Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

pablo63 · 2006-09-18 22:19:13

O.K. Head up...hold flute at 45 degrees. I'm not questioning my teacher, who is *#%@ing awsome. Could someone tell me why...? You see if I hold it up just a tad higher...say 5 or 6 degrees higher I can get clear notes from Ro to Kan Chi after practicing for 18 days since my first lesson. Not real fluid but they're there. If I hold it at 45 I wind up tilting my head down a bit to compensate, or pressing it too hard into my chin, not lightly as suggested. This forum is invaluable to me. The suggestions & reading practically everything in it has me humbled by the service members offer. Thank you.

edosan · 2006-09-19 09:34:42

Your tendency/need to either tip your head down, or hold the flute up more than normal when playing is common for beginners. This is because, in order to get a decent tone, your lips must be closer to the blowing edge because you have not yet developed an embouchure capable of producing a tight enough/strong enough/optimally-directed air stream.

If you sit up, head level, flute at about forty-five degrees, your lips will be pulled away from the blowing edge a bit, and the tone suffers.

Playing as you do now also tends to make you play more or less flat.

The solution?

Give it some time. Also, at least TRY to assume correct posture for a good part of your playing time; even though your sound will lose something, it's the only way to develop the required qualities in your airstream.

Also a good idea to use a tuner at times to check your pitch, or to play along with something that you know is at correct pitch.

And: Ro-Buki. Lots of it. And try to keep it at the correct pitch for your length flute.

Make sense?

eB

pablo63 · 2006-09-19 23:57:54

Thank you Edosan. Did exactly what you recommended, & for a few minutes it did come close to what I heard as clear notes till I reached the ro...i do not have a tuner as of yet. I'm not sure what kind of tuner I need. Though I play a western flute (open hole B foot Gemienharht) I've never had occasion to use a tuner. I see what you mean by directed air stream not being developed enough. Whew! Seems like a lot of distance to cover from embouchure to edge & to keep it focused in a tight stream... one thing I'm developing is a strong appreciation of what it takes to create the wonderful sounds these flutes are capable of. This is going to take some time, which I will devote even more of. Again, thank you.

Harry · 2006-09-20 05:21:43

I'm finding that playing with the chin level (as opposed to dipped) I'm getting clearer high notes that are more easily meri-ed and kari-ed, especially the top hand notes and Ro 3rd octave.

Regards,

Harry.

edosan · 2006-09-20 10:46:40

pablo63 wrote:
I'm not sure what kind of tuner I need.

A relatively in-tune piano or electronic keyboard will suffice, or you can purchase an electronic tuner that has a built-in microphone. A more cumbersome approach would be to make a recording of the appropriate notes (for your shakuhachi) using your Western flute, and use that recording as a benchmark.

Also, playing along with simple tunes recorded by someone who has good pitch is helpful.

The important thing, at least at first, is to get good relative pitch between the notes on your shakuhachi, then work on bringing the whole thing up to where it should be.

As Harry mentioned, keeping your head up gives you lots more 'headroom' (pun intended) for getting good, in-pitch, meri notes, because you have a bigger 'sixth hole' (the hole created between your lips and the blowing edge) to start with. It is the change in the size of that hole as you meri which has the greatest effect on getting meri notes.

eB

Last edited by edosan (2006-09-20 10:50:47)

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2006-09-18 22:19:13

45 degrees challenge

#2 2006-09-19 09:34:42

Re: 45 degrees challenge

#3 2006-09-19 23:57:54

Re: 45 degrees challenge

#4 2006-09-20 05:21:43

Re: 45 degrees challenge

#5 2006-09-20 10:46:40

Re: 45 degrees challenge

pablo63 wrote:

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