Your go-to song
Your go-to song
I think most people who play a musical instrument are familiar with the "Wow, you play the [instrument]? Play something for us!" phenomenon. What do you play when someone finds out about your shakuhachi habit and asks you to play for them? Do you make them wait until you dig out the notation, or do you have something interesting memorized? Does it matter to you how familiar they are with the shakuhachi or with Japanese music in general?
Personally, I have the openings of "Rokudan" and "Kumoi-jishi" memorized for these occasions. If their eyes haven't glazed over by the time I get to the end of what I memorized, that's when it's time to panic. Lately I've been studying "Yugure no kyoku" and I'm planning to add it to my play-something-for-us repertoire as well -- the first few bars have a lot of interesting sounds, and not much simple repetition.
Personally, I have the openings of "Rokudan" and "Kumoi-jishi" memorized for these occasions. If their eyes haven't glazed over by the time I get to the end of what I memorized, that's when it's time to panic. Lately I've been studying "Yugure no kyoku" and I'm planning to add it to my play-something-for-us repertoire as well -- the first few bars have a lot of interesting sounds, and not much simple repetition.
I tend to revert to the beginning of Rokudan too! I had that drilled into memory. The start of Haru no Umi, and maybe a bit of Sakura Gensoukyoku.
I have Honte Choshi, Original Searching.
I am learning some Minyo. While I don't imagine anyone from the folk dance scene will ask, it would be good to have a 'fisherman's song' memorised also; one with a thousand verses.
I am learning some Minyo. While I don't imagine anyone from the folk dance scene will ask, it would be good to have a 'fisherman's song' memorised also; one with a thousand verses.
A honkyoku like Sokkan or Murasaki Reibo that are useful. They are fairly short and easy to memorise and quite melodious for the beginner listener. So, I find them to be quite good for that kind of occasion.
One of the sugomori pieces are great too as people get baffled by all the interesting sounds.
Openings of sankyoku songs are great - as you have mentioned here. But do memorise a couple of minutes, then that should be fine!
One of the sugomori pieces are great too as people get baffled by all the interesting sounds.
Openings of sankyoku songs are great - as you have mentioned here. But do memorise a couple of minutes, then that should be fine!
Last edited by Kiku Day on 2012-09-03, 13:22; edited 1 time in total
The layman has extremely short attention span nowadays so I usually play one verse of "Kojo no Tsuki" because it clearly sounds Japanese and gets the essentials of Japanese music across. If I can immediately sense they are responsive I might modulate or do a few verses. That's enough for first exposure.
If they have mullets and/or beards I might try "Smoke on the Water".
If they have mullets and/or beards I might try "Smoke on the Water".
Mine is a short version of Kikkyo Genso Kyoku. If still interested I will play Hon Shirabe,or a variation on the first half of San'ya. If they are interested in Minyo, then maybe a version of Yamanaka Bushi.
If someone was wearing a mullet style haircut, I would think, here is a very practical person and play Village of Camelia's by Fukuda Rando. I would tell them it is called Village of Chameleons.
Répondre