Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

"DASU" is a verb meaning "to put out" as it's used in an active sense. I believe it has more to do with moving the chin back up after it being lowered because "ago wo dasu" would mean "raise the chin" and this is found always and only after a meri note. Other contexts would be "put the dog out", or "take money out of your wallet", or "make a sound" (oto wo dashite), for example. So what you say, Phil, about going up to a non-pitched air could be close and applicable, i.e. put the air out or pull the air out of the hole, but again, since it's tied into referencing the chin position at meri in the previous note, it was probably meant initially as instructions for the chin movement.

I just reread the original question...

Dasu does NOT necessarily mean "return to kari." It can mean "move your head back up to where it was before the hiku, even if that's a meri." For instance, take the honkyoku stereotype "u - hiku - dasu - ri" (or "tsu no meri - hiku - dasu - re"). I think many or most players would play the dasu as a return to the original meri pitch, not something higher than that. So the basic melody is "u - ri" (or "tsu no meri - re") with a little down-up ornament in the first note.

On the other hand, if the basic melody is a downward one ("u - hiku - dasu - tsu no meri") or if the phrase ends on the dasu ("u - hiku - dasu"), then, depending on the piece, lineage, and teacher, the dasu MAY be all the way up to kari or even dai kari or air. As I mentioned earlier, the Jin Nyodo notation usually makes this clear by supplementing the dasu notation with other instructions. The Jin Nyodo notation (and Yodo Kurahashi notation) is generally excellent in differentiating between pitch (meri, kari) and technique used to achieve it (specific cross-fingering, kazashi, hiku, etc.) -- much Kinko notation is more minimalist. But even with maximalist notation, it is still best to have a teacher guide you, as consistency is never a given. In fact, inconsistency is a given.

Last edited by nyokai (2009-07-16 01:35:30)

Phil wrote:

The Jin Nyodo notation (and Yodo Kurahashi notation) is generally excellent in differentiating between pitch (meri, kari) and technique used to achieve it (specific cross-fingering, kazashi, hiku, etc.)

I had to laugh here Phil. I agree if the key word is "generally" as the scores are marked with meri/kari but looking at Jin's original scores are a trip. One only needs a degree in classical Japanese shorthand to play them. One has to surmise these  were inventions he used to give himself directiions when playing as he went around collecting scores and learning songs at different temples. These were his shorthand notes that have become "the Meian Bible", so to speak. It is the opposite of what we usually run into where there's never enough info in the score. Maybe this accounts for the slower movement of the melodic line in Meian playing (generally) since people had to stop and read so much before they could play each note. This is a bit tongue in cheek but probably about a half truth. I imagine someone out there can ask and find out more. I'll go to the Cleveland Komuso Archives Building downtown and take a look. I think it's next to the branch of Cleveland Meianji Temple on main Street.

Many thanks, nyokai and chikuzen! I've got the overall idea, it will take another few years to get the details. And few more to implement:)

Last edited by stefan (2009-07-15 16:00:21)

geni wrote:

2 questions,

1) will learning how to read japanese help with? (reading the scores)

2) if learning by ear, who needs a teacher? 4 CDs for the price of a leson.

1. I don't read Japanese except for the stuff that comes up in the music. Some of it would definitely have been easier to understand if I could read more general Japanese, but you'd still need some explanation anyway since as Michael points out a lot of it is shorthand and terms of art.

2. In my experience there's a big difference between imitation and immersion/transmission/ownership, even though both involve learning principally by ear. The difference, I think, is not just in the depth of the experience (understanding context etc.) but in the free individuality of the resulting playing.

Nyokai thanks for you explanation.
Mr Ed...You know very well what I do these days. I got my CD list & woodshed!! & taking lessons.

What do you guys recomand for learning how to read some Japanese?