First Contact

Hallo Jan, Good to meet you.
There's nothing like making and playing your own shakuhachi. I recommend it to every player

I would encourage you to try bamboo simply because that will open up a different way of hearing and relating to sound. I don't mean to discourage you from continuing to make the metal and plastic flutes. They are great too. Bamboo is just an entirely different thing. Additionally, bamboo flutes have been played in nature even before there was the concept of "indoors"

I perform with acoustic guitar and shakuhachi often. It's great fun. We are only limited by our concepts of music.

Can't wait to see you bicycle flute-holder!
- Perry

Good to meet you Jan!

I think it is cool that you are a bike messenger that plays shakuhachi!

Have you been a bike courier for long? Here in Vancouver it is a very demanding job to be a bike courier and most folks only do it for a few years before switching to work that is less risky and easier on the body.

I'm curious to see what kind of arrangement you create to transport your flutes by bike. Presently I usually just stuff my flute into a courier bag when I need to take it with me while cycling. Are your flutes too unwieldy to carry by bag?

Hi Jan

Nice to "meet" you! And welcome to the forum! Looking forward to hear more about your projects and how your shakuhachi journey goes.
So if I pass through Hamburg, I might see a bike-riding flute player! That's cool!
We don't live that far from each other, so perhaps one day I will pass by Hamburg!

It's cool with the literature you have mentioned. SInce you are German you can read Gutzwiller and Fritsch's writings. I have read them too... but it was hard work with just my school German!

Hallo Jan,

Jim Franklin unterrichtet in Hannover. Vielleicht hast Du Interesse.

http://www.bambusherz.de/index.html

Thank you for your kind remarks

Jan, Brodie riding man, I can understand about the flute rigidity and courier bag's contouring nature not being a good match. Downtube holder, for a metal flute at least, sounds like a good solution. On my folding bike I have a seattube attached bag, made by the Xootr company, that allows me to have the flute high above the wheel and at about a 45 degree angle out behind the seat. I use this arrangement mostly for transporting my outrigger canoe paddle to practices but it works for shakuhachi as well. Just another idea for you to consider.

I admire your lengthy commitment to a career as a bike courier.

Do keep us posted on your shakuhachi exploits

Are you presently studying with a teacher, face to face or via skype?

Willkommen im Forum!

Best of luck with your shakuhachi endeavours!

Wow! I'd really like to see pictures when you have found a way to attach the flute to the bike frame!!! That would inspire many I think...

ok

Hi Jan

If you have particular problems with a technique such as kan you can always use the search function on the top of the page and see if it has been discussed before.

I would say that:

To me playing kan is more about focus than force. The shape of your lips changes a little bit. In kan you produce a lip shape that is a fraction of a millimeter closer to a kissing mouth than in otsu. The middle of your lips protrude a little outward... like to create a funnel where the narrower air comes out....

Try to imagine that your air stream come out vertically rather than horizontal in shape. That image helps my students quite often (and myself once upon a time).

When you narrow the opening in your lips and push the same amount of air through as you did in otsu, obviously the speed goes up.. so yes you need a faster air stream but that does not mean you blow harder....

...but then again.. in the beginning most people do blow harder to get kan. And that is ok as long as you are aware that it is not only a question of blowing harder and push more air out.

Also the place on the utaguchi that you hit to produce sound changes a little bit with the registers. Otsu is further down behind the utaguchi and kan is a litle bit further up. WE are talking millimeters here.

Try to make this exercise where you play a note like re or tsu in otsu and then go to kan, back to otsu and then again to kan. That is a very good exercise. Think of your lips protruding a little each time you go to kan...

Herzlich wilkommen Jan aus Australien.
I'm a German reader so Ill try and get hold of the two books you mentioned.
Otherwise, cycle safe and I look forward to hearing more about your Shakuhachi journey here online.
Bis dann,
Adele
Dave

Danke Dave,

Hi Jan,

you might find this usefull:

http://www.fides.dti.ne.jp/~sogawa/englishpagepvc.html

PVC Shakuhachi are cheap to make and not a big loss if damaged ore gone during your biking.

-> LowBlow: I watched the site. Its interesting.