Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Dear Radiognome and all

Thanks so much for the above  information.  I pretty much lost my work day to investigatating what James Galway has to say.  Great stuff, not only concerning embouchure, but videos, mp3 interviews and lectures about  breath, scales and musicality in general etc.  Sir James has a very powerful sound.

Galway's very straight forward advice about the embouchure is very similiar to Kaoru Kakizakai's explanation  at the New York World Festival in 2004.  Kakizakai's advice was to start to form the embouchure by bringing up the bottom lip over the top lip and blowing towards the nose much like children do when playing.  Then direct the air out by pressing the upper lip on to a relaxed lower lip. I remember this experience from childhood.  This method has helped me to produce sounds and gives some amplitude to the coordinations necessary to play  the wide nature of sounds that are part of shakuhachi playing.  Still so much to learn and  coordinate though.

This interview with Renee Flemming is great.

http://www.thegalwaynetwork.com/interviews/flemming.mp3

Seems that singing is very important to James Galway.

Thanks again.

Last edited by indigo (2009-05-15 22:59:50)