Honshirabe

I notice many part of the end phase, you sound like trembling. If you feel your chest a bit stress at ending, you should stop right away. It is not very good for health. If you do it constantly, your start note will be affected too.

Thanks Kongwee.

Actually, I tried to go beyond my breathing capacity!

It is a piece that is apparently learned by beginners, so it should be relatively simple.
Yet I find that it is very difficult to find the sound of the Honkyoku.

I was not unhappy after play, compared to my previous attempts !

But I know that there is still much to do.

Hi Plume,

I can hear from the recording that you are starting to develop habits that you will have to un-learn in the future if you want to play Japanese music. Do you have access to a teacher?

Regards, BR

Thanks for your reply, Brian.

No, I don't have access to a teacher. To my knowledge, they are all in Paris (600 km from my home).

You're right, I'm not aware of my bad habits, obviously, but I now realize that it must be extremely difficult to play the Honkyoku correctly without a teacher.

Listening again to my piece, I realize also that I did not follow the advice that I was given on this forum, it means trying to find notes and play them in a neutral way.
I don't have sufficient technical capacity to bring feeling in this music. I wanted to burn the steps.
It is necessary that I depart from the beginning, the sound of each note. I will work in this direction.

Feedback from this forum help me ask me questions.

Why is that it is so difficult to play Japanese music?
Why is a teacher essential?
Is it because Westerners have difficulty naturally feel the spirit of this music ?

I tried to play the piece more soberly.

For half-tones, I used only the head movements (and no longer fingers).
All notes are not similar to the original, I got a little lost,
but is - that it sounds a little better

https://soundcloud.com/plume-blanche/try-29122013

It is a lot better. "Natural" breathing is only way to go. You could use finger along with head movement, especially "suri", you will need finger as head kari angle is just not enough.

Plume, your sound on both recordings is nice. One thing I can hear to avoid is the volume bursts following repeats in the phrases. You want the volume profile of the phrases to look like a wedge, not have any ups and downs. Many beginners do that because they think it's exciting. But that doesn't happen in this kind of honkyoku.

Another thing. Honshirabe is, as you mentioned, a beginning honkyoku but that doesn't mean it's a beginning piece. Usually people study a lot of folk and children's songs and in some ryu, sankyoku, before attempting honkyoku. Only really fundamentalist Myoan players might start out with something like Honshirabe. You might want to learn some of the basic children's songs and other simple Japanese melodies before entering to deeply into honkyoku. You'll get some basics down that way.

Keep going with it on your own but be ready to unlearn stuff when you encounter a teacher. For someone who has only been playing a short while and teaching yourself you sound good.

Hi Plume Blanche

Well done! I think you are doing great on your own.
I am from a school that teaches only honkyoku - so it is possible to start as a beginner with honkyoku. You just can't expect to play a honkyoku well for a while. You have to return to the first ones you have already moved away from in order to play it at the level you have reached at a given point. So I do this with my students. I teach Kyorei, Hifumi-cho and Honte no shirabe (another name for Honshirabe) first and we will always return to at least the two latter pieces.
Good luck with it

"It is a lot better."

Thank you

"Natural" breathing is only way to go. You could use finger along with head movement, especially "suri", you will need finger as head kari angle is just not enough."

Thank you for your advice.Kongwee.

Brian :

"Many beginners do that because they think it's exciting" : It's so true !

"You might want to learn some of the basic children's songs and other simple Japanese melodies before entering to deeply into honkyoku" : Yes, I understand, and I agree.

Thanks for your encouragement, Brian.

Thanks Kiku. I understand that it is a question of time and regular practice.

Thanks for your advice and your encouragement.