Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Bogert wrote:

Hello everyone.
          I'm working on a 1.6 at the moment and am having a problem that I'm not sure how to fix... the 甲(kan) register is rather weak, but to top that off ヒ(hi) doesn't want to work.  Any special places in the bore to get a stronger  甲(kan) and a working hi? I never had this problem before.  Well any help from you all would be great.
                                                                                                                   Chris

A difficult kan register often suggests that the bore is too wide for the length. However, it's difficult to tell without more information about the flute. Does it have a wide bore to length ratio? Is it jinashi? Jiari? Straight bore? Tapered bore?  Keep in mind that the shorter the flute, the less room there is for error.

Ken

Bogert wrote:

Oh ok,  jinashi, relatively wide bore for the length,  tapered bore with a curve near the bell.  Any suggestions?

One possibility could be that the bore is too wide for the length. You can also look for anything abnormal in the bore - wide spots, thin spots, etc. Sometimes that's enough to fix things.

Chances are, you won't be that lucky. Filling along the whole bore might be a remedy. Fixing it by 'spot' filling is possible but tricky.

Another option would be to start on another flute and get back to this one in a few years!

Ken

I have noticed similar problems with a wider bore. This is a good example of why I now spend a bit of time blowing Ro on otsu and kan before drilling any holes, to get a good balance. Before opening the bell end, which will strengthen otsu and weaken kan, in my experience. It is easier to strenthen otsu than weaken kan.

One thought, how deep is your sixth hole in the utaguchi ? I think I have strengthened kan by reducing the depth of this curve, I sand down the top of the flute, a small amount at a time, then checking any results. This brings the lips closer to the edge. No promises though !

Kel

Bogert wrote:

Hello everyone.
          I'm working on a 1.6 at the moment and am having a problem that I'm not sure how to fix... the ?(kan) register is rather weak, but to top that off ?(hi) doesn't want to work.  Any special places in the bore to get a stronger  ?(kan) and a working hi? I never had this problem before.  Well any help from you all would be great.
                                                                                                                   Chris

Hi Chris, There are plenty of special places in the bore to work on Kan. The best thing for you is to focus on one note first.

If Hi is the worst culprit, you can check the resonance spots for that note. As Ken suggetsed, it sounds like your bore is too wide for the length.

If you want to Spot Tune (a method I use for my Chikusing Model shakuhachi flutes), you could make what I call a tuning bead.


The small bead is about .6 cm and the larger one is about 1cm.

This photo shows two sizes I use often. The smaller is for the initial spot location. After that's found, I try different size beads and/or thin pieces of wet newspaper(folded to about 1 cm sq) to determine what amount of paste to add to bring it to the desired response. The larger bead is for larger wide bore Choukan Chikusing model flutes.

For Hi, I would start the bead at around the RI hole. You can tape down the thread on the outside of the flute off to one side. If you're lucky, you 'll notice lots of changes immediately. You should try the bead at every cm going up the flute and note the spot that makes the best improvement (I use a small piece of tape as a marker). Your technique and musical understanding will guide you into making the right choices. You may also find that nothing seems to work, that there is no difference where ever you put the bead. This is where experience comes into play. You can try different combinations of different sized beads AND wet newspaper at several spots.

It should also be noted that trying the alternate fingerings for your difficult notes can tell you what's going on in the bore.

Just a few questions:

1) Are your finger holes undercut?

2) Is the thumb hole drilled in the proper location?

3) Does it gravitate sharp or flat?

4) What is the diameter size of the hole?

best,
Perry

Bogert wrote:

That's a cool device, I'll try that.  Here is to answer the questions, 1) no undercut 2) yeah, it's in the right place. 3) flat 4) finger holes are 10.5mm and re 3rd is 10mm, utaguchi 22mm, bell around 16mm.

Hi Chris,

It usually helps Kan when the holes are undercut. You may also want to make the hole slightly bigger. Let me know your discoveries.

Best, Perry

Hi Evan,

evan kubota wrote:

About the bead - it just rests against the inside of the bore?

Yes, In my experience, the bore doesn't seem to mind what shape is constricting it. It seems that as long as it's smooth, air will pass freely. I've seen many Jinashi flutes with big gobs of stuff in the bore that play beautifully.

I'm working on a 2.8 that has a somewhat weak Ro. The kan register is fine, otsu is not that strong though.

Sounds like the bore could be on the small side.

Best of luck with it,
Perry