Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Jam · 2009-10-28 21:32:26

I was playing some honkyoku yesterday in an empty classroom at work, and the music teacher walked past and commented on the fact I'm western yet play shakuhachi, and he's Japanese yet he plays violin. Anyway we had a good chat about music and I showed him some shakuhachi notation, but I also had some pieces with western score as well. He suggested we try playing together and we ended up playing part of Holst's "Jupiter" and Hisaishi's "Mononoke Hime".

It was a great experience, seeing as I've only ever played with a koto player, and I was wondering if anyone here has ever played with a violinist, and if so, could you recommend any good pieces?

Also while I'm vaguely on topic, I have a friend back home who plays the sanshin, and he wants to play Haisai Ojisan when I get home for christmas, anyone ever played that? I've been trying to work it out by ear but I'm not great at it!

Lanier flutes · 2009-10-28 22:03:09

John Kaizan plays along with violin on one of his albums called Kite. I've played along with violin but only in a band context, both improvisationally and on some standard pop numbers. In a band situation violin and shakuhachi players often want to take their solos in the same place so it can be tricky.

Jam · 2009-10-28 23:41:33

Yeah, while it was good fun I think perhaps it would sound better with a lower register instrument. I play bass guitar too and I keep meaning to record something with the two, but whenever I sit down to try and write something for both I always draw a complete blank...

Karmajampa · 2009-10-29 01:28:42

I have played improvisation with a viola player, it was wonderful, a rich blend of timbres.

Glenn Swann · 2009-10-29 08:20:58

2 ideas-
i performed a couple of times a really nice piece called "I was a crystal of snow sometime before" with shakuhachi violin and piano.... it is by composer Keiko Ueda, and you can hear it with Geni on shakuhachi and herself on piano here(don't know the violinist)- http://keikoueda.com/ENGLISH/WORKS.html or on on her myspace... the score is available here ... http://keikoueda.com/ENGLISH/SCORE.html
i love how kind of haunting the melody is, and the places that really sound like snowflakes drifting about. the shakuhachi solo is completely improvised by the performer, so it's interesting that it will be different every time (like snowflakes?) Geni did kind of a cool abstract thing- i did it almost straight-up honkyoku.

and the 2nd, i've not yet played, but heard at the NY world shakuhachi festival.... "as you like" which was composed by Murray Hidary and premiered by Yoshio Kurahashi sensei and a wonderful violinist named Eaisung Shin... you can hear it AND have a free score here...
http://www.murrayhidary.com/frameset_music.html
"as you like" is of course Kurahashi sensei's famous oft-said phrase.
hope that may help.

Last edited by Glenn Swann (2009-10-29 08:27:31)

nyokai · 2009-10-29 09:18:24

I've played quite a bit with the wonderful free improv violinist Katt Hernandez. She is way into microtonality and alternate scales, so it's a good combination. With shakuhachi and violin you can do all kinds of interesting microtonal stuff.

Jam · 2009-10-29 09:19:19

Hi Glenn,

Thanks for the suggestions! Both pieces are great, but I can't read western notation (yet!). I suppose that's going to be the next step!

Nyogetsu · 2009-10-29 18:44:05

I just noticed that a duet with a viola player has been mentioned so I guess I'll share my similar experience. About 25 years ago, I did a "fusion" album on GADFLY Records with a great cellist named GIDEON FREUDMANN, called "Sound of Distant Deer" (which , of course , referred to our duet version of the Kinko-Ryu classic Honkyoku SHIKA NO TONE).

Gideon is the kind of musician who could play any genre, and he composed a "cello-bop" solo for the CD.
I played a solo Honkyoku as well (AJIKAN).

Together, we played 4 modern compositions (including one by my student Murray Hidary, one by Ed Smalldone - now the Chairman of Aaron Copland School of Music, one by Jeffrey Lependorf).

In addition, we played 3 Improvisations together that we named "Cello-hachi"
We took it "on the road" for awhile, but its been a long time since I've played with strings!

Last edited by Nyogetsu (2009-10-29 18:45:10)

James Nyoraku Schlefer · 2009-10-30 11:54:19

Jam

You might want to check out my book of Shakuhachi Duets. They are very nice pieces and since it's in both Kinko and 5-line staff notation, it's easily played with violin. http://www.shakuhachi.com/SM-Schlefer-Duets.html

Jam · 2009-10-31 04:47:50

James Nyoraku Schlefer wrote:
Jam

You might want to check out my book of Shakuhachi Duets. They are very nice pieces and since it's in both Kinko and 5-line staff notation, it's easily played with violin. http://www.shakuhachi.com/SM-Schlefer-Duets.html

Thanks for the reply, if I had the money I'd definitely consider it, i'll save the link and might come back to you in the future

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2009-10-28 21:32:26

Playing with a violinist

#2 2009-10-28 22:03:09

Re: Playing with a violinist

#3 2009-10-28 23:41:33

Re: Playing with a violinist

#4 2009-10-29 01:28:42

Re: Playing with a violinist

#5 2009-10-29 08:20:58

Re: Playing with a violinist

#6 2009-10-29 09:18:24

Re: Playing with a violinist

#7 2009-10-29 09:19:19

Re: Playing with a violinist

#8 2009-10-29 18:44:05

Re: Playing with a violinist

#9 2009-10-30 11:54:19

Re: Playing with a violinist

#10 2009-10-31 04:47:50

Re: Playing with a violinist

James Nyoraku Schlefer wrote:

Board footer