Hello from Japan



kakebotoke
Member
Hello from Japan
Hi everybody,

My name is John, I’m an expat in Japan.
Starting with a Shakuhachi Yuu and enjoying it.
I’m trying on my own as there are no teachers around here that I can find so far.
My hobby is hiking to remote areas and playing the shakuhachi at old ruins.

The forum is rather quiet.
Hope all is well.

John
kakebotoke
Member
Trouble making D
Hi again,

How important is it that I make a perfect D on my Yuu?
I seem to have the common beginner problem of making a root note in c#.
When i make a D I lose my breath much quicker than I do with c#.
I was told to tilt my head back a little more, this helped make the D but still out of breath very quickly.
Is it OK to play in C# if I’m just messing around ? Should one worry about perfection on the D root?
Hope this is understandable, thanks.
Chris Northover
Member
Hi there! I don't know how long you have been playing, but I can only speak from my own experience....everything seems to be flat to start with until your embouchure improves. The trick is to get into the habit of breathing Ro rather than blowing. Your normal breath through your embouchure.....which means you will be less prone to that early dizziness from too much blowing effort. Blowing or breathing Ro can and should be an end in itself....it kept me occupied for months as a daily exercise. Don't be in a hurry and things will come to pass. If you sit up with your head in a natural upright position with no tension, play around with the angle of the shakuhachi.....as you progress the end of your shakuhachi should move down, and Ro should be in pitch. But don't rush....your embouchure will become more "powerful" over time, enabling you to improve.
Enjoy!
Chris Northover
Member
One further point.....make sure you are conscious of your fingers and covering the holes firmly. This will make a difference to the quality of your notes.
kakebotoke
Member
"Chris Northover""Chris Northover"
Hi there! I don't know how long you have been playing, but I can only speak from my own experience....everything seems to be flat to start with until your embouchure improves. The trick is to get into the habit of breathing Ro rather than blowing. Your normal breath through your embouchure.....which means you will be less prone to that early dizziness from too much blowing effort. Blowing or breathing Ro can and should be an end in itself....it kept me occupied for months as a daily exercise. Don't be in a hurry and things will come to pass. If you sit up with your head in a natural upright position with no tension, play around with the angle of the shakuhachi.....as you progress the end of your shakuhachi should move down, and Ro should be in pitch. But don't rush....your embouchure will become more "powerful" over time, enabling you to improve.
Enjoy!


Thanks so much for your advice Chris, it really helps. I’ve only been “playing” about a month. The bit on breathing Ro is great!
My embouchure is so hit or miss, sometimes its a great D, usually its the C# which to my ear isn’t too horrible.
Will keep on with the Ro exercise and working on the technique. Thanks again for the encouragement.
Kiku Day
Moderator
Hello! Let me just chip in:
It is VERY important to be in tune on your kari notes. Otherwise you cannot play the mere notes very well.
It is hard work in the beginning to play kari in tune. But worth it afterwards.
Good luck and have fun!
Répondre