Music of Japan

Heidi SchusterMUSE 207May 30, 2012Shakuhachi: Japanese flute

Common Japanese Traditional InstrumentsFlutesshakuhachibamboo flutenokanused in noh performances takebue side-blownshinobueside-blown

Drums (taiko)odaikobig drum tsuzumihourglass-shapeddrumkotsuzumi held on right shoulder, player alters tone by squeezing lacesotsuzumi held on the left thigh

Stringed Instrumentskoto13-string zithershamisen3-string lutebiwashort-necked lute

ShakuhachiKotoBiwa(Japan Zone, 2011)

The SakuhachiRepresenting the elegance of traditional Japanese cultureThe instrument is made from the root of the bamboo with a precisely crafted bore.The end-blown flute is tuned to a pentatonic (5-note) scale. By fingerings of half- and quarter-holings and by controlling the angle of mouthpiece against the lip, all twelve tones of the western chromatic scale can be produced. The mouthpiece consists of an oblique blowing edge enabling the player to control the pitch by changing the angle being blown creating the characteristic sounds of the traditional music. Alterations in embouchure, intensity of blowing, and cross fingerings allow wide variety of subtle and incredible sounds. The timbre of the instrument is mellow in low tones, but can be loud, penetrating and breathy in middle and upper registers. Little can be said of the sound of the shakuhachi without first hearing its hauntingly beautiful ring. Traditional music played reflects sounds of nature: summer rain, autumn breeze through the bamboos, a wild duck, spring runoff.

("Tai hei shakuhachi," 2012)

The Sakuhachi HistoryJapanese musics major genre Honkyoku is the "original music" of the shakuhachi The name shakuhachi is derived from an ancient system of measurement i shaku ha sun means 1.8 feet, the length of the classical flute. Origin of the family of end blown reed flutes has been traced back as far as ancient Egypt, migrated through India and China, then entered Japan in the latter half of the Seventh Century. In the Thirteenth Century it was revived by the Fuke sect of Buddhism. In the Edo Period (1603-1867) the shakuhachi was favored by uprooted samurai warriors (ronin) who joined the ranks of itinerant preachers known askomuso("Priests of Emptiness and Nothingness"). Thekomuso wore large baskets (tengai) over their heads to symbolize their detachment from the world. Clan struggles, in the Sixteenth Century forced somekomuso into a society for self-protection. Members of Fukeshu forged documents giving them exclusive rights to play the shakuhachi for money. In return,they agreed to spy on other ronin. Forbidden to carry their swords, these komuso redesigned the shakuhachi, making it longer and stouter for use as a club.

("Tai hei shakuhachi," 2012)Honkyoku: Original music of the shakuhachi Japanese musics major genre Honkyoku is the "original music" of the shakuhachi In Japan, Zen Music is known as Koten Honkyoku.The largest and oldest collection of shakuhachi music was written centuries ago by Komuso monks. Zen Honkyoku music is specific, individually named and written pieces of music with demanding technical requirements from both the player and the flute. Not all shakuhachi flutes are suitable for playing Zen Honkyoku music. Its complexity does not work on lesser shakuhachi-like flutes. Honkyoku can sound atonal to Western ears because of the micro-tonal pitch bends and old Japanese musical intervals. The term Zen music is often mistakenly interchanged with"SUIZEN", which means "blowing zen" in Japanese. Suizen is a non-technical way of playing the shakuhachi for Zen meditation. Suizen is about meditating, not playing music. It does not require any musical playing techniques. The simplest of bamboo flutes will work for "blowing Zen" but only a fine shakuhachi instrument will work for Koten Honkyoku.

("Shakuhachi," 2012)Sakuhachi Musical SoundSound subtlety lies in rich tone and ability for variation. Different fingerings, embouchuresand blowing anglescan produce notes of the same pitch, but with subtle or dramatic differences in the tone. Holes can be covered partially (1/3 covered, 1/2, 2/3, etc.) and pitch varied subtly or substantially by changing the blowing angle. Thehonkyokupieces rely heavily on this aspect of the instrument to enhance their subtlety and depth.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) giving substantial pitch control. The five finger holes are tuned to apentatonic scalewith no half-tones, but techniques calledmeri andkari, where the blowing angle is adjusted, push the pitch down and up.The shakuhachi has a range of two full octaves (the lower is calledotsu, the upper,kan) and a partial third octave (dai-kan). The various octaves are produced using variations of breath andembouchure.A 1.8 shakuhachi produces D4 lowest note with all five finger holes covered, and a normal blowing angle.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. Plastic,PVCor wood are available, costing less than bamboo but nearly all players prefer bamboo, citing tonal qualities.("Shakuhachi," 2012)Sakuhachi Musical BehaviorHistorically played by court musicians, and peasants enjoyed it as folk instrument. Buddhist monks used it as a spiritual tool, hoping to attain not only a momentary sensation of peace, but a complete transformation of mind and heart: Buddhism, liberation or enlightenmentChanting Buddhist sutras was replaced by playing the shakuhachi, becoming Fuke monks. Fukes wore basket on their heads, representing their detachment from the world. Komus traveled with their shakuhachis, playing the meditative music as they stood alongside their begging bowls.Today the shakuhachi is primarily a "secular" musical instrument played in ensembles with stringed instruments such as the koto and shamisen. Still popular for layman who plays folk music at family gatherings and festivals. Practitioners (almost allmen) collected and wrote down hundreds of honkyoku pieces Only a few hundred Westerners have studied the shakuhachi.("Tai hei shakuhachi," 2012)

Sakuhachi Musical IdeasThe role of silence is an essential part of Japanese sound. This is a concept of time and space calledma. Moments of silence in music or empty space in ritual and performance contexts can be more important than the moments of sound.The old pond, ah!A frog jumps in:The waters sound!

This haiku of Bash epitomises the Japanese conception of sound and silence. We are given the visual image of an old pond, the random action of a frog and the sound of water, which shatters the silence. The space and silence between one-breath tones represents themain honkyoku.

(Horan)

Shakuhachi compared to the NayThe shakuhachi developed at the edge of West Asia, and can be traced back to an origin in ancient Egypt. The nay came to the Middle Eastin the 3th century.Both flutes are reed-less woodwinds, vertical, and endblown. The nay is a rim blown flute while the shakuhachi has a blowing edge cut at a downward angle towards the outside from the inner rim of the flute. Theshakuhachiis constructed of bamboo. The plant traditionally used for the nay is a yellow cane reed called Arundo Donax, a pseudo bamboo which resembles "real" bamboos in appearance.The length of the nay varies according to the region in which it is found. The shakuhachi 1.8 flute with D as the base note predominates.Theshakuhachiis pitched at the note made when all five finger holes are covered, as is the Turkish nay, while the Arabic nay is pitched at the note made with the first fingerhole (the one nearest the bottom end of the flute) open. The modern shakuhachi and the nay have four finger holes in front and one thumb hole in back, situated higher up on the flute. The Persian nay has five finger holes in front and one thumb hole in back. (Bennitt, 2010)

ReferencesJapan Zone. (2011).Japan-zone.com. Retrieved from http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/instrument.shtmlTai hei shakuhachi. (2012, May 25). Retrieved from http://www.shakuhachi.comShakuhachi. (2012, May 25). Retrieved from http://www.shibuiswords.com/shakuquestions.htm Shakuhachi. (2012, April 16). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShakuhachiHoran, P. (n.d.).In one moment of silence, become the buddha!. Retrieved from http://www.shakuhachizen.com/ma.htmlBennitt, J. (2010, April 04).The shakuhachi and the ney: A comparison of two flutes from the far reaches of Asia. Retrieved fromhttp://myoanflute.blogspot.com/2010/04/shakuhachi-and-neycomparison-of-two.html