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So fellow-European, you come from Poland. If it's possible for you, you might also consider to come to the shaku summerschool in your neighbour country Czech at Prague at the end of August (26-30). You'll find exellent beginnersclasses and lots of advise around that and maybe a teacher that can help you further on, real or online. (In Europe working with one lesson a month is quite common, but less is also possible). I guess, if you ask for it, someboy will loan you a Yuu for the summerschool, and probably it will be possible of buying the book of Blasdel, who's also going to be there to teach. Hope to meet you there!
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So fellow-European, you come from Poland. If it's possible for you, you might also consider to come to the shaku summerschool in your neighbour country Czech at Prague at the end of August (26-30)
No words, thanks man!
I'll try to be there.
Is that a single time this festival occur or it's annual?
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Inq wrote:
Sorry for my trolling with videos but I got a question that need anwser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy29qdnLdlU
You can hear I'm loosing breath very quickly.
How to extend lungs capaticty or do anything else that would fix this? That's really annoying when I can't blow note more than few seconds.
I know I lack of patience and probably trainging would be the best cure but any sincere advice won't do a harm.
Btw, the avatar I aquired is generated automaticly or somebody was playing artist? Anyway thanks, I like it.
Not sure what your question is, but my suggestion is that you practice blowing 'Ro' for ten minute periods, than look at including other notes.
'Ro' is the lowest note, all holes are closed.
Blow this nnote for your full breath, it doesn't need to be loud but keep it clear.
This practice will strengthen all other playing.
K
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You need to refine your "aim". An unpracticed embouchure is scattershot, with only a small part of a too-wide airstream actually creating the note, with the rest making it sound breathy and diffuse. As you practice and learn where to aim, and that goes into muscle memory, you can begin to make the opening between your lips smaller and thus use less air. You should be able to hold a note for about 30 seconds with a good embouchure. There is no substitute for practice, except to take up the recorder...
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Karmajampa wrote:
I'm not so sure we disagree, perhaps more to do with a definition of 'rounding'.
I also refine any hard edges but 'round' is more extreme than this, 'bevel' is different again.
K.
The conventional wisdom is that the radius of curvature at the edge shoud be larger than about 0.1*sqrt(250/frequency)mm. So for low ro, ~294 Hz, we get ~.08mm. As you can see that is not much rounding, although a bit more is even better.
Last edited by Toby (2010-07-29 21:16:10)
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Your welcome, Inq. And yes, a summerschool happens annual in Prague, but not always the big European one, that's in another country every year. Your just fortunate that's this year in Prague too. Marek will help you out, he's great. And trust Paypal, I discoverd it works ok and easy, also in Europe.
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Question related to technique this time (I don't to strat new topic in more proper thread):
I read somewhere here second and third octaves may be hard to play due to the lack of thing coming from nature of bamboo. Enough to say tube is just a tube with no things inside that would distort the air flow therfore alter the sound.
Slowly, as I practice, I begin to be able to play some music with my pvc flute - currently I'm focusing on Japanese scales using partialy covered holes and note bending.
But to play music I want to play I need to learn how to go to the second octave.
In one tutorial I read player have to blow air twice fast than regular what is done by slight change in embouchure. I remember in the very beginning of my learning I ofter played the lowest note octave higher with no specific reason (that seems to be unware usage of mentioned technique).
What should I do to go a step further?
Last edited by Inq (2010-09-18 17:26:57)
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Inq wrote:
What should I do to go a step further?
I suggest blowing long tones (as mentioned above) starting with Ro, then the other notes, and after a good warmup with those, go back to Ro in the first octave, and halfway through the long tone breath, try to go up an octave. Work upwards through the other notes.
Don't rush it. Long tones in the first octave, keeping even pitch throughout, are the key to higher octaves.
Do that hundreds of times...
Also, remember: if your embouchure is undeveloped, it'll get tired out, and sometimes your playing will actually seem to be getting worse troughout a session (and it is...). Take a break, then forge on. This is 'normal'.
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I suggest blowing long tones (as mentioned above) starting with Ro, then the other notes, and after a good warmup with those, go back to Ro in the first octave, and halfway through the long tone breath, try to go up an octave. Work upwards through the other notes.
Ok, but does PVC tube construction allows that?
If it do, I will continue my search for the second octave ^^
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When the flute is properly made, there should be no problem in playing the higher octaves. Im an absolute beginner at the shakuhachi, playing for three months now, however I can absolutely vote for edosans advice. Playing long tones, especially in Ro otsu has helped me a lot to more frequently hit the second octave and to hold it for a longer time.
This being said, I have changed my embouchure recently. My upper lip is not straight in the middle, thus I had some difficulty to direct the airstream, so I decided to blow a little from out of center into the flute, which I noticed also masterplayers do, so there should be no problem with that. If you are one of those players who "need" to do that just be aware that you also have to hold your flute to the side. Otherwise, keep blowing long tones!
Last edited by Stefan02 (2010-09-19 15:25:18)
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By the way, I should thank here few people without whose advice I wouldn't manage to reach even this beginning I'm still on.
Lora's words on "breaking the illusion of dominance and strength" was most useful - both in shaku learning and private life xD
So, thanks once again.
I realised all alpha males wannabe may be succesful on short distance, but on the long run some self-distance and attitude to life is needed.
Whatever has that to shakuhachi.
Last edited by Inq (2010-09-19 16:13:50)
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