Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

The first day I studied shakuhachi I was told that "meri notes are the heart of shakuhachi". And of course countless numbers of times after that explaining to me how they are different from not only the TYPES of sounds you find in the west but I was told that there is no equivalent in the rest of Asia. I don't know about that but the point was taken that they are different. However, it took me many years to understand that through the constant experience of them. I was taught that, contrary to the way some people play meri notes now, with the volume close to that of kari notes, one is to play with a smaller volume for meri and even smaller for Dai meri. And although the volume is smaller the note is more powerful in it's own way.

Not to put words into Michael's mouth but I think he means we should embrace the fact that meri notes are not as loud and have different tone than the "regular" notes, rather than try to defeat it which is the goal of some modern players who seek uniformity of all notes. Some makers also attempt to defeat the meri notes by making unusual hole shapes to let more air escape.

I agree with Michael/Brian, that we should embrace the softer nature of meri notes. Personally I have an unconscious tendency to want to project them. This doesn't happen when I am playing honkyoku or other solo pieces but crops up when I am playing ensemble pieces. I think it comes as a carry over from having played western wind instruments (we are taught to make the tone quality uniform throughout the playing range). It also comes from a desire to be heard when playing with another instrument. When I am playing with a koto it feels odd to have certain notes (ri-meri and tsu-meri in particular) disappear underneath the plucking of the koto. Unconsciously I want to bring them up in volume (which often results it making them way too sharp). This is a tendency that I have to constantly fight. Also in ensemble playing (or playing pieces that have fast passages) I have a tendency to flatten the note that follows a meri note. This is a bad habit (which I am also trying to correct) that, I believe is more of a mechanical problem. I'm correcting this problem by trying to be more aware of it and trying to play more with other instruments (or recordings).