Pieces

Many shakuhachi schools today contain a large repertoire of pieces gathered from various temples across Japan. Originally, however, each temple generally only transmitted a few pieces, as few as two or three, and up to ten or twelve. To really master even ten pieces could take a lifetime; some Kinpu-ryu players are said to have never progressed beyond "Shirabe." The Kinpu-ryu repertoire consists of 10 pieces, as follows:

• 調 Shirabe - also called Hi Fu Mi (1, 2, 3) no Shirabe. This piece contains all the basic elements of Kinpu-ryu. It was composed by Ban Noriyuki, and later transcribed by Nyui Getsuei, formally founding the Kinpu-ryu school of shakuhachi. In this piece, the player prepares their body (posture), breath, and heart/mind.
• 下がり葉（下がり波） Sagari-ha - "Falling leaves" or "Breaking waves." This piece is often played after Shirabe.
• 松風調・松風 Matsukaze no shirabe and Matsukaze - "Wind in the pine trees." Sometimes these are counted as separate pieces, bringing the Kinpu-ryu repertoire to 11. Tang dynasty Taoist poet Han Shan writes in one of his poems, "Want to find a place to rest? / Cold Mountain will always be there / A soft wind blows deep in the pines / The closer you listen, the more intimate its voice." I can't help but be reminded here of Elijah's encounter up in the mountain cave with the still, small voice of God. This piece is about listening.
• 三谷清攬 Sanya Seiran - Seiran is a musical term, sometimes read "Sugakaki," whose characters here literally mean "pure vision." Sanya means "three valleys," and can also be read as a reference to sunya, sanskrit for "empty."
• 獅子 Shishi - "Lion." A bold, bright-spirited piece.
• 流し鈴慕 Nagashi Reibo - "Nagashi" refers to a piece wherein the internal musical attitude changes as the piece proceeds; it is also used for pieces played when going out begging for alms, though this doesn't apply in the case of Kinpu-ryu. Reibo means "longing for the bell," i.e. the sound of Fuke's bell.
• 通里 To-ri - "Proceeding through the village." As the name suggests, this is a piece originally meant to be played while proceeding through the city streets.
• 門附 Kado-zuke - "Arriving at the gate" or "arriving at the door." Again, the name is self-explanatory; this piece is played when arriving at the door of a house or the gate of a temple, especially to ask for alms.
• 鉢返し Hachi Gaeshi - "Returning the bowl." After receiving alms, played as an acknowlegement or thanks.
• 真虚空 Shin Koku - "True Empty Sky."

調 - Shirabe