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Tube of delight!

#26 2011-01-31 15:53:18

Kiku Day
Shakuhachi player, teacher and ethnomusicologist
From: London, UK & Nørre Snede, DK
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 922
Website

Re: Hocchiku quality

vinisha wrote:

Do you have sources for these?

Hi Vinisha

Would like to answer you, but could you let me know sources or what you are asking for?
Then I'd try my best to answer you.


I am a hole in a flute
that the Christ's breath moves through
listen to this music
Hafiz

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#27 2011-02-01 03:13:37

Karmajampa
Member
From: Aotearoa (NZ)
Registered: 2006-02-12
Posts: 574
Website

Re: Hocchiku quality

Nice thread, reminds me of my own journey, you will love writing your manual, I write a new manual with each new culm, mind you, I am getting more discriminitive about the bamboo I am going to invest my time into. But this took time, I have 'kissed a lot of frogs' and loved them all.
If you really have a curiosity about the Shakuhachi making journey you have to take the plunge and start making them, don't be afraid of making a mess, you will ! And you will discover lots as you attempt to fix those problems, with wonderful fulfillment when the sound improves, and it will.
You don't have to only use 'root-end' bamboo, there is a lot to learn from a good aspect ratio tube, bamboo tube that is. root-end introduces more factors to consider so practice on a few fundamentals first is useful.

Then I get a flute that just turns out with good characteristics, sounds good, blows easily, good through the registers, feels good, hole spacing and placement, and now it is worth something more than all those others I have made previously. I don't want to part with it under a price because I know it is a better flute, so I value it this way.

And somehow, this particularly good flute has been built upon all those that preceeded it. The combination of a good piece of bamboo, fortuitous crafting and diligent observations of each flute-making experience.

But I am still hungry to work on my next culm, I wander through them hanging from my basement bearers.

Free your Spirit, take the plunge, you won't look back with any regret.

Kel.


Kia Kaha !

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#28 2011-02-01 12:32:32

Taldaran
Member
From: Everett, Washington-USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 232

Re: Hocchiku quality

You can make a hocchiku from a large piece of bamboo cut higher on the culm and it won't have much if any taper to the bore. It may sound great and in tune in otsu, but not so great in kan, and forget about dai kan.

It'll be good for one octave. If you want to use it for blowing meditation, more power to you.

I found some timber bamboo with thick walls cut near the rootend, and the taper was close enough for a functional flute that plays well into dai kan. It was a win-win because I bought the bamboo from a display company that had a closeout on their bamboo stock, and it was cheap!


Christopher

“Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe.” Tao Te Ching

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#29 2011-02-01 13:00:41

Mujitsu
Administrator/Flutemaker
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-05
Posts: 885
Website

Re: Hocchiku quality

Well said Kel and Christopher.

Yes. And it's great to work with various bore profiles because you can't help but gradually gain an understanding of how it influences playability. - Especially when things don't work out.

Occasionally I get a request from a new maker for the best possible Japanese madake blank. The idea being they want to spend a long time on one piece to make a masterpiece. I understand that type of excitement and desire but I always suggest they make many, many flutes first out of simple, cheap bamboo of different sizes and bore profiles. That type of gradual learning process is invaluable.

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#30 2011-02-01 15:11:18

Musgo da Pedra
Member
From: South of Brazil
Registered: 2007-12-02
Posts: 332
Website

Re: Hocchiku quality

Mujitsu wrote:

Occasionally I get a request from a new maker for the best possible Japanese madake blank. The idea being they want to spend a long time on one piece to make a masterpiece. I understand that type of excitement and desire but I always suggest they make many, many flutes first out of simple, cheap bamboo of different sizes and bore profiles. That type of gradual learning process is invaluable.

True! Sometimes flutes from yesterday can show how much we thought we knew at the past... what was good can be crap on present (and as we have a tendency to try to improve, most things tend to be better)... and also, we can have some luck and make things that we even do not call "nice" that can show to be very cool after a few years... a friend gave me back a 2.0 shaku I made around 4 years ago, the bamboo is weird, a hole in a node (!), but now, having studied more shakuhachi music, and trying it again, I noticed it's really cool and that it can play everything in tune with a nice tone color!!! What a luck that he gave it back to me!!!

So a masterpiece can choose to be that at a time... bamboo have it's own desires too!!!

: {p


Omnia mea mecum porto

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#31 2011-02-02 03:37:52

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Hocchiku quality

Musgo da Pedra wrote:

[

So a masterpiece can choose to be that at a time... bamboo have it's own desires too!!!

: {p

Don't anthropomorphize bamboo........it's unscientific! wink


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#32 2011-02-02 04:55:37

Musgo da Pedra
Member
From: South of Brazil
Registered: 2007-12-02
Posts: 332
Website

Re: Hocchiku quality

I promisse to be carefull with that (you already said that, ehehehhe)... last night I wake up hearing the fan asking for a glass of water, but that can be too much bier here in the brazilian summer... heheheh


Omnia mea mecum porto

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#33 2011-02-04 21:05:49

dstone
Member
From: Vancouver, Canada
Registered: 2006-01-11
Posts: 552
Website

Re: Hocchiku quality

purehappiness wrote:

I think everyone goes thru the phase of wanting to make your own flute. Eventually, you sober up, and realize how hard it is, and then you buy one. smile I know, I am there.

Hard makes the activity rewarding, or at least makes it a path.  Making.  Playing.  Same.  ?


When it is rainy, I am in the rain. When it is windy, I am in the wind.  - Mitsuo Aida

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