Excavation

This shakuhachi journey is a long one.

You can approach the shakuhachi from any of a number of different ways - all seemingly futile at first ;-D.

Right now I am playing my longer flute - the 2.4 - and trying to find all its "spots". I am trying to dig down deeper into the flute and understand how I must conform to the bamboo to produce the sound I want to hear.

This is complicated because that sound itself is somewhere off into the future. You can't produce it yet, so all you have to go on are recordings, other players you may hear and your teacher.

All you can do in the beginning is practice and be patient. More of the former, less of the latter will help speed you along, but there are - as they say - no shortcuts.

I haven't played my 2.4 much since getting it a couple of years ago. This is why I am thinking in these terms now. I've played the 1.8 (the "regular" sized flute) a lot and that definitely helps to a degree, but the 2.4 is still a different animal.

The 1.8 is used in almost all the ensemble music and the longer flutes are used for the zen honkyoku. Their lower, mellower tone is perfectly suited for that music.

So this is where we get into the power of practice.

It seems an impossible task at first. The sound you are making versus the sound of great players with their fully developed tone and technique. And even if you can achieve a modicum of the vibe you're attempting, it will quickly leave you - in mere days - if you don't stay on top of it.

It is definitely a lifetime commitment, but one that is beyond gratifying if you can stay with it.

Volos, Greece Dec, 2006.

Katha

Added the solo 6 string bass piece I did a while back called "Katha" to the MySpace page, as well as a couple of tweaks.

Had a rough week this week with a throat virus that swelled up, but I am better now, post anti-biotics.

Missed one night on the boat - Thursday. Wednesday was absolute hell. Nice to be able to swallow food and water again!

Enjoy the tune.

Tenri Gig

Had a nice gig on Sunday playing Rokudan with Mutsumi Takamizu as well as Ichikotsu, which was danced to by the dancer Sachiyo Ito. The gig was one of Sachiyo's ongoing "salon series" featuring not only performances of pieces, but some discussion and description as well.

Just put up the vid of Rokudan on the YouTube channel.

Shakuhachi Next

So the next thing I have to look forward to playing shakuhachi on is a concert this Sunday May 6th at Tenri with the dancer Sachiyo Ito as part of her ongoing Salon Series.

I will be playing two pieces, each with Mutsumi Takamizu on koto.

We have a rehearsal later on today and I am stoked to play.

Gorgeous day here in NY today. Bright and beautiful.

Crazy Mash-Up

I was talkin' to my buddy Marcus the other day and he commented that you can now hear the shakuhachi playing along with Joel on the MySpace postings if you play them at the same time.

It is nothing that isn't happening on many sites, but last night I decided to put it to the test. I loaded "Estate" and eventually pushed play on the Echigo Sanya vid.

As i was doing other stuff, the mash-up that was created was uncanny. The way the two recordings were blending was surprisingly syncing up in weird and sometimes wonderful ways. I wrote down the timing differential and have tried it again a couple of times. It is weird, but it puts a new spin on both things.

Remember, they were recorded some 11 years apart, and other than the time-sync there is no editing. The time-sync itself was completely random the first time I did it.

Here it is:

Play Estate. At exactly :40 of Estate play Echigo Sanya.

*Not for the purist*