Introduction
Shakuhachi is the traditional flute of Japan. Most often made of bamboo, the flute is end-blown, with five finger holes: four in front and one in back for the thumb. Although simple in its construction, the shakuhachi offers a complex palette of sounds and a rich traditional repertoire of solo and ensemble music steeped in the history and culture of Japan. The voice of the shakuhachi flute has been heard for over a thousand years in court music, theater, folk music, traditional performance ensembles and as a solo instrument played by Zen monks as a contemplative practice.
I took up the shakuhachi during the early 1990s as I started to practice zazen, or sitting meditation in the Zen tradition. As a longtime player of western classical flute, I imagined that my flute technique would transfer well to the "simpler" five-hole bamboo instrument. Some part of my skill set was transferable, but I was also introduced to an entirely different set of techniques, skills and aesthetic approaches, ways of playing that were not part of the European classical tradition.
Shakuhachi performance technique features an incredibly broad spectrum of pitch and timbre variation, much broader and more inclusive than the western classical flute. Just about any sound you can imagine making on the instrument, ranging from the purest whisper to a scattering explosion of breath and sound is probably included somewhere in the repertoire. Multiphonics, quarter tones, deep pitch bends, alternate fingerings, intense abdominal breath pulsations, extreme vibrato and extremely subtle variations in dynamics are all part of the technique of a master player.
The shakuhachi has certain limitations in comparison with the western classical flute. The more sophisticated mechanism of the classical flute allows it to play in any key with great facility, whereas, by its construction, the shakuhachi is centered in a particular key, making modulation to unrelated keys very cumbersome.
Ironically, the unique character of the shakuhachi is due in part to these limitations. The five basic notes of the scale (a minor pentatonic) can be played at any dynamic level. The notes in between the steps of the pentatonic scale are played by partly covering certain holes and/or by dipping or raising the chin to lower or raise the pitch (a technique that would be completely unacceptable in western classical flute playing!). Some of these notes can be produced only at a low volume and are extremely delicate; others can be accomplished only at high volume and intensity. These built in variations are not generally thought of as limitations, but are part of the unique character of the traditional instrument and, consequently, of its repertoire.
Links
shakuhachiforum.com
komuso.com
shakuhachi.com
japanshakuhachi.com
