Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

So, my central vermillion tubercle is pointed, but not as much as the photos you show. There's definately a protrusion, but not that much.

I get really good notes from blowing through the front, and generally have no problems whatsoever, except I'm still having problems getting into and holding Otsu. I can sometimes get the first one or two notes out, but rarely, and it's pretty loud when I do. When I stay in Kan, though, it sounds pretty good, and I can get it loud or soft.

When I play to my left, however, I can get into otsu just a tiny bit better, but I haven't tried it much: I'll be working on it this week. Playing Kan register, though, isn't so awesome to the left as in the center, so I wonder if I'll be a player who does Kan in the center, and Otsu on the left. Is that at all common? I have seen a number of photos of master players turned a little to one side when they're playing.

This is great info, Perry...keep it up.

-E

That's really interesting...how long were you playing before you were comfortable in otsu?

I've always been bad with just blowing one note, as I'm kind of a slightly nervous fellow (workin on it), and I get bored easily; it's sometimes hard for me to remember why I'm playing shakuhachi, which isn't always to "be a musician".  I'm also really into blowing bigger flutes, like in the 2-points, although I can't really get much bigger than 2.5 or so...damn my smaller hands! I just like the way the bigger flutes "feel" when I blow them, nice and deep. Whenever I've chanted during meditation, I tend to hum at, I think, around 60 cycles...it just feels good to me. I'm not sure about that rate, so don't quote me. Anyway, I've been thinking about making a bigger flute that's tuned and all, but more suited for real honkyoku, and something I can get some interesting sounds on. I'm also inspired by a recording I heard today of Watazumi playing, and then I saw the flutes he plays! I thought kiku Day played big flutes, but his flutes are gigantic. I've passed nice big bamboo pieces like that, thinking how to make it into a large shakuhachi, but I've never tried it.

ANYway...I'll try to do more ro playing, and calm down. Since I started blowing out the side of my mouth the other day, I'm able to get into otsu, although it's a bit quiet still, and slips into kan when it's too soft. I'll work on it.

-E

I am wondering if other players have had "issues" with an overbite.  I have what I would consider a slight overbite that might be causing me to blow more down than out.  This thread mentions moving the lower jaw forward, and I tried this, but it seems both unnatural as well as ergo-destructive.  I also have this tear-drop lip structure to my upper lip, as is mentioned on this thread.  Any thoughts?

madoherty wrote:

I am wondering if other players have had "issues" with an overbite.  I have what I would consider a slight overbite that might be causing me to blow more down than out.  This thread mentions moving the lower jaw forward, and I tried this, but it seems both unnatural as well as ergo-destructive.  I also have this tear-drop lip structure to my upper lip, as is mentioned on this thread.  Any thoughts?

i have a substantial overbite (just refused to submit to braces as a kid). i definitely have to adjust the jaw forward for my neutral playing position, and when relaxing it backward again it becomes positively benefiical for meri notes. i don't find it either unnatural or un-ergonomic, but then i've been doing it over 15 years now.... also, no problems with jaw tiredness in extended playing either. the key is, as with hands and lips, to use JUST enough effort to do it, NO extra.  i don't have the lip thing, so can't speak to that...

I have a bad enough overbite that braces wouldn't fix it. They would have to cut the top plate of my mouth loose then move it back to line everything up.

I do move my jaw forward to play but it is in a normal range of motion and nowhere near the maximum range so there is no strain involved. My jaw position is a gradual evolution of what makes the best sound for any given note or situation. As far as koga's book goes there is no way I could line my teeth up to play and it appears that my lips are shaped wrong too. It looks like I am the fat girl with zits in high school as far as embouchure is concerned......

That being said I am having no problems playing. I have been taking lesson for almost a year with chikuzen and my tone or playing ability has never come up. The only limiting factor that I am facing is how much time I have to practice.

I think it is a good thing that everybody is different. Other wise we would all end up sounding way too much alike.

i made the adjustment at the time i was first learning- and under the guidance of my early teachers, so i didn't have to retrain myself- it was just what i had to do to get sounds, then refine them. like most beginners, i played mostly meri at first, but quickly became a "kari player".
i've found in my students most, regardless of tooth structure, play down into the flute (as it is easier to find the "spot" that way) but a few have played way out, to way sharper than the neutral pitches. either way i advise them to work with a chromatic tuner and do the exercise of playing/bending long tones on a given note, shaking the head "yes" up and down  slowly, whilst adjusting the jaw as well, maintaining the sound as LOW into meri and as HIGH into kari as possible. it will ultimately give alot of flexibilty, and if you push more toward the upper spectrum you can push your range such that you will easily have your "neutral" position properly balanced, rather than down and flattish....

Last edited by Glenn Swann (2009-12-07 18:29:28)