Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

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Tube of delight!

#51 2008-03-14 09:41:41

Rick Riekert
Member
Registered: 2008-03-13
Posts: 100

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Michael, please explain why you believe no beginner's flute should be used beyond one year. This suggests to me that all beginner's flutes are created equal in the sense that they share relevant characteristics not shared by non-beginner flutes that make the former undesirable for regular use after, at most, one year. If that's true, I am interested to know what those characteristics are. In his endorsement of the Yuu, Andrew MacGregor states "I would have no hesitation in using the Shakuhachi Yuu in a performance at any level", which certainly seems at odds with your recommendation.


Mastery does not lay in the mastery of technique, but in penetrating the heart of the music. However, he who has not mastered the technique will not penetrate the heart of the music.
~ Hisamatsu Fûyô

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#52 2008-03-14 11:17:31

chikuzen
Dai Shihan/Dokyoku
From: Cleveland Heights,OH 44118
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 402
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

If you are trying to "make progress" which I will generally define as moving in a good direction, a flute can help "pull" you alone or it can get in the way. The longer you play a flute the more part of you it becomes. If you become too attached to it then the process of your body "letting go" is  hampered and the developement of the way you think about flutes is retarded. A few of the things you pay for when you upgrade is 1)ease of technique, which covers a wide range of activities; 2) and sound color(s), this one being what you pay a lot extra for. From this perspective, of course every beginner's flute is just a beginner's flute. But that's not the perspective when you start out as you should appreciate the flute and look forward to playing. Even beginner's flutes have positive qualities and that's what you should look for and utilize. But, you should have the smarts to move on before the flute gets in your way of having more experiences that will make you better player and enjoy the playing more.
    The considerations I'm speaking about concerning starter flutes:
1. Wider bore is effective.
2. Larger finger holes are affective.
3. Lower price is effective.
4. Ease of playing (relative but still fair; no need to struggle more than what's inherently necessary).

These criteria are good for doing more practice. Maybe not for the asesthetic value but I find staring at your flute and salivating doesn't always lead to developement of skills. Eventually, you certainly want flutes you fall in love with but I put the romance aside at the beginning for those who don't know how much they're going to devote to shakuhachi. If it's love at first sight, you'll be looking for that lover (flute) that suits you for a long time anyways.
    I find the wider bore of the Yuu nice for getting air into the flute. This helps out with a variety of early techniques: moving the chin up & down and side to side. Narrow bore flutes cut the air off quicker. This also helps then with meris.  Larger holes are helpful in getting 1-volume, if you can't hear yourself it's a bit hard to practice a lot and 2-the meri notes are better and easier to play. I enjoy the fact that you can feel the sound in your fingers easily and like I've said, the price. I've only played one wooden flute that was a medium bore and the others have been narrow bore with small holes and they don't take in much air. I find that beginner's have a lot of trouble with these compared to the Yuu.  Those are considerations I take into mind. I want the student to be able to play them without extra struggle (there's enough of that) but know that they have to move on sometime too.
  I can't comment on what Andrew says. I played the Yuu yesterday for someone who was auditioning a $3500. flute and a $5000. flute. They were shocked at how it sounded comparatively (yes, good, not bad). The difference is greater for the player than it is for the audience. You can tell the difference but you have to understand acoustics. The room you're playing in standardizes the sound. Most of what the audience is hearing is reflected sound which doesn't bring out the differences in flutes. It makes them sound more similar than they really are. It's the same if you are playing the same song too. The song demands you produce certain notes so if I play the same song on two different flutes then they'll sound more similar than if I'm trying to bring out the differences.


Michael Chikuzen Gould

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#53 2008-03-14 13:18:48

Lance
Member
Registered: 2008-01-18
Posts: 74

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Michael Chikuzen Gould said:
"I played the Yuu yesterday for someone who was auditioning a $3500. flute and a $5000. flute. They were shocked at how it sounded comparatively"

Shocked by how 'good' it sounded??

I think it's clear, if you've listened to the Yuu played by a good player, that it is a fine flute, at least musically.

Once the 'bamboo is the only Shakuhachi' prejudice is put aside the quality of a Yuu is undeniable. Again, I'm a beginner, but for me, and I would imagine most of us, playing different Shakuhachi will help you to learn the intricacies of emboucher...  I like to alternate from time to time from my Yuu to the two bamboo I have, and I always gain good insight from the differences.

If the above comment regarding a $3500 and a $5000 flute compared to the Yuu is that the Yuu sounded quite good in comparison, that is quite a comment, which should put to rest whether a beginner would be making a wise choice with a Yuu. (Remember, the Yuu costs about $110!!!)

I was glad to see Neil from Naljor Creations chime in on this discussion, and the fact that even the most strident Yuu supporter does of course acknowledge the importance of 'bamboo' to the Shakuhachi; which nearly everyone would agree is a HUGE factor, for many reasons, and not all musical.


“The firefly is a good lesson in light, and darkness”

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#54 2008-03-14 14:31:28

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

The number of ongoing posts about the yuu suggests that it should receive its own section on this web site.

I would offer that the various pros and cons of the have has been fleshed out quite well at this point.  (I am echoing an earlier comment that referenced an unlucky horse whose carcass is still in the street.)

As this conversation proceeds it has actually become less about the merits of the yuu and more about various individuals emotional need for the yuu to be declared "good" or "not good / not authentic." 

Alas, there is no Shakuhachi Pope to whom we can look to for a definitive judgement.  Therefore the yuu will always remain a really good flute...for the price  (wink wink).

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#55 2008-03-14 15:58:47

Moran from Planet X
Member
From: Here to There
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 1524
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Seth wrote:

The number of ongoing posts about the Yuu suggests that it should receive its own section on this web site.

Yes, and I't would be great to see Yuu-Mods, too

Seth wrote:

Alas, there is no Shakuhachi Pope to whom we can look to for a definitive judgement.

Seth, you've got to be kidding! There is always ...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2142/2333786016_3dcd3b597a.jpg?v=0
Brian Tairaku Ritchie, Pope of Shakuhachi (Western Unorthodox)


"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I am all out of bubblegum." —Rowdy Piper, They Live!

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#56 2008-03-14 16:14:30

rpowers
Member
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 285

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Chris Moran wrote:

Seth, you've got to be kidding! There is always ...


Brian Tairaku Ritchie, Pope of Shakuhachi (Western Unorthodox)

Yow . . . Live from the Sistine Closet!


"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee

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#57 2008-03-14 16:31:32

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Yuu shortcomings?



Chikuzen's little story about the relative merits of the how the Yuu sounded when he played it,  vs. the $3000 shakuhachi vs. the $5000 shakuhachi REALLY points to the almighty importance of the PLAYER and his/her experience and competence in the equation, not to the excellence of the Yuu (not
to take anything away from it...).

A good player can make dang near ANYthing sound good...



eB


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

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#58 2008-03-14 17:29:46

marek
Member
From: Czech Republic
Registered: 2007-03-02
Posts: 189
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Hi,

I did not want to comment on this topic, because I thought the quality issue will be soon resolved...

Let me share my opinion and testimony.
More than 8 months ago, I switched to new bamboo approx.$1000 jiari flute after about a year playing the Yuu. What was the change like: well, it was very difficult for me to play it. I thought I actually sound worse on the bamboo one. The sound production itself became an issue. However, at times I could feel the flutes potential, I could feel it is a sport car - very easy to make a mistake, a lot of reward if you can stay in the right track. Plus, knowing that this flute is good(as it was selected by Christopher Blasdel) pushed me to explore what this flute has to offer. Therefore, I progressed and still am progresing.
With the Yuu, in the end of our relationship I did not feel this sort of pushing over the limits anymore, however, I kept trying. The reward I got with the Yuu was not comparable to what I get with this new flute I have.
Please note that I am not saying that I got to the point when the Yuu cannot be played any better. I believe that now I would probably sound better on the Yuu than I did 8 months ago, but I doubt that it would happen if I would stick to it.

Regards,

Marek

Last edited by marek (2008-03-14 18:46:59)


In passionate silence, the sound is what I'm after.

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#59 2008-03-14 18:30:56

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Chris-

I had a secret hope that someone would do exactly what you did when I wrote those words.  (Really!)

Seth

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#60 2008-03-14 21:24:07

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Coincidentally I AM going to be in Rome tomorrow and the next day. Maybe I'll have to make your picture into a reality! wink


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#61 2008-03-18 15:33:16

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

OK Smartasses!

Love from your Pontiff!

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc123/Tairaku/StPetes.jpg


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#62 2008-03-19 10:12:47

Rick Riekert
Member
Registered: 2008-03-13
Posts: 100

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Thank you, Michael, for your helpful comments.

I was surprised when you opined that any beginner’s shakuhachi will get in the way of a student’s progress after a year or less.  My guess is that fledgling players using such a flute will be delighted to learn that soon their facility on the instrument will likely outstrip its capacity not to hamper their progress (assuming, of course, they can afford the upgrade).


Mastery does not lay in the mastery of technique, but in penetrating the heart of the music. However, he who has not mastered the technique will not penetrate the heart of the music.
~ Hisamatsu Fûyô

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#63 2008-03-19 12:11:12

Lance
Member
Registered: 2008-01-18
Posts: 74

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Therein lies this whole 'Yuu' discussion...  if money is no object, bamboo; because of its innate asthetics/Zen qualities etc; and perhaps it is those 'zen' qualities that are afterall most important to future progress...

But since the Yuu is simply a faithful plastic reproduction of a very well-made well-tuned 1.8 Shakuhachi, it is really only the 'bamboo' qualities you gain with bamboo, which most will agree are wonderful, but perhaps not so measurable.

This discussion is circular, and mostly based on personal preference and a love of bamboo, and/or a 'class' issue. Again, if those who have studied in great detail and quite scientifically this subject and found that the material is all but irrelevant to the sound, and the example of the plastic cast bore bamboo flutes come to mind, then the Yuu is simply a well made flute, comparable to a VERY expensive flute...

Again, if I get wealthy one day, not likely, I'll buy several expensive bamboo flutes.

The wonderful thing about the Yuu is getting Shakuhachi into the hands of more people, which I feel is a good thing...  Robert Frost once wrote something to the effect that he 'wrote poetry so that the wrong people wouldn't understand'.... which seems very elitist, and somewhat akin to the bamboo snobs who perhaps feel that only those who can afford expensive bamboo 'should' be playing Shakuhachi.

And yes, I just sensed the cruelty of beating that horse, again. Ouch.


“The firefly is a good lesson in light, and darkness”

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#64 2008-03-19 12:31:10

chikuzen
Dai Shihan/Dokyoku
From: Cleveland Heights,OH 44118
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 402
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

In reply to Rick's post: that's not the point. Their "facility on the flute" will not usually, or let's say, glaringly outstrip the flutes capacity to get in the way until after they change. They depend on the upgrade to move beyond the limits of the old flute. 6 months to a year is still too early to be able to evaluate yourself very well. A student is still (mostly) unaware of how much of the flute he has experienced and how much he has left to experience in it and has to take their teachers word for it. The realization comes about from comparing it to the upgrade AFTER they get used to the upgrade a bit.  If the student at this point thinks they can evaluate the flute well enough to decide to move on, then just have the teacher play it.  They will probably be surprised at the difference in what he/she gets out of the flute and what the teacher gets out of the flute and sometimes will rethink and decide to hang onto the flute for a while.
      This whole thing is as much about the teacher being responsible as it is the student moving on and having different experiences. It's the teacher's job to dictate things at this point. From a teacher's viewpoint of themself as a teacher, they can't let the more inexperienced person in the equation make all the decisions and dictate the timing of the decisions (money considerations for a new flute aside). It's up to the teacher to understand where the student is in his/her playing abilities and help them decide to move on. That's only being responsible on the teachers part.
I'm not saying a student of 6 mo.~ 1 yr. is totally unawares. Of course, they are going to realize that they can't sound like this or that with the beginner's flute. And they'll see some of their progress. But until they've had the experience of leaving the beginner's flute and playing the other, then looking back, they will not have the relative viewpoint afforded from experience. Then, what they say concerning the two will be weighted in this experience and not only in the experience of hearing  their teacher play the old flute. There are other important variables in the equation too. Such as how ambitious they student is or how much some flute out there is getting under their skin. Desires such as these create an immense amount of energy that can be useful in making 'progress' towards their goals. If the teacher uses this energy well on behalf of the student it is a good service. And if the student let's the teacher help steer things for a while, it's a smart way to play the role of the student. I have received many phone calls from students and people I don't know saying, "I bought this new flute. Would you teach me how to play it"? I understand the self initiative aspect and appreciate it greatly too. I don't fully applaud it in this situation but hey, "it'll all work out in the end", is my attitude. Keep trying. After all, YOU have to want something here and go after it. Use the help you can get on the way too.


Michael Chikuzen Gould

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#65 2008-03-19 13:46:29

Rick Riekert
Member
Registered: 2008-03-13
Posts: 100

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Thanks again, Michael. What you say makes sense to me. I have a teacher in whom I feel confident, and will continue to blow and learn and let the rest of it fall where it may.


Mastery does not lay in the mastery of technique, but in penetrating the heart of the music. However, he who has not mastered the technique will not penetrate the heart of the music.
~ Hisamatsu Fûyô

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#66 2008-03-19 15:03:06

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Lance wrote:

Therein lies this whole 'Yuu' discussion...  if money is no object, bamboo; because of its innate asthetics/Zen qualities etc; and perhaps it is those 'zen' qualities that are afterall most important to future progress...

But since the Yuu is simply a faithful plastic reproduction of a very well-made well-tuned 1.8 Shakuhachi, it is really only the 'bamboo' qualities you gain with bamboo, which most will agree are wonderful, but perhaps not so measurable.

.

This assumes that all shakuhachi respond and sound the same, they don't. Shakuhachi made from good pieces of bamboo by master craftsmen are unique works of musical art. You "gain" something from each great flute.


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#67 2008-03-19 19:38:42

radi0gnome
Member
From: Kingston NY
Registered: 2006-12-29
Posts: 1030
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Lance wrote:

But since the Yuu is simply a faithful plastic reproduction of a very well-made well-tuned 1.8 Shakuhachi, it is really only the 'bamboo' qualities you gain with bamboo, which most will agree are wonderful, but perhaps not so measurable.

I think that this is the biggest misconception about the Yuu. The outside shape is a casting of a real flute but is purely decorative. Although it's come from reliable sources that the bore is in fact cast, Perry Yung had this to say "The bore of the Yuu is first cast with a straight bore. Then the bottom is reamed and has a cone with the bottom bore shape inserted or recast to go along with the curve. You can see the seam at the bottom if you look closely". You can find that quote here: http://www.shakuhachiforum.com/viewtopi … 920#p11920

So, the casting of the bore apparently is not a reproduction of the original flute. There's some benefit of having the hole dimensions being close to that of the fine instrument the casting was made from, but most of the casting is purely cosmetic.

As far as the discussion being in the dead horse stage, maybe that's true as far as whether or not it's a good, affordable instrument, because the consensus is that it is with almost no exceptions, but there still seems to be some questions open about how the instrument was made.


"Now birds record new harmonie, And trees do whistle melodies;
Now everything that nature breeds, Doth clad itself in pleasant weeds."
~ Thomas Watson - England's Helicon ca 1580

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#68 2008-03-19 21:25:41

Moran from Planet X
Member
From: Here to There
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 1524
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Four Differences Between a Yuu and a Dead Horse

4. The Yuu is already made out of resin. A dead horse will take several thousand years to become resinous.

3. You can feed a dead horse to a dog or some very hungry people. The Yuu is indigestible to most carbon-based life forms.

2. It is possible to dismantle the Yuu with two hands. Dismantling a dead horse requires a chain saw.

1. A shakuhachi master can play "Shike no Tone" on the Yuu. A shakuhachi master must mount the dead horse first, then he can play "Shike no Tone."


"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I am all out of bubblegum." —Rowdy Piper, They Live!

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#69 2008-03-19 22:38:29

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

radi0gnome wrote:

Lance wrote:

But since the Yuu is simply a faithful plastic reproduction of a very well-made well-tuned 1.8 Shakuhachi, it is really only the 'bamboo' qualities you gain with bamboo, which most will agree are wonderful, but perhaps not so measurable.

I think that this is the biggest misconception about the Yuu. The outside shape is a casting of a real flute but is purely decorative. Although it's come from reliable sources that the bore is in fact cast, Perry Yung had this to say "The bore of the Yuu is first cast with a straight bore. Then the bottom is reamed and has a cone with the bottom bore shape inserted or recast to go along with the curve. You can see the seam at the bottom if you look closely". You can find that quote here: http://www.shakuhachiforum.com/viewtopi … 920#p11920

Hi all, thanks for the quote Charles. Out of context, my comment sounds like a mistake. The thread discussion was about the curved bore of a bamboo shakuhachi and how one would carve a curved bore onto a flute made from two wooden halves joined together. I meant that the bore of a Yuu is cast straight first, as opposed to straight bore. Then the curve is added during a second casting process. I didn't mean that the bore was not tapered, it is.

So, the casting of the bore apparently is not a reproduction of the original flute. There's some benefit of having the hole dimensions being close to that of the fine instrument the casting was made from, but most of the casting is purely cosmetic.

My educated guess on the bore of the Yuu is that the specs are not taken from one shakuhachi but a combination of a few  flutes. I think the inventor of the Yuu analyzed a few shakuhachi he liked and rounded out the specs to create the bore of the Yuu.

As far as the discussion being in the dead horse stage, maybe that's true as far as whether or not it's a good, affordable instrument, because the consensus is that it is with almost no exceptions, but there still seems to be some questions open about how the instrument was made.

The Yuu is a cast flute from the mold injection process, like the plastic Yamaha recorder. All mold injected products have a seam. The Yuu has a seam.

   

Taikaku wrote:

Lance wrote:

    Therein lies this whole 'Yuu' discussion...  if money is no object, bamboo; because of its innate asthetics/Zen qualities etc; and perhaps it is those 'zen' qualities that are afterall most important to future progress...

    But since the Yuu is simply a faithful plastic reproduction of a very well-made well-tuned 1.8 Shakuhachi, it is really only the 'bamboo' qualities you gain with bamboo, which most will agree are wonderful, but perhaps not so measurable.

Tairaku wrote:

This assumes that all shakuhachi respond and sound the same, they don't. Shakuhachi made from good pieces of bamboo by master craftsmen are unique works of musical art. You "gain" something from each great flute.

Lance, you have an EARTH model shakuhachi that I made. This model of instrument, I honestly believe, is a great introduction to the world of the shakuhachi with a natural bamboo instrument. The earth model is a different instrument from my Yung model, which is made in accordance to the highest level of shakuhachi making as understood today by professional makers who make shakuhachi in a traditional mannar. These types of flutes transcend the material - bamboo. These types of flute, as Tairaku mentions, are works of musical art. Art, as I understand it, is an individual's unique expression through a medium. I have a feeling that if I were to hold a Stadivarius violin or cello, I would be able to feel the vibration of Antonio Stradivarius' hand in the carving of the neck. This is something that is immeasurable, not the wood or the lacquer, but the hand of the artist.  I do not think that experienced players who love bamboo are "bamboo snobs" but people who, after countless hours spent with an instrument, have learned to  appreciate the countless hours it took for the craftsman to make the instrument.

When I walk people through my commission process, I find that many beginners can not wait the year it takes for me to make my Yung 1.8. However, experienced players have no problem what so ever waiting. In Japan, Kifu Mitsuhashi will wait a year for Hoshi Bonchiku to finish his flute. Or, Ralph Samuelson will wait a year for Kinya Sogawa to make his flute. A piece of art is not painting by numbers. The artist creates the stage for magic to happen.

This thread is interesting to me as it shows how much we all love our instruments, whether it is bamboo or plastic.
And, what length we go to show our allegiance.

Chris Moran wrote:

Four Differences Between a Yuu and a Dead Horse

4. The Yuu is already made out of resin. A dead horse will take several thousand years to become resinous.

3. You can feed a dead horse to a dog or some very hungry people. The Yuu is indigestible to most carbon-based life forms.

2. It is possible to dismantle the Yuu with two hands. Dismantling a dead horse requires a chain saw.

1. A shakuhachi master can play "Shike no Tone" on the Yuu. A shakuhachi master must mount the dead horse first, then he can play "Shike no Tone."

Chris,
I like the smell of the Yuu better!

Namaste, Perry


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

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#70 2008-03-20 11:18:23

Jeff Cairns
teacher, performer,promoter of shakuhachi
From: Kumamoto, Japan
Registered: 2005-10-10
Posts: 517
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

...and Chris, I'm not at all sure why even the concept of mounting a dead horse would inspire a 'person' to play shika no tone. Were it 'Uma no tone' I might agree.  But then, a dead horse, by definition, wouldn't have much of a voice,  which then would make such an inspired piece presumably uninsightful.  Maybe we're barking up the wrong tree here.  woof.


shakuhachi flute
I step out into the wind
with holes in my bones

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#71 2008-03-20 11:41:43

chikuzen
Dai Shihan/Dokyoku
From: Cleveland Heights,OH 44118
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 402
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Jeff, maybe you're not so far off the mark. TAKE UMA , literally, "BAMBOO HORSE" in Japanese refers to stilts (made from bamboo). Maybe Chris knew what he was saying when he said mount the horse. The title does needs changed. Chris, you didn't mention the color difference which could be stated that the Yuu is " a horse of a different color"!


Michael Chikuzen Gould

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#72 2008-03-20 12:08:23

Mujitsu
Administrator/Flutemaker
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-05
Posts: 885
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Lance wrote:

The wonderful thing about the Yuu is getting Shakuhachi into the hands of more people, which I feel is a good thing...  Robert Frost once wrote something to the effect that he 'wrote poetry so that the wrong people wouldn't understand'.... which seems very elitist, and somewhat akin to the bamboo snobs who perhaps feel that only those who can afford expensive bamboo 'should' be playing Shakuhachi.

And yes, I just sensed the cruelty of beating that horse, again. Ouch.

Why beat a horse that isn't there?

One of the wonders of shakuhachi is that it exists at so many levels. Two minutes of pocket knife work on a beach and you have a "sea weed tube of wonder." Spend a little more time with PVC and you have an efficient, very playable flute which you can even take some lessons with. Spend a little more money on a Yuu and you have an even better tapered bore shakuhachi. Devote enough years to studying and/or making shakuhachi and your understanding of the instruments quality potential begins to germinate and flower. Spend enough time exploring the best quality shakuhachi you can and you begin to understand and appreciate the place of the sea weed shakuhachi. And so on...

All these types of shakuhachi have their place.

It is easy to make a basic shakuhachi. It's not as easy to make a decent shakuhachi. It's difficult to make a good shakuhachi. And it's extremely difficult to make an outstanding shakuhachi. An important difference between each of these levels is the degree of human experience and finesse required. The amount of cumulative human effort involved to produce an outstanding shakuhachi is absurd. These shakuhachi are expensive and rightly so. There is no shortcut for both maker and player. One must bleed to find that sound.

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#73 2008-03-20 12:37:07

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Yuu shortcomings?



Indeed: why bark up the wrong tree to beat a dead horse.



eB


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

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#74 2008-03-20 12:56:26

Elliot K
Member
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 132
Website

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Jeez... After today's posts I may never use another metaphor EVER again... But I suppose that would be like....Oh....nevermind....

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#75 2008-03-20 16:34:13

rpowers
Member
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 285

Re: Yuu shortcomings?

Elliot K wrote:

Jeez... After today's posts I may never use another metaphor EVER again... But I suppose that would be like....Oh....nevermind....

Be careful; if you ruin simile for us, too, we'll be left with nothing but non sequiturs.


"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee

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