Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

geminishadow79 · 2009-02-13 16:57:35

So I've had my Yuu for three weeks and have been practicing everyday since I got it in the mail, thanks to the recommendation of, well everybody. Its been a fun process trying to find what works and what doesn't. My husband has mentioned on more than one occasion that it "must be broken" because neither he nor I could make a single sound with it.
Occasionally I can get produce a few very weak tones in a row but certainly its nothing to write home about. I'm not discouraged though, I know thats how it goes when you first start out and since my teacher in currently in India I'm on my own for a while I figure I'll be better off once I actually start taking lessons.
Today has been no exception for the most part, very weak tones, if any at all, mostly its just air blowing through. However at one point I picked up my flute while I was in between one of my meaniless household task and started blowing and all of a sudden this beatiful sound starting coming from my intrument, from MY Flute! I couldn't believe it! It was long, and bold, and clear! I thought it was fluke and tried again, and just as clear as before it was there again! I found myself the sweet spot! I was afraid to move, for I was afraid of loosing it! I did it a third time and it was amazing. Then I got daring and tried covering some holes, I was so excited, I got such a deep rich tone. I kept it up for at least a minute or two just switching between the two tones I had learned to create, then as quickly as it came it left. I didn't move. I didn't change my posture, I didn't change my embrochure, it just went away. I'm sure something I did must have caused me to loose my sweet spot but nothing that I could figure out. I'm sure I"m not the only beginner to expierance such a thing, but I wanted to share because It was so awarding to know that I to can actually make music with a shakuhachi. From time to time it creeps into my brain that maybe I can't do this but now I know I can! I just need to figure out how I was doing it and try to do it again!

airin · 2009-02-13 17:26:12

Oh yes, the tones can be so elusive sometimes. I think once your have found the sweet spot you will be able to go there more and more often. Because your embouchure is just being established, if you take little breaks between trying to blow, the required muscles will have recovered and you will be more likely to make beautiful sounds more and more often.

Oh, yes, who of us beginners hasn't been there?

I am chronicling my own baby steps with the shakuhachi in my blog which, especially if you go back in the archives to the early posts, you might find interesting:

http://ashakuhachijourney.blogspot.com/

Keep blowing!

radi0gnome · 2009-02-13 17:31:47

geminishadow79 wrote:
I'm sure I"m not the only beginner to expierance such a thing, but I wanted to share because It was so awarding to know that I to can actually make music with a shakuhachi. From time to time it creeps into my brain that maybe I can't do this but now I know I can! I just need to figure out how I was doing it and try to do it again!

I don't think it's just a beginner thing. Even among the pros some have a better tone than others, and the ones at the very top probably know they can go even deeper. I'm not sure the idea is to figure it out, all the instruction as to what to do physically doesn't seem to make much difference. It's almost like a connection to a higher power, even if that higher power is you. Give it the opportunity, maybe it'll come again.

Lorka · 2009-02-13 17:33:52

When I got my Yuu I could get nothing out of it. I thought it was broken so I stopped trying. I left it for a few months sitting on my bookshelf till several months later in the January of 2007 I finally got a note out of it. I felt it vibrate my whole head. Since then I was hooked. I keep my Yuu at work now as a backup. I also take it into the shower sometimes, or the bath. What the hell, its plastic, so it can take it. Don't worry Gemi. Just remember this is not a race to get as good as you can, as fast as you can. As many people will tell you, the more you try, the harder it gets. It is only when you let go that the shakuhachi spirit (or whatever you want to call it) recognizes you and rewards you with sound. That, perhaps more than anything else, is what makes this a zen-ish instrument. The more ego we put into it, the less it responds. Give up, and then it says hello. I hope that makes some sense and does not sound elusive mumbo-jumbo. Just stick with it, and don't force things.

Basically, I think I'm just saying what Radiognome said, but I'm not saying it half as well.

Last edited by Lorka (2009-02-13 17:35:46)

geminishadow79 · 2009-02-13 18:36:20

airin wrote:
Oh yes, the tones can be so elusive sometimes. I think once your have found the sweet spot you will be able to go there more and more often. Because your embouchure is just being established, if you take little breaks between trying to blow, the required muscles will have recovered and you will be more likely to make beautiful sounds more and more often.

Oh, yes, who of us beginners hasn't been there?

I am chronicling my own baby steps with the shakuhachi in my blog which, especially if you go back in the archives to the early posts, you might find interesting:

http://ashakuhachijourney.blogspot.com/

Keep blowing!

Thanks! I've added your blog to my favorites so I can read it when I have some spare time.

edosan · 2009-02-13 22:14:50

geminishadow79 wrote:
I found myself the sweet spot! I was afraid to move, for I was afraid of loosing it!

Perhaps this video will help you put things together in a sensible fashion. Contrary to what some appear to think, it has nothing to do
with a higher power

The first section of the video is a sort of pantomime of how to establish a basic embouchure without a flute in place.

The second part demonstrates a good way to position your flute to get the blowing edge (utaguchi) lined up with the airstream,
at least until you get the hang of doing it yourself. Also, be sure to read the YouTube 'more info' link just to the right of the vid;
useful details there (thanks to ShakuhachiJon for putting this together):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZlVXynk … s.com/log/

Save the link to this video, or download it, if possible.

eB

Last edited by edosan (2009-02-13 22:15:53)

Zakarius · 2009-02-14 03:38:26

That's a great video link which edosan mentioned above. My own technique in getting the feel for the proper positioning is to start with the flute perpendicular to my face, purse the lips so they lightly clasp the utaguchi, then allow the flute to slowly fall down and away to the proper blowing angle. I still do this instinctually every time I bring a flute to my lips. (And you can tilt your head down a lot initially, then up, instead of moving the shakuhachi around so much.) Hope this helps.

Zak

purehappiness · 2009-02-14 06:45:55

I am a beginner too and found the same thing happen. I start playing some great notes then all of a sudden they are gone and I can't play. Lately, I have found my deepest RO is when I am just blowing as if I am just breathing. That would be something to try.Sometimes I think it is easy to try to hard. This flute is very zen. If you don't try it just happens.

airin · 2009-02-14 13:01:19

Breathe! Just breathe into the flute....the tones will flow from the breath. Yes, don't try to hard. It easy to get too tense and then the muscles around your mouth are not in the optimum shape to make beautiful sounds come from the bamboo.

geminishadow79 · 2009-02-14 13:07:57

edosan wrote:
geminishadow79 wrote:
I found myself the sweet spot! I was afraid to move, for I was afraid of loosing it!
Perhaps this video will help you put things together in a sensible fashion. Contrary to what some appear to think, it has nothing to do
with a higher power

The first section of the video is a sort of pantomime of how to establish a basic embouchure without a flute in place.

The second part demonstrates a good way to position your flute to get the blowing edge (utaguchi) lined up with the airstream,
at least until you get the hang of doing it yourself. Also, be sure to read the YouTube 'more info' link just to the right of the vid;
useful details there (thanks to ShakuhachiJon for putting this together):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZlVXynk … s.com/log/

Save the link to this video, or download it, if possible.

eB

oh wow, this is a great link thanks for posting it!

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2009-02-13 16:57:35

The Sweet Spot!

#2 2009-02-13 17:26:12

Re: The Sweet Spot!

#3 2009-02-13 17:31:47

Re: The Sweet Spot!

geminishadow79 wrote:

#4 2009-02-13 17:33:52

Re: The Sweet Spot!

#5 2009-02-13 18:36:20

Re: The Sweet Spot!

airin wrote:

#6 2009-02-13 22:14:50

Re: The Sweet Spot!

geminishadow79 wrote:

#7 2009-02-14 03:38:26

Re: The Sweet Spot!

#8 2009-02-14 06:45:55

Re: The Sweet Spot!

#9 2009-02-14 13:01:19

Re: The Sweet Spot!

#10 2009-02-14 13:07:57

Re: The Sweet Spot!

edosan wrote:

geminishadow79 wrote:

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