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#1 2006-10-17 15:38:12

amokrun
Member
From: Finland
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 413

Shading vs. chin tilt.

I browsed the posts here for this but couldn't find a clear answer. Is there any difference between, say, tsu chu meri done with chin tilt only and the same note with shading only? Or, in general, does it matter which technique you use for any particular note? I find that many notes are actually easier to do with just chin tilt. I've come to notice that I naturally play slightly meri unless I actually tilt my head a bit back to get a proper kari sound. Tsu chu meri with chin tilt only is thus more natural to me than normal tsu is.

Is there anything wrong with using just chin tilt whenever it is possible, taking things like the difficulty of moving to the next note into account of course?

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#2 2006-10-17 17:02:01

dstone
Member
From: Vancouver, Canada
Registered: 2006-01-11
Posts: 552
Website

Re: Shading vs. chin tilt.

amokrun wrote:

Is there any difference between, say, tsu chu meri done with chin tilt only and the same note with shading only?

Same pitch, different timbre.

Or, in general, does it matter which technique you use for any particular note?

If you are guided by a teacher or style or notation, then you'll be told what is "correct".  I have a few pieces (incl. Kyorei, Daiwagaku, and Banji) where I was instructed to play tsu meri without shading.  I wasn't used to this.  But if you play them side by side, there's clearly a different texture to the sound, which only makes sense because your breath is taking a different path over the edge and through the flute to achieve the same pitch.

We're fortunate to play an instrument where there are multiple ways to play any given pitch.  And if the difference doesn't affect the listenener, then at least it's affecting you, the player.

-Darren.


When it is rainy, I am in the rain. When it is windy, I am in the wind.  - Mitsuo Aida

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#3 2006-10-17 17:10:07

James
Member
From: Seattle, WA, USA
Registered: 2005-12-03
Posts: 23

Re: Shading vs. chin tilt.

amokrun wrote:

Is there any difference between, say, tsu chu meri done with chin tilt only and the same note with shading only?

They sound different. That is, if you manage to get them to have the same pitch, the chin-tilt version will probably have a darker sound. What you will want to do is use a mix of chin-tilt and hole-shading in order to get the best sound you can. What the "best" sound is might be different depending on what you're playing, but that's a fairly advanced issue.

It might be a good exercise to play scales using just one or the other technique, but for heaven's sake don't limit yourself.

By the way, other things will influence pitch as well. Pursing your lips, or pressing the flute into your face, or the amount of air pressure all have an effect. Be versatile.

James

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