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#1 2008-05-07 19:40:10
Meri weirdness--is the half holing only there for timbre?
In the endless quest to get good meri notes, I note (ha!) that sometimes, just adjustments to chin and shakuhachi angle are sufficient to get the right note, and the partial hole covering by a finger is not as important--and can be left off entirely (sometimes). Is the half holing still important because one may have to rapidly change from normal to meri notes, and this 'non half hole meri' is only something that can be gotten to more slowly?
I hope that made sense. In other words, if I get the angle locked in for tsu meri, I can take away the half-holing finger and nothing really changes.
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#2 2008-05-07 19:53:32
- Tairaku 太楽
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Re: Meri weirdness--is the half holing only there for timbre?
Good players can play meri notes down 1 or 1/12 steps below pitch without resorting to half holing. There are entire groups of Myoan players who do not use half holes.
In the Jin Nyodo school (at least our line) we learn "Mukaiji" without half holing. There are plenty of other ones we can play that way if desired.
So the simple answer to your question is "no you don't have to use semi-holing" to get the pitch.
Don't know the answer to the second part of your question (is it used for timbre) but my musical brain tells me they invented it for pitch purposes.
But you should learn and play the song from your teacher and use half holing if that's the usual way of doing things.
Without fanning the flames of the jinashi/jiari war 
jinashi flutes usually work better for meri notes without half holing. Some of the old Edo flutes have such small holes that half holing is not possible.
That's probably more answer than you needed, but regarding specific songs "ASK YOUR TEACHER" is the best answer.
'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari
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#3 2008-05-07 21:14:26
- Zakarius
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- From: Taichung, TAIWAN
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Re: Meri weirdness--is the half holing only there for timbre?
I recently learned Bosatsu with my teacher and the piece has a few lines of rapid movement between Chi meri, Ru and Tsu meri (sometimes you just pop the 3rd hole instead of really playing the note in full). Because of popping the 3rd hole, you can't effectively play Chi meri by shading the 3rd hole, so you keep it open and put your chin in a dai meri position. The Ru has 2, 4 and 5 closed and the Tsu meri 2 through 5 are closed. When played properly, the pitches will match up with the normal hole-shading method of playing and this opens up the nice pop. So I'd guess shading or not would depend upon the piece.
Zak -- jinashi size queen
塵も積もれば山となる -- "Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru." -- Piled-up specks of dust become a mountain.
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#4 2008-05-07 21:45:02
- Musgo da Pedra
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Re: Meri weirdness--is the half holing only there for timbre?
I would like to make mention about the probability of the use of shade/not shade the hole to get notes with same pitch but with different volume dynamics...
Omnia mea mecum porto
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#5 2008-05-08 09:14:43
- KenC
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Re: Meri weirdness--is the half holing only there for timbre?
Tairaku wrote:
Without fanning the flames of the jinashi/jiari war
That's probably more answer than you needed, but regarding specific songs "ASK YOUR TEACHER" is the best answer.
I have found this to be true (at least with my 2.0 Jinashi), it seems to accept a deeper Meri.
I play Tozan Sankyoku and was weaned on half holing as my teacher feels that it's good to know both. Likewise, as Musgo mentioned.... I've noticed at least in my jiari flutes it "sounds" like i have better volume. But then that has its place i suppose, more volume is not always appropiate. I think this is just another example of what makes Shakuhachi so special.
Ken C
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#6 2008-05-08 10:38:06
- Musgo da Pedra
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Re: Meri weirdness--is the half holing only there for timbre?
KenC wrote:
I play Tozan Sankyoku and was weaned on half holing as my teacher feels that it's good to know both. Likewise, as Musgo mentioned.... I've noticed at least in my jiari flutes it "sounds" like i have better volume. But then that has its place i suppose, more volume is not always appropiate. I think this is just another example of what makes Shakuhachi so special.
Ken C
Yes, shakuhachi has a beautiful natural taste of dynamics...
The fact of same pitch can be played at very loud or very soft volume, is a good thing but as mentioned, sometimes doens't have to do with the "feeling" of the piece and it's natural dynamics...
I think both are important...not only the louder sound...or the soft ones...
Shakuhachi is special... oh...
: {p
Peace
Omnia mea mecum porto
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Musgo, your point about dynamics is well taken.