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For the last five years, during which I have learned to blow shakuhachi, and made over 250 flutes,I have had a beard.
I trim it monthly with electric hair clippers using attachments that enable an even, but not close, cut.
so though a Full beard and moustache, it is not heavy or overly thick.
I always wondered how this influenced my blow or the sound produced. I had read an article somewhere that discussed how a thick moustache may act as a baffle. I didn't let my moustache get too thick, trimming it to keep my lip revealed. I also kept the hair just below my bottom lip trim, this is where the shakuhachi rests in my chin, somewhat cushioned.
A week or so back, I got out my electric hair trimmers to trim my beard, with its plastic attachment and began the job. After a few moments I noticed something different, the plastic attachment had fallen off and I had cut the section of beard almost to the skin, perhaps half a millimeter.
Oops, well I had to take it all off now, so I did.
My curiosity then was, "how might this affect the sound of the Shakuhachi ?"
Over the last week I have made two Shakuhachi and have blown my Monty 1.8 and Kono Gyokusui 1.8 for many hours, and my conclusion to this point........
No difference !
And I have been looking for anything subtle, blowing all notes, sustaining long notes, I actually felt a little disappointed not to notice some dramatic change.
Now I'm letting it grow again.
Kel.
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As an extremely hairy person this is an incredible load off my mind.
Although I'm curious if not having a Nietzsche moustache draped over the utaguchi would be an improvement.
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Don't think that beard makes any difference, but when I have "an off day" I'll trim the 'tache. Seems to me that thickness helps with meri, but when it starts getting long enough to get into the embouchure area, tone (especially kan) suffers.
A bit of searching and you'll see my previous posts on this, I think it's what we call an "old chestnut" of a subject, too subjective to call - Still it's nice to know I'm not the only one that thinks about these things!
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Take a look at the Nishimura Koku carefully trimmed mustache:
When I started to make lessons last year, I was playing some bamboo side blow and shakuhachi flutes for about 6~7 years with this mustache:
Then my sensei sugested to trimm it, because it could make some things a bit dificult... I trimmed, and now, I noticed that it can affect some subtle nuances and some dai meri notes, specialy in kan, as Ambi said...
Now I have it a bit like Koku, just longer on the sides of the mouth...
Sometimes I think if I am imagining such effects on playing... anyway, now I drink without stay with a reserve (to drink later) on my mustache... mmm better think about it again...
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This mustache seems to result in a smooth Kinko sound:
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I miss the joke... I have seen this pic before, but never understood it...
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