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#1 2009-03-03 14:12:33

jaybeemusic
Member
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: 2006-06-22
Posts: 145

Utaguchi Angle...

Hey everyone and welcome back!!!

I just got a Tai Hei student shakuhachi and i've been having a REALLY hard time playing it.  I've had 2 different Perry Yung flutes and I can play them just fine.  I've also got a Yuu and again.... no problem...   but I was really excited about trying one of Monty's and I can't for the life of me figure out what is the problem. 

I've been analyzing all of my flutes and i noticed that Monty's Utaguchi angle is more "vertical" than any of my other ones.  What would be the reason for it?    I'm not trying to suggest that anything is wrong with the flute....  I'm actually thinking that i need to play this one differently.  The question is how...

I almost feel like i have to blow "down into" the flute instead of "across" the utaguchi, just to get any sound.   I'm sure someone out there has had something like this happen before....   

any suggestions?

thanks...

jacques


It's better to keep your mouth closed and let people "think" that you're stupid, than to open it, and remove all doubt.

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#2 2009-03-03 17:52:58

Musgo da Pedra
Member
From: South of Brazil
Registered: 2007-12-02
Posts: 332
Website

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

I used to play a lot of diferent shakuhachi, all of them not, as we use to say, suitable for traditional study... when I bought my Tai Hei, my feeling told me that obviously, as you felt, I wasn't play with the right technique to that flute...

The things started to get better when I started to became more conscious about my facial musculature and with that, achieved a more focused blow, a focused stream of air... of course the more I used to play, more sonority the flute showed...so from the first blow on my Tai Hei, to the first nice, big, round, honky Ro, a few days passed...

Well, I know that I did'nt help a lot, but...

A big hug and peace to you!

Keep blowing through!!!


Omnia mea mecum porto

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#3 2009-03-03 22:32:35

mrwuwu
Member
From: Chicago, Illinois
Registered: 2007-11-23
Posts: 160

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Hey!   J!     I've played a Tai Hei advanced student flute for about a year now and I would say my personal angle is in between blowing down the hole versus across the utaguchi.    From my own experience, even though many flutes play very well  at the embouchure you are used to,   you should experiment with any flute,  even the ones you have now,   and you may find by changing degrees of the blowing angle from the steepest to the most flat,  what you used to think sounded good now sounds " phat " as the rappers say,  or what shakuhachi players call " fat ", rich , notes.    On most of my flutes , like my Yuu, I index ( same starting point of contact)  the utaguguchi edge exactly between my  two lips and then lower my chin to the rest and it sounds great.   But on the Tai Hei,  I touch the very edge to the middle of the thickness of my upper lip and then lower down to the chin lip rest.    It used to sound very good the Yuu way,  but then by accident I got super rich, fat notes and made sure I could repeat this,  and my teacher noticed the improvement and remarked about the tone being better.  I have more volume now, too,  with much less breakup and squealing when you try to blast the cannon! :@)       You'll definitely hear it when you hit that point,  but you have you remember these are very small increments and remember to keep your flute straight,  I've always had a bad habit of gradually rotating the flute clockwise as I played,   this can be corrected by playing in front of a mirror everyday,  as any teacher will want you to as a beginner.    Good Luck and Ganbatte!  (  Japanese for perserverance! )     Use a tuner everyday if you have one or buy one for 30 bucks!    Clinton


" You know, it's been three years now, maybe a new teacher can help you? ...... " Sensei

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#4 2009-03-08 15:15:06

madoherty
Moderator
Registered: 2008-03-15
Posts: 366

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

I am not a pro, but I would say that you should keep to your new flute and not switch back and forth until you get the hang of your new flute.  You might find that your Monty flute will need more "pushing" from your breath than your Yuu or Yung, in addition to an adjust on your chin and the angle that you are holding it.  This has been my experience.

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#5 2009-03-08 21:18:32

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

jaybeemusic wrote:

I almost feel like i have to blow "down into" the flute instead of "across" the utaguchi, just to get any sound.   I'm sure someone out there has had something like this happen before....

Different flutes play differently, but I just tried on the the two flutes I have with me right now and I'd describe the feel as blowing "down into" instead of "across. I'm not 100% sure because I haven't had them evaluated by a teacher but I'd assume that they'd be appropriate for lessons if they were the correct length. One is a 2.0 modern jiari and the other is a 1.5 wooden shakuhachi.

If I were in this situation I'd just assume it was me because Monty has a good reputation, but if you're really bothered by it you could always get it to a third-party to have it evaluated.


"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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#6 2009-03-09 09:22:58

jaybeemusic
Member
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: 2006-06-22
Posts: 145

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Thanks for the replys,

i know that it is not the flute.... i trust Monty.   I've just never seen a shakuhachi with an utaguchi like that.   

I'm more interested in "why" it is more vertical.   I've been playing for about 6 years and i still consider myself to be a beginner and

i know i need to "stick with it"....but.....is there any concrete information that someone could give on the differences.

such as.... playability
tone
construction

etc....

maybe i'm making a mountain out of nothing but i've never had such a difficult time with ANY shakuhachi before.....not even the first time i tried.

thanks a million...

Jacques

smile


It's better to keep your mouth closed and let people "think" that you're stupid, than to open it, and remove all doubt.

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#7 2009-03-09 11:15:50

Jim Thompson
Moderator
From: Santa Monica, California
Registered: 2007-11-28
Posts: 421

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

When my sensei passed I was given  a shot at his hassun. I passed because I couldn't get a sound out of it. I remember trying to play it once and he said "Hard to play, huh". For him it was a great flute. He sounded like a dream. The flute was useless to me. Go figure.


" Who do you trust , me or your own eyes?" - Groucho Marx

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#8 2009-03-09 13:17:33

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

jaybeemusic wrote:

Thanks for the replys,

i know that it is not the flute.... i trust Monty.   I've just never seen a shakuhachi with an utaguchi like that.   

I'm more interested in "why" it is more vertical.   I've been playing for about 6 years and i still consider myself to be a beginner and

That's a lot less beginner than I am, at least in years of shakuhachi. However, it originally sounded like you only had a couple Yung's and a Yuu to compare with. 

jaybeemusic wrote:

i know i need to "stick with it"....but.....is there any concrete information that someone could give on the differences.

such as.... playability
tone
construction

etc....

I thought I had  seen several very informative posts about utaguchi angles from Perry Yung or others here on the forum in the past. I know the search function here is a pain, it returns a lot of material to read that might not have what you are looking for, and I just spent more time looking for it than I care to admit to, so maybe it's time for a repost. The only information I could find about this while searching was on Tom Deaver's site where he says "The angle of the utaguchi plane of hochiku is closer to perpendicular to the length of the bamboo than utaguchi angles commonly seen on shakuhachi." Since Perry sells a lot of hochiku-like flutes, maybe this is the difference you're experiencing. The only problem with this explanation is that you say the Yuu is a shallower angle too.       

jaybeemusic wrote:

maybe i'm making a mountain out of nothing but i've never had such a difficult time with ANY shakuhachi before.....not even the first time i tried.

If it's that much of a problem you obviously don't trust Monty's flutes as much as you say you do. Discreetly get it to a qualified third party and have the flute evaluated. I think that's pretty much the only way you're going to get a fully satisfactory explanation.

Last edited by radi0gnome (2009-03-09 13:18:05)


"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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#9 2009-03-09 13:30:57

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

BTW, I've seen a few posts in the recent past either directly or indirectly questioning the quality Monty's flutes. I only have one inexpensive older discontinued model of his so I can't really say for sure, but it looks to me like Monty knows how to make good instruments. I personally think anyone coming to the conclusion that they should be wary of his flutes after reading threads like this should take what they read with a grain of salt. He's a very reputable maker/dealer. 

I wonder if this is the kind of thing that got the forum shut down last week...


"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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#10 2009-03-09 13:49:23

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

jaybeemusic wrote:

I've been analyzing all of my flutes and i noticed that Monty's Utaguchi angle is more "vertical" than any of my other ones.  What would be the reason for it?    I'm not trying to suggest that anything is wrong with the flute....  I'm actually thinking that i need to play this one differently.  The question is how...

Sounds to me like what Jacques is saying is that Monty's flute has a steeper angle ('more vertical'; "closer to perpendicular...") than he's used to, not shallower. True?

"I wonder if this is the kind of thing that got the forum shut down last week..."

I seriously doubt it.


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

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#11 2009-03-09 14:23:59

jaybeemusic
Member
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: 2006-06-22
Posts: 145

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

ok everyone...

yes edosan that's "exactly" what i'm asking.


so.....just to set the record straight..

I'M NOT QUESTIONING THE QUALITY OF MONTY'S FLUTES!!!

I know that they're good/great.  that is NOT the issue.

i KNOW that every flute needs to be played differently.  That's a basic fact of the Shakuhachi.


I was only looking for some information on:

a) HOW does it need to be played differently?  (more/less air, more directed/diffuse airstream, angle of breath etc...)
b) What is the reason for the different angle?  (does it play/sound better)
c) I trust Monty, but, I also trust Perry who uses a more horizontal angle....so here are 2 pro makers and they're doing completely different things....  what would be the reason?

I'm not trying to be a pest and i would never imply that someone with that much experience is wrong.

I'm sorry if anyone out there reading this came to that conclusion.  It was never intended.  i even said that in the first post.

I really like the tone of the flute (when i can get any sound at all) so i'm not going to give up on it, i was just asking what i thought to be an honest
question.

Thanks..

Jacques

Last edited by jaybeemusic (2009-03-09 14:26:13)


It's better to keep your mouth closed and let people "think" that you're stupid, than to open it, and remove all doubt.

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#12 2009-03-09 15:42:23

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

jaybeemusic wrote:

a) HOW does it need to be played differently?  (more/less air, more directed/diffuse airstream, angle of breath etc...)

You just have to experiment to find the right position. A teacher would be able to help some, but most embouchure changes are so small it really has to be found by self-discovery. 

jaybeemusic wrote:

b) What is the reason for the different angle?  (does it play/sound better)
c) I trust Monty, but, I also trust Perry who uses a more horizontal angle....so here are 2 pro makers and they're doing completely different things....  what would be the reason?

Maybe it's because Perry's is more hochiku-like, not made for lessons.

jaybeemusic wrote:

I'm not trying to be a pest and i would never imply that someone with that much experience is wrong.

I'm sorry if anyone out there reading this came to that conclusion.  It was never intended.  i even said that in the first post.

I really like the tone of the flute (when i can get any sound at all) so i'm not going to give up on it, i was just asking what i thought to be an honest
question.

Maybe I should be the one apologizing. I kind of jumped to conclusions too quickly.


"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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#13 2009-03-09 18:46:24

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Not to start (or restart) a flame war, Just an observation, here. 

Although this part of the forum is labelled "Ask the Pro,"  there were five responses before a pro actually weighed in with some kind of input.

Last edited by Chris Moran (2009-03-09 18:46:43)


"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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#14 2009-03-09 19:37:27

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Thanks Chris.  Sometimes everyone just gets in the mood to help but yes, I wondered too.  Jacques question "A": How to play it differently could be taken to the "Technique" section and continued and the "B" question taken to the "Flutemaking" section and thus giving us pros more time to practice!


Michael Chikuzen Gould

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#15 2009-03-09 21:17:25

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Chris Moran wrote:

Not to start (or restart) a flame war, Just an observation, here. 

Although this part of the forum is labelled "Ask the Pro,"  there were five responses before a pro actually weighed in with some kind of input.

And your point would be?


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

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#16 2009-03-09 21:21:43

Musgo da Pedra
Member
From: South of Brazil
Registered: 2007-12-02
Posts: 332
Website

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

I think most people forget the rest of word pro (fessional) if it is the meaning of pro here...

Chris, you are right, and I will never post here again, only, of course if I have a doubt...



Anyway, I am pro-shakuhachi (in favor)!  hehehehehe

A big hug and peace to all!

Last edited by Musgo da Pedra (2009-03-09 21:24:57)


Omnia mea mecum porto

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#17 2009-03-09 22:11:52

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Not being one for easy answers   ...

1. Perhaps a pro would be able to to make a simple statement about differences in utaguchi angles, embouchure and possibly redirect the discussion to Techniques or Flute-making ... if they have time or don't mind repeating themselves.

(We do have over two dozen pros listed as moderators and there was a five day gap between the first three posts on the 3rd and the next posts on the 8th. Fortunately teachers Jim Thompson and Chikuzen steadied the tiller today.) 

2. More new members would actually read "Read First>Getting Started" and get to know the forum better and perhaps feel more certain about which sub-forum to post to. ... I think we may need some special "blinkies" or something else attention getting on the main index page to emphasize the READ FIRST topic.

(It really does need to be read by forum members. And, in fact, it is a "good read.")

3. Members who are not pros might want to refrain from giving advice to students who are asking questions intended for the pro forum moderators.

Commiserating (or 'sharing the joy') with fellow students on the path is understandable. I do it all the time. It's one of the things that makes the forum fun and inviting and useful.

But I feel, personally, that the "Ask the Pro" sub-forum should be dialogue between students and moderators. It will help keep the integrity of this particular sub-forum and encourage more experienced players/teachers/performers to participate {ahem} themselves.


"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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#18 2009-03-09 22:29:11

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Chris Moran wrote:

Not to start (or restart) a flame war, Just an observation, here. 

Although this part of the forum is labelled "Ask the Pro,"  there were five responses before a pro actually weighed in with some kind of input.

And the pro (Jim) answered and to paraphrase said "some flutes are harder to play than others." Trying to figure out what someone is doing wrong, especially a player of 6 years, in not getting a tone on a particular flute is hard enough in person, never mind over the internet in a text based forum. Were any of the other answers really all that bad? I kind of think that as long as the pros are watching this section and making sure the mis-information stays at a minimum, there isn't really a problem.


"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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#19 2009-03-09 22:52:15

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Chris Moran wrote:

2. More new members would actually read "Read First>Getting Started" and get to know the forum better and perhaps feel more certain about which sub-forum to post to. ... I think we may need some special "blinkies" or something else attention getting on the main index page to emphasize the READ FIRST topic.

(It really does need to be read by forum members. And, in fact, it is a "good read.")

I just re-read the Read First post. It basically says the only rules are to think before you post and to play nice. I was kind of confused about this "ask a pro" section when I first joined, but it seems to work fine as it is, adding rules and demanding that the pros field questions in a timely manner doesn't seem to be a good idea. Besides, most questions would best be answered by "go ask a teacher in person" if they were really so hard only a pro could answer. I think that's the category the "how to blow" part of the original question in this thread falls under. The "reason for the more severe utaguchi angle" part of the question is a bit different in that it could possibly be answered somewhat simply. I'd be surprised that there weren't any answers from a pro here about it if it weren't that the question was written in a way that could be construed as taking a stab at a respected maker.


"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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#20 2009-03-09 23:41:30

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

radi0gnome wrote:

I kind of think that as long as the pros are watching this section and making sure the mis-information stays at a minimum, there isn't really a problem.

I respectfully disagree that the experienced teacher/player/performers (pros) have enough time or energy to counter misinformation. It's just too draining.

We could continue this discussion on another part of the forum, if you like. (Maybe "Off Topic/Non-Shakuhachi"? We could open up a thread on forum participation and netiquette?)


"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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#21 2009-03-10 01:23:59

geni
Performer & Teacher
From: Boston MA
Registered: 2005-12-21
Posts: 830
Website

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

From my experience, Just blow that flute for 1-2 hours a day for a week , you will see how is going to sound.
Make that a goal for this week. Goals help sometimes;-)

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#22 2009-03-11 12:50:23

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

radiognome wrote:

I was kind of confused about this "ask a pro" section when I first joined, but it seems to work fine as it is, adding rules and demanding that the pros field questions in a timely manner doesn't seem to be a good idea.

From the perspective of a professional, this confuses me as the section reads "Ask the Pro" but I see lots of people answering that are not professional. I think it's a fairly common sense interpretation: this is a place that people have the opportunity to go to if they feel they haven't found satisfactory answers they seek in other sections. Sort of a "last stop opportuntiy". This is even more confusing for "guests" on the forum. They read, "Ask the Pro" and think this is the place to hear from professionals. Why have such a title if it's not so?  I think the rules are inherent in the title of the section.

  I don't see the problem with waiting a while for an answer from a pro. It should be worth the wait. I'm not saying that pros are busier than anyone else but they do have to be busy. If one wants to offer help before a pro shows up, why not just go on and say, I think I have something that might help so meet me in the "Technique" section where I feel more comfortable offering this up?


   Another perspective is that I don't try to answer questions in the "Ask the Pro" section that are about flute making because I'm not a professional flute maker. One definition, and it may be self imposed, of a pro is someone who can take complete responsibility for what they say and do. That "burden" should be left up to people who are getting payed for what they do as they BETTER be responsible for what they say and do. Furthermore, I don't even go on the Flutemaking section and try to answer any questions about flutemaking because all I could say is,  "how about trying this and that", etc. It's a matter of respect. I realize that the three moderators there can do very well without me. However, that section IS open for all to go on and offer suggestions so this is only my thing.
.




radiognome wrote:

Besides, most questions would best be answered by "go ask a teacher in person" if they were really so hard only a pro could answer.

.

   That seems like a very good answer for those questions to me. Thank goodness that most questions aren't that hard that only a pro can answer them. This is evidenced by the large number of non pros answering them. This seems more to support the idea of having a place to go when seeking a professionals help more than support the idea of non pros answering in the 'Ask the Pro" section.

Chris wrote:

I respectfully disagree that the experienced teacher/player/performers (pros) have enough time or energy to counter misinformation. It's just too draining.

.

     This is very draining in time and energy as the questions that I am moved to offer help with take a lot of thought as they often need to be geared in a personal manner to the person asking them. I've often mentioned that the forum is not the place to teach shakuhachi but (for me) to give some quick help to someone who really has gotten off track and needs some additional help to what he has found. Again, from the professional point of view, I have people paying money for professional help too so it's not fair to them. That's why I would prefer to go on the forum, look in the "Ask the Pro" section and make a decision as to whether I can help effectively in a timely fashion.  Most of those problems that I feel moved to help with are things that need a lot of unraveling through misconceptions that have built up over time and therefore need a lot of thought time and special attention. Often, I go on the forum, see that many people are answering in the "Ask the Pro" section and decide now that it's way too much work to offer help because now I have to reply to the extra comments. In other words, "where do I start' comes to mind. If I have to do this, then I may have to appear in a light where now I'm correcting someone else. It's usually more like, what you're saying is the most evident answer and therefore not wrong, but taking a different approach will be more effective because of  this and that. Again, this is time consuming and shouldn't even be part of the picture. Concerning these problems, sometimes I feel I can best help someone over the internet much more effectively and quicker than taking time to write what will be a less than ideal post here and so offer to do so.


Michael Chikuzen Gould

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#23 2009-03-11 14:38:30

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

chikuzen wrote:

Chris wrote:

I respectfully disagree that the experienced teacher/player/performers (pros) have enough time or energy to counter misinformation. It's just too draining.

.

     This is very draining in time and energy as the questions that I am moved to offer help with take a lot of thought...

I think Chris was being sarcastic in that post as he originally implied that out of a dozen pros it shouldn't have taken so long for one to respond. I'm just grateful that you guys do take the time to respond when you do because if you're anything like me even a simple comment that could be conveyed in 5 minutes in a one-to-one telephone conversation (or internet lesson for you guys) can take a half hour or more to type up to a point where it's decently understandable.

I'm fine with prefacing posts here with "I'm not a pro but..." however the solution you propose of non-pros posting "meet me over in some other place to discuss this because I think I can help" I'm not fine with because trying to quote the original posters question on a different thread can be a real pain.

In the case of the question that started this tread, it looks to me that there were several answers that were equally good to the ones posted by pros. One of my answers (after not fully understanding the original question and getting the original poster to clarify) was:

radi0gnome wrote:

You just have to experiment to find the right position. A teacher would be able to help some, but most embouchure changes are so small it really has to be found by self-discovery.

and this is what the pros had to say:

Jim Thompson wrote:

When my sensei passed I was given  a shot at his hassun. I passed because I couldn't get a sound out of it. I remember trying to play it once and he said "Hard to play, huh". For him it was a great flute. He sounded like a dream. The flute was useless to me. Go figure.

geni wrote:

From my experience, Just blow that flute for 1-2 hours a day for a week , you will see how is going to sound.
Make that a goal for this week. Goals help sometimes;-)

I don't really see where the pros answers were all that better than mine. They certainly didn't answer how to play Jaybee's new flute better than my answer did. I personally spent several hours trying to understand Jaybee's original question and researching to find an answer to why the utaguchi on his new flute is different than his other flutes. When I did find the answer I directly quoted the source I got it from and said where I got it from and said what the potential problems were with the answer. If anybody here feels that vague one liner answers from pros is all that much superior to well thought out and specific answers from non-pros, I'm fine by that, just skip the ones by anybody that isn't a pro and read the vague one liners. However, it seems a bit heavy handed to tell the non-pros with something to say to keep out.


"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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#24 2009-03-11 14:57:53

madoherty
Moderator
Registered: 2008-03-15
Posts: 366

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

Excellent points Chikuzen.  Thank you for the clarification.

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#25 2009-03-11 16:26:36

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

Re: Utaguchi Angle...

radiognome wrote:

I don't really see where the pros answers were all that better than mine.

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       Radiognome, to be clear, I wasn't commenting on the content of the posts at all but on the aspect of non pros joining the "Ask the Pro" section. However, it is also a fact that all the moderators are NOT professionals. Maybe only half of them. So a bit of the problem is in understanding the classification.

radiognome wrote:

You just have to experiment to find the right position. A teacher would be able to help some, but most embouchure changes are so small it really has to be found by self-discovery.


        This is a case where the question didn't need to be for the pro. Jim and Geni were both saying the same thing: you have to get used to different flutes. Which is also what you said.

radiognome wrote:

I'm fine with prefacing posts here with "I'm not a pro but..." however the solution you propose of non-pros posting "meet me over in some other place to discuss this because I think I can help" I'm not fine with because trying to quote the original posters question on a different thread can be a real pain.

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        I see your dilemma of it being a real pain. The "I'm not a pro" preface certainly shows consideration and is the best answer to this that's been offered. I think that would be enough to let Guests know such. There is the title of "Member" under non moderators names but the Guests might not notice.

radiognome wrote:

However, it seems a bit heavy handed to tell the non-pros with something to say to keep out.

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       Hmm? I agree that a keep out sign is in poor taste and not the best solution as people who have several years of experience will usually have something useful to say.


Michael Chikuzen Gould

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