Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

dstone · 2006-06-13 17:06:56

With all this talk of "junk flutes" on eBay, and cutting jagged, crumbly utaguchis, I'll tell you one thing "bad flutes" are good for... Keeping perspective...

A few hours ago... I used a couple of self-made, still-in-the-works, rough hocchiku during my morning lesson. After some back-and-forth exercises with my teacher, I remarked at my dissatisfaction with the state of my amateur, rough flutes. Compared to my own (and my teacher's) "better" flutes, they weren't responding well at all to a mura-iki blast in ro otsu and a few upper-register notes were hard to achieve. I've been practicing with these flutes and slowly refining the edge, bore, etc. over a week or so. Visually and audibly, it was pretty obvious my blowing edges, bores, tuning, etc. might need a lot of work yet.

Bah. (Saw this coming.) My teacher grabbed my bamboo and extracted, without effort, mura-iki blasts to drop my jaw and clear, in-tune kan and dai kan notes.

So should I still strive to refine my rough and amateur flutes at all after this experience? Heck yes, I think so. But not with the belief that it will allow me to necessarily sound better.

Granted, a badly out-of-tune flute is nothing more than that. But within reason, and especially with the hocchiku mindset, loving our "bad flutes" is important also, I think...

Keep on cutting. Keep on blowing...

-Darren.

bluespiderweb · 2006-06-15 19:29:39

Sure, Darren, there's still value in lesser flutes, as musical instruments. Someone will appreciate them, even if they aren't up to the standards we are used to in our regular flutes, or if we lack the technique to make them sound best. Refine our flutemaking skills-yes! But it takes time for that too, and besides, your teacher probably got a blast out of showing his skills off too!

Besides, perfect isn't always best! Love away! ; )

Last edited by bluespiderweb (2006-06-15 19:37:49)

John Roff · 2006-06-19 03:28:08

Interesting stuff. I made a too-thin 2.9 a few months back, and could hardly get a sound from it, battled for ages. I made it really simply and 'badly' too, holes too small, chin cut back too much etc. Brian Ritchie was visiting me and picked it up, then proceeeded to play the most amazing 25-minute long piece, which sounded fantastic. My point is that a good player can adapt to any flute and make it sing. My intention is certainly to make flutes as good as I can, but I would like to be able to make any flute sound as good as it can, and that takes practice. I think the mouth and technique of the player is as important as the shape of the utaguchi (within limits). I mean, have you heard what a good bansuri player can do with side-blown flutes?

This discussion is delightful - it's helping me think about the craft more deeply, and great to hear everyone's different ideas.

John

Mujitsu · 2006-06-19 13:32:57

Thanks for the story Darren.

Since my first introduction to the shakuhachi, I've been fascinated and satisfied that there are so many ways to make it. One can be made in five minutes or a lifetime. It can be approached in the most scientific or esoteric fashion. The instrument itself doesn't play favorites. It doesn't care who I am or what I think.

When I think of this type of relationship to flutemaking, it forces me to take responsibility for my own creativity. I can't think of a better tool to help me figure out how to be myself.

Ken

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2006-06-13 17:06:56

Embracing our "bad flutes"

#2 2006-06-15 19:29:39

Re: Embracing our "bad flutes"

#3 2006-06-19 03:28:08

Re: Embracing our "bad flutes"

#4 2006-06-19 13:32:57

Re: Embracing our "bad flutes"

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