Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

When I write out honkyoku in western notation for other instruments I just instruct them to ignore the bar lines and play each phrase rubato. To think of each bar as a phrase with relative rhythm between the notes but no pulse.

_!%Zuuung/%_

GOOGLE POWER    [whisper: massive]

intuitive music and graphic notation by Carl Bergstrom-Nielsen of Aarlborg University
http://www.musictherapyworld.de/modules … rgNiel.pdf

disclaimer: I have just found it, but it definately looks interesting

Any opinions on such notation are welcome.

Last edited by marek (2008-07-18 05:43:22)

jdanza wrote:

I personally rewrite the pieces in Shakuhachi notation. I don't think it's any "better", but it feels more like "home" when playing Shakuhachi.

I agree. It does make you feel at home when you follow shakuhachi notation. And that comes from me who learned Western notation and thereby reading music before I learned to read words... And none of them is better than the other, as you say. Western notation is in particular fantastic for showing harmonies.

Tairaku wrote:

When I write out honkyoku in western notation for other instruments I just instruct them to ignore the bar lines and play each phrase rubato. To think of each bar as a phrase with relative rhythm between the notes but no pulse.

That's what the composers have said... or there are no bar lines at all. And I know it, but I just find myself becoming automatically a slave to this moving forward. I also notice that when I follow Western notation I find it hard to ignore the score. When there is no rest... I seem to push on.

madoherty wrote:

I find this sort of notation to be more suitable for shakuhachi, but it still does not have the dialectic that traditional notation has with the instrument.

Your scores look very interesting. I would love to hear some of that - especially the string quartet. But also other stuff.

madoherty wrote:

Coincidently, I recently transcribed one of my compositions into kinko ryu.  The piece plays differently.  I am thoroughly convinced that traditional shakuhachi notation is far better for conveying the feeling of shakuhachi pieces, and that Western notation does not do a suitable job in capture the feeling of the instrument, if the goal is to play in a traditional manner, such as honkyoku.

Yes, that is true. But what is your experience when it comes to pieces that are not written to sound as traditional honkyoku?

Tairaku wrote:

That's funny because I was just speaking with a player and composer who thinks the future of shakuhachi lies in adopting western notation.

Hmmmm.... interesting. Was that because he/she thinks shakuhachi's future lies in other genres than honkyoku style music?

marek wrote:

intuitive music and graphic notation by Carl Bergstrom-Nielsen of Aarlborg University
http://www.musictherapyworld.de/modules … rgNiel.pdf

Yep, this is interesting. There is a conference here in Denmark very soon about this. http://hjem.get2net.dk/intuitive/dimc.htm
I am considering to go.... but this d... thesis + I am invited to a wedding that weekend. Hmmmmm.....

Tairaku wrote:

Is that Aarlborg as in Aarlborg Aquavit? Far out.

Yes, Aalborg or Ålborg, as we spell it, is the city where they make the akvavit too. www.aalborgakvavit.dk

Last edited by Kiku Day (2008-07-18 06:50:40)

And keep it in the coldest freezer you can find. Best when it pours slightly viscous from the bottle.

Dy-no-MITE.

Lorka wrote:

Oh man, you are so right Ed. 

How did I manage to forget that critical detail.  You gotta deep chill that puppy so it comes out almost syrupy.   I don't know if this is a typical Danish tradition or not, but the family I lived with had these special pewter glasses that they kept in the freezer.  When it was Akavit time, we would pour the ice cold schnapps into these frozen glasses.  Good stuff.  Usually the schnapps was had with herring and rye bread during lunch (often followed by a nap after, if you have had a couple of glasses)

Speaking of deeply chilled. I brought back 3 types of extra fancy chinese type aqavit I found in a shop in Australia. So when you get to the dojo instead of the stick each time you mess up its going to be a shot each time.

Lorka wrote:

Oh man, you are so right Ed. 

How did I manage to forget that critical detail.  You gotta deep chill that puppy so it comes out almost syrupy.   I don't know if this is a typical Danish tradition or not, but the family I lived with had these special pewter glasses that they kept in the freezer.  When it was Akavit time, we would pour the ice cold schnapps into these frozen glasses.  Good stuff.  Usually the schnapps was had with herring and rye bread during lunch (often followed by a nap after, if you have had a couple of glasses)

I can't imagine a good Danish home without a couple of different akvavit in the freezer!!! It is essential to life! So, yes that is a Danish tradition! also the rye bread and herrings. Oh, I have to bake some rye bread, by the way. Running out of that stuff....

madoherty wrote:

Thank you for your interest in my music.  You may listen and samples tunes here: www.michaeladoherty.com/recordings.html.  Unfortunately I have not found a string quartet who has wanted to take up the quartet- even as it is written in Western notation, though, you can hear it on piano, and listen to other pieces here: www.michaeladoherty.com/Compositions.html.

Nice stuff. Thank you for the link. Let me have some more time to listen to it...

Last edited by Kiku Day (2008-07-18 15:48:12)