 Shakuhachi
(尺八 (しゃくはち), shakuhachi - A Japanese end-blown
flute which is held vertically like a recorder, instead of
transversely like the Western transverse flute. Its name
means "1.8 foot", its size. It is traditionally made of
bamboo, but versions now exist in wood and plastic. It was
used by the monks of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism in the
practice of suizen (blowing meditation). Its soulful sound
made it popular in Western 1980s pop music.
The name shakuhachi means "1.8 foot", from its size. It is a
compound of two words:
shaku (尺, shaku) means "foot" (an archaic measure of
length), equal to 30.3 centimeters (0.994 of the English
foot) and subdivided in ten (not twelve).
hachi (八, hachi) means "eight", here eight sun or tenths of
a shaku.
Thus, "shaku-hachi" means "one foot eight" (almost 55
centimeters), the standard length of a shakuhachi. Other
shakuhachi vary in length from about 1.3 shaku up to 3.3
shaku. (The longer the shakuhachi, the lower its tuning.)
Although the sizes differ, they are all still referred to
generically as "shakuhachi".
A recorder player blows into a duct, a narrow wind-way over
a block called a "fipple", and thus has limited pitch
control. The shakuhachi player blows as one would blow
across the top of an empty bottle (though the shakuhachi has
a sharp edge to blow against) and has substantial pitch
control. The five finger holes are tuned to a pentatonic
scale with no half-tones, but the player can bend each pitch
as much as a whole tone or more, using techniques called
meri and kari, in which the blowing angle is adjusted to
bend the pitch downward and upward, respectively. Pitches
may also be lowered by shading or partially covering finger
holes. Since most pitches can be achieved via several
different fingering or blowing techniques on the shakuhachi,
the timbre of each possibility is taken into account when
composing or playing. The shakuhachi has a range of two full
octaves (the lower is called otsu, the upper, kan) and a
partial third octave (dai-kan). The different octaves are
produced using subtle variations of breath and embouchure.
A 1.8 shakuhachi produces D4 (D above Middle C, 293.66Hz) as
its fundamental - the lowest note it produces with all five
finger holes covered, and a normal blowing angle. In
contrast, a 2.4 shakuhachi has a fundamental of A3 (A below
Middle C, 220Hz). As the length increases, the spacing of
the finger holes also increases, stretching both fingers and
technique. Longer flutes often have offset finger holes, and
very long flutes are almost always custom made to suit
individual players. Some honkyoku, in particular those of
the Nezasaha (Kimpu-ryu) school are intended to be played on
these longer flutes.
Much of the shakuhachi's subtlety (and player's skill) lies
in its rich tone coloring, and the ability for its
variation. Different fingerings, embouchures and amounts of
meri can produce notes of the same pitch, but with subtle or
dramatic differences in the tone coloring. The honkyoku
pieces rely heavily on this aspect of the instrument to
enhance their subtlety and depth.
Shakuhachi are usually made from the root end of a bamboo
culm and are extremely versatile instruments. Holes can be
covered partially (1/3 covered, 1/2, 2/3, etc.) and pitch
varied subtly or substantially by changing the blowing
angle. Professional players can produce virtually any pitch
they wish from the instrument, and play a wide repertoire of
original Zen music, ensemble music with koto, biwa and
shamisen, folk music, jazz, and other modern pieces.
Due to the skill required, the time involved, and the range
of quality in materials to craft bamboo shakuhachi, one can
expect to pay from USD 300 to USD 5,000 for a new or used
flute. Because each piece of bamboo is unique, shakuhachi
cannot be mass-produced, and craftsmen must spend much time
finding the correct bore shape for each individual flute to
result in correct pitch over all notes. Specimens of
extremely high quality, with valuable inlays, or of
historical significance can fetch USD 10,000 or more.
Plastic or PVC shakuhachi have some advantages over their
traditional bamboo counterparts: they are light weight,
extremely durable, nearly impervious to heat and cold, and
typically cost less than USD 100. Shakuhachi made of wood
are also available, typically costing less than bamboo but
more than synthetic materials. Nearly all players, however,
prefer bamboo, citing tonal qualities, aesthetics, and
tradition.
Information source: “Shakuhachi.” wikipedia.org. Article
date: 21 Jan. 2008. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 12 Feb. 2008 <Shakuhachi>.
Video - The following is a shakuhachi
performance at the Japan flute expo. |
|
