Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Vevolis wrote:

Is this an instrument that can be enjoyed without a teacher? I understand that they can be used for Honkyoku meditation and an absense of thought and worry is desirable, yet so many people still insist on a good teacher.

As far as enjoying goes, I most certainly enjoyed playing before I started going to lessons. I still enjoy playing and it's pretty hard to tell if I enjoy it more or less than before. If you mean whether or not you can become any good at it, I guess it depends on what you wish to play. I don't doubt at all that someone could learn to make pretty good sounds and play some melodies after practicing for a while. Picking up the tradition, however, is best done with someone who actually knows something about it.

As far as meditation goes, I feel that it is somewhat misleading to call Honkyoku meditation. Sure, everyone has heard all that stuff about being relaxed and trying to clear your mind. Even so, playing that kind of music is no less demanding as far as technique goes as any other kind of music. Indeed, sometimes those pieces are technically more challenging than many other kinds of pieces. Although often portrayed as such, it's not really about sitting down, clearing your mind and letting some higher power take over. There is a lot of technical detail involved and only after you know all that can you really try to play effortlessly in a meditative manner. It's like riding a bike: you can generally go to fun trips only after you can actually ride one for more than a second without falling down.

Vevolis wrote:

How can I tell if my instrument is of quality or not? I don't doubt the maker in the slightest, but from the range of cost, I don't know what to make of my instrument.

Ask someone who knows. I've had few people with just couple of weeks of playing try some of my flutes. They couldn't really tell the difference between any of them. Until you can play well, any flute tends to feel like a bad one except for those that are completely worthless and/or broken. Anyone who plays well should be able to tell pretty quickly if the instrument is good or not.

Vevolis wrote:

Is this an instrument that can be enjoyed without a teacher?

It sure can! I've enjoyed the instrument off and on with folk-style shakuhachi, meaning not suitable for Japanese music, since the early 90's and have been enjoying playing a lot for just over a year on "real" shakuhachi. I've had only one lesson from Brian Ritchie last October. I just improvise though. 

As far as whether your instrument is a good one, if your goal is to play Japanese music, you'll need a teacher or good player to assess the instrument for you. I got an instrument from Ebay not too long ago that the seller seemed disappointed in that totally takes me to new states of mind because of the strength of the sound and the in-tuneness. Why is there such a difference of opinion? The seller likes to play Japanese music and I don't. I recently asked Perry Yung, who had done some repairs to the instrument when it was in the previous owners hand, what he knew about the instrument and he said that it didn't play as a good shakuhachi should play when overblown. To me this instrument rocks my world, to someone wanting to play Japanese music it's a bummer. Go figure... Before I thought I might want to eventually learn Japanese music, now I kind of wonder if learning Japanese music is something I really want to do.           

Be aware that your mileage may vary, I have an extensive background with sliver and other flutes. In general, flute is a difficult instrument. Depending on your temperment, you might need a teacher even just for blowing the thing. That can help with feedback that you're going in the right direction.

Vevolis wrote:

The first instrument I was ever formally introduced to in public school was the flute. The first test I took was to play (ascending) was a B-flat concert scale. A mark for each successful note. I got 0/8.

Up here in Finland, the first instrument (and the only one, unless you want to try something else) they make everyone play is the recorder. These are not the good recorders that actually sound nice but rather cheap plastic ones that, even when played well, sound like someone is screaming bloody murder. I think most people never ever want to have anything to do with music and instruments after that experience. Recorder is one of the most hostile instrument towards beginners that I know. Although it's not that hard to play, the sound gets really, really horrible if you overblow it even slightly. Since beginners just tend to blow hard without putting much thought into it, the sound keeps going up and down almost randomly as you try to play something. Shakuhachi fortunately gives you the same note in the next octave in most cases. Recorder, not so much. Because of that, any mistakes in blowing lead to completely horrible melody that doesn't sound anything like what you wanted to play.

To this day I truly hate those things. All that forced playing made me want to never again touch any instrument. It wasn't until I found shakuhachi that I understood that end-blown instruments don't sound horrible by design.

Hey Vevolis,

I see you are from Toronto.  I used to work in TO.   I think the maker named Bonchiku lives not too far from Toronto, in the Kitchener area, but I am not sure about that.  He is famous for his 2.7 shakuhachi.

I have only been at it for a year (on my own with no teacher),  so I am still very much a beginner like yourself.  My advice, for whatever it's worth, is not to worry too much.  When you're home, just walk around with the flute and play on.  It won't matter if you're good, or if you are terrible.  Just play, and don't worry about it.  I would suggest not even thinking at all, and just breathing into the flute.  Experiment, and don't worry if it works or not.

As for flutes.  You can't go wrong with a Yuu.  If you want a nice bamboo flute speak to Perry or Ken.  They are both very kind and patient and very friendly.  Oh yeah, and they both make flutes you would enjoy to play on, for sure.

Following on from the brief thread about recorders. The recorder is an amazing instrument, even the plastic variety. It is essential to get good tuition. The problem is that it is often taught by school teachers with little musical training or musicians who are proficient in other instruments such as flute or sax but with minimal recorder training.

I am a trained recorder teacher and used to teach it full time. I can make 30 eight to ten year olds play a melody together that will bring tears of joy to any listener. Not tears of pain which unfortunately is the prevailing experience of recorder.

My experience of playing its amazing repertoire from renaissance to contemporary is not unlike the experience of playing shakuhachi. There is a close connection to breath and oneness with the wood.

Go to YouTube and search under 'recorder.'  There are actually some amazing clips of recorder music to be found there..

Try this for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rccp8Kc … re=related

Almost any instrument, when played well, can be wonderful.   Recorder is no exception.