion I am calling it 'Harmonic Vibrato'.

I first noticed it when blowing Ro while making a new flute. Then I began to notice it on other flutes.
While blowing Ro and moving between Otsu and Kan and higher, but particularly while moving between Otsu and Kan, as the two frequencies begin to mingle there is a vibrato formed, its speed varies as you move in either direction, it is very elusive, and quite tantalising. I can see myself getting seduced into mastering this pulse.
Then while playing other flutes I begin to notice very brief appearances between notes, a phasing perhaps.

My curiosity is whether this is a recognised technique and what it may be called ?

Kel    §

Sometimes if you push ro and it goes into kan or wavers we call that "unstable ro". That's when it's inherent in the flute itself.

If you are doing it with your embouchure it is a form of "muraiki".

Of course without actually hearing what you are doing or playing your flute I can't be sure.

Shinku Dan has an interesting CD called "Koku" which is constantly shifting between otsu and kan during the same note.

Karmajampa wrote:

This is not 'unstable Ro', it can be deliberate or incidental. For example, blow Ro Otsu, then move towards Ro Kan, as soon as you begin to hear the Ro Kan while Ro Otsu is still sounding you should notice this vibrato effect. It does not require the effort of Muraiki. Depending on the amount of Ro Otsu to Ro Kan, the speed of the vibrato will change. It is somewhat like tuning two guitar strings, as the notes get closer to the same frequency you can hear a vibrato slowing down as the frequency is aligned.
I will see if I can make an mp3...may take a wee while.

Kel    §

Then it is called "beating". It happens whenever there are two notes vibrating closely, but not exactly, together.

Assuming that we are indeed talking about the same phenomenon:

Once I was auditioning a 2.1 I was considering buying, and this beating sound occurred on Re-otsu. Kurahashi-sensei happened to be visiting at the time, and he said it was called 'Dancing Flute', a generally undesirable characteristic when it shows up on a given fingering with regularity.

Didn't buy the flute, of course.

eB

Kel,

In my experience, that effect (I call it 'warbling', for want of a better term), when it occurs in playing a single note (in the aforementioned case it was Re), is a sign of a problem with the flute. It is usually most noticeable when one tries to increase the volume of the note--to 'push' it--and it just won't be pushed, but degrades into warbling.

I have not encountered it in the transition between octaves.

eB

Last edited by edosan (2006-03-16 09:51:16)