Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Hi purehappiness,
Your name suggests that you've found the shakuhachi!

I think a guitar tuner is set to the pitches of the six strings of the guitar, no? If not, choose the pitches on the tuner that correspond to the notes of the flute in the key that you are making. On the standard 1.8 (around 54.5cn in length) , those notes are D (all holes closed) F, G, A, C, and D again (thumb hole).

Makers who use tuners usually do so to adjust for the most accurate pitch at the sweet spot for their way of playing.  As you know, even though there are tone holes on a shakuhachi, the pitches fluctuate greatly depending upon the player's ability to create and maintain the pitch. This is why the Kari and Meri techniques of  blowing sharp or flat are formalized playing techniques in shakuhachi music.

Most good makers are good players. Most good players can become good makers (if they want to give up practice time!). My suggestion is to develop your lips and ears first. You should use the tuner, but not rely on it.

purehappiness wrote:

...I would hate to do the wrong thing while trying to make my first shakuhachi.

"Sometimes we can not do the right thing without first doing the wrong thing". - [David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine)


Hope this helps.
Enjoy the process, Perry

sorry Perry,

didn't mean to hijack the thread.....we were both answering at the same time....   LOL

jacques

oh boys......    (opens HUGE can of worms)

first off......everything you do effects everything else....  there's lots of data on pressure points etc....do a search and you'll find 'em..

the way i approach it is i first make a map of how everything is right now....   for example

OTSU
Ro Ok
Tsu  -14
Re -7
Chi ok
Ri  ok

KAN
Ro  -5
Tsu ok
Re  +5
Chi -7
Ri

etc....  (this is just a random example)

i figure out where my "baseline is"  and then i try to solve the biggest one first...

the Tsu Otsu is the most out..... do that one first..... 

enlarging the hole towards the utaguchi will sharpen the note....   if you can't get everything right with just the hole size/placement....then you gotta go deeper..... so to speak...   then you must add/subtract material in the bore.....

basically, 

get the Otsu notes right with hole size/placement.....  then if the octave is out..... there is bore work that needs to be done...

octave balance is pretty much a function of bore size at critical points   (1/4, 1/2, 3/4) of the distance from the hole to the utaguchi.   

hope this helps..

jacques

i don't think that you're over your head.....but yes it is very confusing.....thats why theres 2369 posts on the flutemaking topic...

what i would REALLY recomend to do is to get some 3/4" pvc tubing and experiment.  i made over 100 of them (and probably messed up 90% of them) before i started to understand sort of what is going on.   

you can't really "tune" a shakuhachi perfectly anyways..... it's impossible.   

go to

www.navaching.com

and read, and read, and read, and read.   

Nelson has done a lot of research  (it's not the end-all-be-all)  but he's really into the science thing and explains it pretty good. 

there is no 100% foolproof hole calclulation formula...( i know, i've tried tons)  every time i've had to do some tweaking afterwards to get it closer to what i wanted.

i'm not trying to scare you or anything....there's no voodoo or magic....it's all sound science.  but it's far from a straight answer....   

every piece of bamboo is different, so every flute is a new adventure..... a new puzzle....

when you're trying to work with tolerances of +/-   0.1 of a mm  (or less)   it's like trying to balance an egg on a razor blade.....

happy drilling...



btw....search the forum.... there's tons of other webisites that have hole placement formulas etc..... the info is out there...

peace

Hi Pure,

I wouldn't be too concerned about getting everything correct with your first flutes. I think a great way to learn is just to go at it with whatever formula you can find or whatever tuner you have. Make lots of mistakes and gradually learn from them. After a generation or two of flutes you'll hone in on better educated guesses. You'll realize what equipment will help best. Solutions have a way of appearing when you are ready for them. I don't think that ever ends. Shakuhachi making is always full of surprises regardless of the number of flutes under your belt. Just go for it, and then go for the next one! Good luck!

Ken

jaybeemusic wrote:

sorry Perry,

didn't mean to hijack the thread.....we were both answering at the same time....   LOL

jacques

Hey Jacques, not an issue! Great to read about your approach.

purehappiness wrote:

Perry. Could you tell me how you start to tune your shakahachi. I would love to hear how an expert does it.

Here is a thread with a story on how I got started:

http://www.shakuhachiforum.com/viewtopic.php?id=3055

For natural bore Jinashi style flutes, I tune the length first then work hole to hole from the bottom (hole #1) up. For modern bore flutes, I work from specs so the pitches set.

...Just as long as I can sit near the wetlands near my house and play is all that matters. As I progress I can create, or purchase, a better shakuhachi.

If you keep playing and making inspired by your surroundings, you may never be able to buy a "better" shakuhachi!

Best, Perry