Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

purehappiness wrote:

Better to master one song than be so so in a lot of songs.

Absolutely right...

But worst than be so so on many songs is not mantain what you already learned. Then after one year of the same song, when you wanna back to one of the song you learned before, all work has gone... then you pick that song again, during some time, and the song you were playing before became so so when you play it...

Regularity to mantain things evolving...

Anyway you phrase is right...

: {p

Hi,

lowonthetotem wrote:

I am still practicing songs, but my largest focus is on "real" practice at this point, kind of like drills that you would do in a sports scenerio....  I generally approach in a "workout" kind of way, knocking out twenty of this then twenty of that....

Ditto.  When doing my drills I try to take care when drawing breath so that I don't always inhale like someone about to tackle a 400m sprint and I practice Qigong.  Using James Nyoraku Schlefer's 'The Practical Shakuhachi' I am practicing the long tones in sets of three to be mindful of beginning, middle and end.  Wandering through the meri exercises in front of a mirror with furi's,  hit 1's and foot taps.  Watching out for the bouncing ball rhythm in nature; which recently was a discarded plastic cup, rolling around on the concrete, propelled by the wind. 

Also, playing in a group medititation context; with some Reiki practitioners and prior to a 'Reiki share' accompanied with tibetan singing bowls, a bell and a rainstick, usually Kyorei. 

For my avatar, I have been working with Jon who takes photos of things that people don't always notice.

Last edited by Fiona Dawes (2010-07-11 05:14:24)

I'm thinking of a story about Charlie Parker. One day a jazz critic who played saxophone himself said, "Bird, let me try your axe." "Sure," Parker said. But the reed was so hard the critic couldn't make it sound at all. "How can you play with a tough reed like this?" "Hard work, mothafuck."
— Dick Barnes from Translating Borges: Or, Playing the Bells

Blowing the back of the flute instead of the utaguchi insert but only when you are practicing the third octave!

Last edited by chikuzen (2010-06-02 08:18:15)

Hey, I am in practice with alot of pieces these days...main focus is on Murasaki Reibo, Kumoijishi and Kyushu Reibo. I love thoose up and downs in Murasaki Reibo...

I've been practicing this one everyday now since February: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JIeaiHYdk

I started learning and memorizing some tango and popular songs since February. This was the one I started with, actually the first was La Comparsita but it was too hard so I picked that one back up later. I'm up to 8 now. I'm recording them one by one so I don't start forgetting them (and it's a good excuse to use Youtube). The forgetfulness is already starting to happen. I read somewhere that remembering lists becomes too difficult for most past 7 items, so it's not all that unusual that I started forgetting after I added the 8th one. I'm also still working on Kyorie and learning Chosi.

After tone exercises, and for those I make every effort to concentrate and NOT make an unthinking practice (although my mind tends to think about stuff on shakuhachiforum a lot), I run through all the songs at least once. I'll usually pick a difficult part of at least one each day to try to hammer out. Sometimes that's before, but usually after I spend some time with the traditional honkyoku that I'm just freshly learning. The 7 or so traditional folk songs I know just get played once in a while, I don't have a practice routine for those anymore, but lately my obsession with them when I do get the desire (and have the time) to work on them is to play them in multiple keys.

Adios Muchachos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGbUSag3CSk

I don't think I'm doing it justice though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL9a1bjkVOY

Working on playing some songs on my Taimu.  It turned out pretty good.

It doesn't hurt that it might be the most beautiful song in the world, and great for tango.

Last edited by radi0gnome (2010-10-04 00:48:38)

First post! (Well, actually second, but I accidentally posted the first one in the wrong thread...)

I ordered a yuu upon returning to Sweden from Japan at the end of June, and as luck would have it there is a great teacher right where I live (which I realize is a luxury not a lot of shakuhachi beginners experience). I had my sixth lesson yesterday, and I would say I'm practicing roughly every other or third day by myself apart from that.

I'm living at my girlfriend's right now, and while she likes the fact that I've taken up an instrument, the beginner's shakuhachi is not always easy on the ears... So I'm usually practicing when she's out of the house and I'm not at university.

My teacher has given me a bunch of children's songs to learn and practice, and so far I think I manage them quite well. They're called O-tsuki, Momo Taro, Hama Chidori and Kutsu ga Naru. My teacher thinks it wise to alternate between technique and melody, rather than trying to fit it all in at once. When the melody sort of sticks, we work on perfecting the notes and the breathing. Works for me!

Honkyoku pieces will be a later challenge, right now we're just working on rhythm, scales and technique.

Oh, and my next piece is Amefuri Otsuki-san. Here it is in a sweet, old-timey version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7T7tudCI_Y

Kiku Day wrote:

Soon-to-be Innocent Fun wrote:

I ordered a yuu upon returning to Sweden from Japan at the end of June, and as luck would have it there is a great teacher right where I live (which I realize is a luxury not a lot of shakuhachi beginners experience).

You are lucky to be near such an amazing teacher! Enjoy the children songs!
Hälsningar till Gunnar från Kiku!

Yes, I am! I'll say hi next time I see him (hopefully next week)!

We have more or less covered all of the introductory pieces now, including my personal favourite "Kojo no Tsuki", and we'll start looking at "Hi Fu Mi Hachigaeshi no Shirabe" next lesson. Quite a big step from the children's songs!

The last few months I've been working on Telemann's Fantasy #2.