Introducing the hitoyogiri! The hitoyogiri is the small predecessor to the shakuhachi, and was enjoyed by religious workers as well as samurai. The pieces, like the shakuhachi, are free-rhythm, but have a more pronounced simplicity. The hitoyogiri's short length, combined with the traditional ritsu scale, give the pieces a light, birdsong-like feel that complements the shakuhachi repertoire very well.
This is the first in the pre-Edo era hitoyogiri honkyoku ("te") solo repertoire. In this video, the piece is played on a banshiki hitoyogiri, the shortest of five lengths used throughout the seasons. Banshiki is played in the winter.
Kinpu-ryu shirabe played as a duet with myself - a recording of Hon cho-shi Shirabe on a 2.0, played along with Akebono Shirabe on a 1.5, both wide-bore flutes. If you have the Kinpu-ryu book, the score for Akebono Shirabe is on p. 123 of most editions.
This is another recording of Akebono Shirabe, this time with a bit more yuri. The 2.0 shakuhachi plays quite straight, with komi-buki, but the Akebono shakuhachi is free to play and improvise a bit more. This particular wide-bore 1.5 has a nice yuri sound to it, so I added some yuri and a little bit of komi to give you a taste of what can be done with tone-color harmonies.
I like to describe the spectrum of shakuhachi approaches as one of Monks and Musicians. We're all a little bit of both, and they tend to melt into one another as we talk about them; still, this framework has been helpful to me in terms of understanding just what it is that I'm doing, and what it is that I'm not doing.
There is a great deal of variety in both modern and ancient shakuhachi; this video gives an overview of some of the most common / outstanding differences between Edo-style jinashi (the kind that I make), modern jiari, and modern jinashi shakuhachi.
Old-style shakuhachi are played with a gentle but confident breath that comes from the abdomen. Here I elaborate on this, sharing some thoughts on breathing and the shakuhachi that I have found helpful, gleaned from old Japanese books on shakuhachi and various Myoan teachers from around Japan, combined with my own search for a sound and playing style that are suited to meditation and prayer.
Modern shakuhachi schools have a lot to say about embouchure, but old-style shakuhachi almost ignores it completely. You mainly play using your stomach; your mouth is relaxed, and not doing anything in particular. This video explains how you don't need to worry about your embouchure.
How to knot your shakuhachi bag.
Some thoughts on holding the shakuhachi.
How to make your own "Bengara" (everyday red) urushi. The process takes a good deal of time, so many opt to buy the urushi pre-combined with the pigment. Efficiency, however, isn't everything. Don't be afraid to put some soul into your work! Money isn't the only thing of value.
In part 1, I pulverize the pigment (bengara / oxidized iron powder) while working it into the urushi, then let it sit overnight. I use shu-ai urushi, but you can also use kurome or kijiro urushi for more of a matte finish. The urushi is then stored overnight until part 2.
Making Bengara urushi, part 2. After spending another 20 minutes or so working the pigment into the urushi, I filter out any larger particles that may still be present using koshi-gami and a koshi-ki. The filtered urushi is then transferred to an empty paint tube with a spatula.