The Core Spirit of Shakuhachi


The spiritual core of shakuhachi manifests itself in what I will call the yureru oto, (Translator's note: a dynamic fluctuation of the tone) which also mirrors the essence of Zen. Nowadays, most sects of shakuhachi - Tozan, Kinko and current Meian, among others - have forgotten this exquisite yureru oto, which exists in the space between the notes and is what compromises the soulful sound of the shakuhachi. One must not attempt to play the notes of a shakuhachi song "accurately" or "skillfully". Playing only the precise pitches prescribed by the notes on the score leads to boring, soulless playing that neither expresses the spirit of the music, nor the heart of the player. Instead, the traditional lifeblood of the shakuhachi is to let each note vary subtly within it's permissible scope. This expresses the soul of wabi, sabi, and ma and leads to the yureru oto. (Translator's note: wabi can be thought of as an austere, refined beauty, sabi as a solitariness combined with age and tranquility, and ma as timing, or the delicate interval or emptiness which exists between the sounds). Playing only the average pitches will extinguish these elements, and the soulful sound of the shakuhachi will be lost. Expressing the sounds that exist between the notes is also the traditional lifeblood of the shakuhachi, and is what helps give rise to the yureru oto's exquisite reverberations. It takes a long time and much effort to develop these qualities in one's playing. During this time, trial, error, and original experimentation are key to success. Five or ten years may pass yielding little progress but much frustration and confusion. At the point your heart and soul become free, however, satori, or enlightenment, is experienced, and you think, "Ah! It was so simple all along!" At this moment, that which was hidden becomes obvious, and that which was difficult becomes easy. The player and the sound become one, resulting in a deep, profound sound that resonates in the spinal column and touches one's soul. Every sound of the shakuhachi can be expressed in a multitude of ways depending on the brilliance of the player's soul. Thus, all life is study, and this study is dynamic and alive. Your experience of the shakuhachi's sound never stops evolving. Finally, gratitude towards all is at the center of the shakuhachi soul. The entire purpose of the shakuhachi is to foster a thankful heart.

Yoshinobu Taniguchi
From the Chikuzen Shakuhachi Series

I was reading Perry Yung's Shakuhachi blog today and I noticed he had recently made a video showing and playing the different types of shakuhachi. It is well done and very interesting and I recommend you check it out if you if you get some time.

I was looking through some older pictures I had on my myspace page. I found one I did for Steadfast Brand Clothing. It made me smile thinking about it. Steadfast Brand has sponsored me in a few endeavors and I rarely wear clothing not made by them. I believe in supporting companies who support the little guy and Steadfast Brand is one of those companies that hasn't forgotten where it came from. In this picture you will see me with one of my favorite shakuhachi a Mujitsu 2.1 wide bore flute. Both companies make great products and I recommend them both!

Steadfast Brand Komuso

I started making shakuhachi pendants again recently and I have a few in stock for anyone who is interested. It is carved from solid round stock 316LVM surgical steel at my shop and won't tarnish or cause any allergic reactions. It is implant grade surgical steel. Some people use them for necklaces and some unscrew the eyelet and glue a pin to it ot use for a broach. You can use them anyway you like. They are 2-1/8" long and drilled out completely like a real shakuhachi. Some people even jokingly play them. The price is $50usd shipped. If you have any questions about them please feel free to write me.

One thing I have added to my practice regimen is using James Nyoraku Schlefer's Shakuhachi Workbook.

I have 2 Kitahara 1.8 flutes for sale. I originally got these flutes from Perry Yung and both of them are very full and loud. The flute with the black joint has a refurbished inlay. Both of these flutes have a great sound and are great deals for someone looking to get a great 1.8 at a reasonable price. Both of these flutes were gone over by Perry Yung and in great condition. Flute w/ black joint: $1000 A lighter flute with a great feel and beautiful looks and sound.Flute w/ silver joint: $1400 Thick dense bamboo w/ master maker mark and great tone. Both of these flutes are worth more than I am selling them for and both of them are suitable for study with a teacher. Please feel free to write me if you have any questions about them.

Michael Chikuzen Gould will be hosting his fall RO camp at the Stratford Ecological Center December 5th-7th, 2008. I have been to the last two RO camps and they were great learning experiences and a great opportunity to meet other shakuhachi players. If you get the chance to check out one of Chikuzen's camps, I recommend it. Not only will you learn a lot, but you will have a great time! Details are below.

When: Dec. 5~7, 2008
Where: Stratford Ecological Center, Delaware, Ohio.
The URL is Stratfordecologicalcenter.org and the address is 3083 Liberty Road Delaware,OH 43015.

Fall Camp is less than a month away now so please hurry up and register.

We will be focusing on the following things at this camp:1. Minyo Songs (Folk Tunes). These are of the stricter definitive genre called "Minyo" (not including every pop tune in otherwords). Last camp we did two versions of Yamanaka Bushi. I have chosen a few simple tunes that emphasize the melodies rather than be loaded down with just trills (there are some trills, of course). These are good for all levels as you learn to play with a certain feeling and learn how to "sing" with the flute. They are also good for learning how to read scores.2. Duets. Advanced and simple. 3. (1) Sankyoku piece. Sandan no Shirabe for beginners and Shin Takasago for advanced.4. Honkyoku. Shingetsu for Advanced and Ekoh for Beginner's.

The format for camp is as follows:

FRIDAY night:6:00`8:00 dinner/free time
8:00~ Duets

SAT:
8:00`9:00 Breakfast
9:00`12:00 shakuhachi
12:00`2:00 lunch/free time
2:00`5:00 shakuhachi
5:00~7:00 Dinner
7:00~ Concert Night

SUN.:
8:00~9:00 Breakfast
9:00~12:00 shakuhachi
12:00~1:30 Lunch
1:30~ 3:00 shakuhachi
3:00~ cleanup/EndPlease note that friday night is duet night.

You should be working on one part (shakuhachi #1 or #2 or #3)of several songs. We discussed this at last camp, especially for the advanced group. I'll be sending out scores this week for the beginner's duets. Advanced songs could include:-Tohne no Funa Uta-Seki no Aki Kaze (Fukuda rando/"Wind thru the Pass"-Henro-Shun Sui-Goryu (Yokoyama Katsuya).-Shika No Tohne-Natsu no Omoide (Recollections of Summer)

Please register asap or let me know your intentions to do so so that I can send out the booklets. Fee: $250.

Note: Make checks out to Michael Gould. Please do NOT include the word Chikuzen in the name on the check. Direct any questions to me at the email address below. Michael Chikuzen Gould
chikuzen@earthlink.net

Everyday when I practice I go to a webpage called "Shakuhachi Tips" by Kaoru Kakizakai.

One of my best friends and as far as I am concerned, a member of the family is Jon Kypros.  He is the owner and maker over at Shingetsu Flutes and makes awesome shakuhachi. One of my favorite flutes is the "Colonel" which is a 2.1 shakuhachi that Jon made me when we first met.  I have quote a few flutes from him now and I recommend you check him out.  Not only is he a great maker but a great player too.  He studies with Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin up to 4x a week and is well on his way to be a shihan.  One important point to consider when purchasing a flute is if the maker is capable of playing the repertoire.  If the maker can't play the pieces, it is a good bet you won't be getting a fully functional instrument.  There are a lot of makers out there that sell shakuhachi that are simply unacceptable for learning the music.  It just makes learning an already difficult instrument more frustrating and in the end a lot of players who might have otherwise gone on to be great players quit because they feel they are incapable of learning the instrument when the simple fact was that they had an unuseable instrument.  Jon is always available to talk shakuhachi and I am sure he would even be willing to evaluate a flute you already have or are considering to assess it's playability.  

I have been working for some time with Michael Chikuzen Gould on Dokyoku style shakuhachi. Today I decided to record Honshirabe to assess how things are going. It was a really great learning experience. On the first recording, I noticed I didn't let the notes decay at all. So I worked on getting a better note decay and that led me to have shorter breaths because I was too concerned with the control of the note at the end and not letting the pitch drop. When I finally got everything as close as possible to a good mix of everything I wanted to do I noticed the meris were too loud and the dynamics were no good. So after another five or so takes I finally came up with something that was close. It was a great learning experience though. It brought all the little details I know I forget to practice to the front and now I am very conscious about them and it is really helping me practice more efficiently. It puts me more in a practice like a performance mindset where I play every little thing as well as I can. Before I recorded myself I didn't really notice these nuances were missing. I still practiced like I was performing and tried as hard as I could but it just wasn't apparent to me. If you are interested in hearing the results you can click here to hear me play Honshirabe on my YUNG 1.8.

I arrived at Craig Ciola’s house Friday at 4pm where the Chikuzen RO Camp was being held. It is located in beautiful LaRue, OH where there is abundant fresh air and beautiful rolling plains. Upon arriving I met Craig in his zen garden where he and another student Clinton were working on building a grill. He showed me around and we got to work setting up tents and getting ready for the weekend. Michael Chikuzen Gould showed up soon after and the fun began. We played from about 6pm until about 10pm the first night. The group I participated in covered tone production and a small selection of songs. Perry Yung led a jinashi flute making class and the advanced group worked on Honkyoku pieces. Afterwards we all sat around swapping stories, playing flutes and having a great time.

For pics, see: http://www.harpgear.com/rocamp/

The next day began at 8am with a hearty breakfast followed by 30 minutes of blowing RO. From there we split into groups of beginner intermediate and advanced. We all worked in our appropriate groups throughout the day and coming together at meal times to share thoughts, tips and advice. That evening we had a small concert where we played duet pieces followed by all of us playing Honshirabe. Like the night before we sat around at the end of the day sharing stories of how we began and just getting to know each other. We woke up the next day to repeat it all again. I really enjoyed the fact that there were so many students there who were not only humble and friendly but also willing to share and help fellow students. In the end I walked away feeling I had a much better grasp on the techniques and music, but most of all I felt I walked away with some new friends and a great life long memory.

I am starting this new blog to act as a personal / public diary of my shakuhachi learning.  I attend shakuhachi camps with Michael Chikuzen Gould and  Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin and I will document them with pictures here and also document my regularly weekly lessons with Michael Chikuzen Gould who is my full-time teacher.