 A Tozan schoolshakuhachi flute, blowing edge up. Left: top view, four holes. Right: bottom view, fifth hole. | |
| Woodwind instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Woodwind |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 421.111.12 (Open single end-blown flute with fingerholes) |
| Developed |
|
| Part of a series on |
| Komusō |
|---|
 |
| People |
|
| Philosophy |
| Places |
|
| Topics |
| Literature |
|
Ashakuhachi (Japanese:尺八,pronounced[ɕakɯhat͡ɕi]) is a Japanese longitudinal,end-blown flute that is made ofbamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as theshakuhachi was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called thefuke shakuhachi (普化尺八).[1][2] A bamboo flute known as thekodai shakuhachi (古代尺八, ancientshakuhachi) orgagaku shakuhachi (雅楽尺八) was derived from the Chinesexiao in theNara period and died out in the 10th century.[3] After a long blank period, thehitoyogiri shakuhachi (一節切尺八) appeared in the 15th century, and then in the 16th century, thefuke shakuhachi was developed in Japan. Thefuke shakuhachi flourished in the 18th century during theEdo period, and eventually thehitoyogiri shakuhachi also died out. Thefuke shakuhachi developed in Japan is longer and thicker than thekodai shakuhachi and has one finger hole less. It is longer and thicker thanhitoyogiri shakuhachi and is superior in volume, range, scale and tone quality.[4] Today, since theshakuhachi generally refers only tofuke shakuhachi, the theory that theshakuhachi is an instrument unique to Japan is widely accepted.[5]
Theshakuhachi is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist inABS,ebonite,anodized aluminum, andhardwoods. It was used by the monks of theFuke Zen ofZenBuddhism in the practice ofsuizen (blowing meditation).
The instrument is tuned to theminor pentatonic scale.
The nameshakuhachi means "1.8shaku", referring to its size. It is a compound of two words:
Thus, the compound wordshaku-hachi means "oneshaku eightsun" (54.54 cm (21.47 in)), the standard length of ashakuhachi. Othershakuhachi vary in length from about 1.1shaku up to 3.6shaku. Although the sizes differ, all are still referred to generically asshakuhachi.
Shakuhachi are usually made from the root end ofmadake (Phyllostachys bambusoides)bambooculm and are extremely versatile instruments. Professional players can produce virtually any pitch they wish from the instrument, and play a wide repertoire of originalZen music, ensemble music withkoto,biwa, andshamisen,folk music,jazz, and other modern pieces.
Much of theshakuhachi's subtlety (and player's skill) lies in its rich tone colouring, and the ability for its variation. Different fingerings,embouchures and amounts ofmeri/kari can produce notes of the same pitch, but with subtle or dramatic differences in the tone colouring. Holes can be covered partially and pitch varied subtly or substantially by changing the blowing angle. TheHonkyoku pieces rely heavily on this aspect of the instrument to enhance their subtlety and depth.
Unlike arecorder, where the player blows into a duct—a narrow airway over a block which is called a "fipple"—and thus has limited pitch control, theshakuhachi player blows as one would blow across the top of an empty bottle (though theshakuhachi has a sharp edge to blow against calledutaguchi) and therefore has substantial pitch control. The termutaguchi (歌口) literally translates as "to the mouth that sings", referring to the upper and main hole of the flute where the mouthpiece or blowing edge is created by a natural diagonal cut in the bamboo.[citation needed]
The history of theshakuhachi shows a variety of designs of inlaid mouthpieces that vary between certain traditional Japanese schools ofshakuhachi. Thus, the Kinko Ryu, Myoan and Tozan Ryu, differ in different features in their line of mouthpiece design, coinciding in them the total non-use in their inlay of the semi-circumference formed by the natural cut of the mouthpiece in the bamboo. Beyond the fact that these inlaid forms were a hallmark of styles and schools, the fact of inlaying a mouthpiece historically could respond to a way of repairing the instrument due to wear or damage in particular in its blowing edge.[citation needed]
The five finger holes are tuned to aminor pentatonic scale with no half-tones, but using techniques calledmeri (メリ) andkari (カリ), in which the blowing angle is adjusted to bend the pitch downward and upward, respectively, combined withembouchure adjustments and fingering techniques the player can bend each pitch as much as a whole tone or more. Pitches may also be lowered by shading (カザシ,kazashi) or partially covering finger holes. Since most pitches can be achieved via several different fingering or blowing techniques on theshakuhachi, thetimbre of each possibility is taken into account when composing or playing thus different names are used to write notes of the same pitch which differ in timbre. Theshakuhachi has a range of two full octaves (the lower is called乙/呂otsu, the upper,甲kan) and a partial third octave (大甲dai-kan) though experienced players can produce notes up to E7 (2637.02 Hz) on a 1.8shakuhachi.[6][7] The various octaves are produced using subtle variations of breath, finger positions andembouchure.
In traditionalshakuhachi repertoire, instead oftonguing forarticulation like many Western wind instruments, hitting holes (oshi (押し),osu (オス)) with a very fast movement is used and each note has its corresponding repeat fingerings; e.g., for repeating C5 the 5th hole (D5's tone hole) is used.[7]
A 1.8shakuhachi produces D4 (D above Middle C, 293.66 Hz) as its fundamental—the lowest note it produces with all five finger holes covered, and a normal blowing angle. In contrast, a 2.4shakuhachi has a fundamental of A3 (A below Middle C, 220 Hz). As the length increases, the spacing of the finger holes also increases, stretching both fingers and technique. Longer flutes often have offset finger holes, and very long flutes are almost always custom made to suit individual players. Somehonkyoku, in particular those of the Nezasaha (Kimpu-ryū) school, are intended to be played on these longer flutes.
Due to the skill required, the time involved, and the range of quality in materials to craft bambooshakuhachi, one can expect to pay fromUS$1,000 to US$8,000 for a new or used flute. Because each piece of bamboo is unique,shakuhachi cannot be mass-produced, and craftsmen must spend much time finding the correct shape and length of bamboo, curing it for more or less of a decade in a controlled environment and then start shaping the bore for almost a year usingJi (地) paste—many layers of a mixture includingtonoko powder (砥の粉) andseshime and finished withurushi lacquer—for each individual flute to achieve correct pitch and tonality over all notes. Specimens of extremely high quality, with valuable inlays, or of historical significance can fetch US$20,000 or more. Plastic orPVCshakuhachi have some advantages over their traditional bamboo counterparts: they are lightweight, extremely durable, nearly impervious to heat and cold, and typically cost less than US$100.Shakuhachi made of wood are also available, typically costing less than bamboo but more than synthetic materials. Nearly all players, however, prefer bamboo, citing tonal qualities, aesthetics, and tradition.
Theshakuhachi is derived from the Chinese bamboo-flute. The bamboo-flute first came to Japan from China during the 7th[8] or 8th century.[9][3] This style of bamboo flute, also calledkodai shakuhachi (古代尺八, ancientshakuhachi) orgagaku shakuhachi (雅楽尺八), was used for playinggagaku, but died out in the 10th century. Eightkodai shakuhachi remain in theShōsō-in Treasure Repository. There are no records of musical scores related to thekodai shakuhachi, so details such as its playing method and scale are unknown. The average length was 40 cm (16 in), the diameter of the finger holes was 2 cm (0.79 in), and there were 6 finger holes – 5 at the front, 1 at the back.[3][2]
In the 15th century, thehitoyogiri shakuhachi (一節切尺八) appeared. It is characterized by a single bamboo joint in the middle of the tube. Although it flourished in the 17th century, it gradually fell into disuse due to the development and popularity of the superiorfuke shakuhachi, and was no longer used by the 19th century. The average length was 33.6 cm (13.2 in), the outer diameter was 3 cm (1.2 in), and there were 5 finger holes – 4 at the front, 1 at the back.[2][4]
The flute now known as theshakuhachi was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called thefuke shakuhachi (普化尺八). This style ofshakuhachi is longer and thicker than the oldershakuhachi, and its volume, range, scale, and tone are superior to those of the oldershakuhachi. It is made from the base of the bamboo, and the average length is 54.5 cm (21.5 in), which corresponds to 1shaku 8sun; the outside diameter is 4 cm (1.6 in), and there are 5 finger holes – 4 at the front, 1 at the back.[4][1][2]
During the medieval period,shakuhachi were most notable for their role in theFuke sect of Zen Buddhist monks, known askomusō ("priests of nothingness" or "emptiness monks"), who used theshakuhachi as a spiritual tool. Their songs (calledhonkyoku) were paced according to the players' breathing and were considered meditation (suizen) as much as music.[10]
Travel around Japan was restricted by theshogunate at this time, but the Fuke sect managed to wrangle an exemption from theshōgun, since their spiritual practice required them to move from place to place playing theshakuhachi and begging for alms (one famous song reflects this mendicant tradition:Hi fu mi, hachi gaeshi (一二三鉢返の調); "One two three, pass the alms bowl"). They persuaded theshōgun to give them exclusive rights to play the instrument. In return, some were required to spy for the shogunate, and theshōgun sent several of his own spies out in the guise of Fuke monks as well. This was made easier by thewicker baskets (天蓋,tengai) that the Fuke wore over their heads, a symbol of their detachment from the world.
In response to these developments, several particularly difficulthonkyoku pieces, e.g. "Distant Call of the Deer" (鹿の遠音,Shika no tōne), became well known as "tests": if one could play them, they were a real Fuke monk. If they could not, they were probably a spy and might very well be killed if they were in unfriendly territory.
With theMeiji Restoration, beginning in 1868, the shogunate was abolished and so was theFuke sect,[11] in order to help identify and eliminate theshōgun's holdouts. The very playing of theshakuhachi was officially forbidden for a few years. Non-Fuke folk traditions did not suffer greatly from this, since the tunes could be played just as easily on another pentatonic instrument. However, thehonkyoku repertoire was known exclusively to the Fuke sect and transmitted by repetition and practice, and much of it was lost, along with many important documents.
When theMeiji government did permit the playing ofshakuhachi again, it was only as an accompanying instrument to thekoto,shamisen, etc. It was not until later thathonkyoku were allowed to be played publicly again as solo pieces.
Theshakuhachi has traditionally been played almost exclusively by men in Japan, although this situation is rapidly changing. Many teachers of traditionalshakuhachi music indicate that a majority of their students are women. The 2004 Big AppleShakuhachi Festival in New York City hosted the first-ever concert of international womenshakuhachi masters. This festival was organized and produced by Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin, who was the first full-timeshakuhachi master to teach in the Western hemisphere. Nyogetsu also holds 2 Dai Shihan (Grand Master) licenses, and has run KiSuiAn, the largest and most activeshakuhachi Dojo outside Japan, since 1975.[citation needed][promotion?]
Theshakuhachi has grown in international popularity in recent decades.[12] The first non-Japanese person to become ashakuhachi master was American-AustralianRiley Lee. Lee was responsible for the WorldShakuhachi Festival being held inSydney,Australia over 5–8 July 2008, based at theSydney Conservatorium of Music.[13][14] Riley Lee played theshakuhachi in Dawn Mantras which was composed by Ross Edwards especially for the Dawn Performance, which took place on the sails of the Sydney Opera House at sunrise on 1 January 2000 and was televised internationally.[15]
Theshakuhachi creates a harmonic spectrum that contains thefundamental frequency together with even and odd harmonics and some blowing noise.[16] Five tone holes enable musicians to play the notes D-F-G-A-C-D. Cross (or fork) fingerings, half-covering tone holes, andmeri/kari blowing cause pitch sharpening, referred to as intonation anomaly.[17] Especially the second and third harmonic exhibit the well-knownshakuhachi timbre. Even though the geometry of theshakuhachi is relatively simple, the sound radiation of theshakuhachi is rather complicated.[18] Sound radiating from several holes and the natural asymmetry of bamboo create an individual spectrum in each direction. This spectrum depends on frequency and playing technique.
The International Shakuhachi Society maintains a directory of notable professional, amateur, and teachingshakuhachi players.[19]
The primary genres ofshakuhachi music are:
Recordings in each of these categories are available; however, more albums are catalogued in categories outside the traditional realm. As of 2018,shakuhachi players continue releasing records in a variety of traditional and modern styles.[21]
The firstshakuhachi recording appeared in the United States in the late 1960s.Gorō Yamaguchi recordedA Bell Ringing in the Empty Sky for Nonesuch Explorer Records on LP, an album which received acclaim fromRolling Stone at the time of its release.[22] One of the pieces featured on Yamaguchi's record was"Sokaku Reibo", also called"Tsuru No Sugomori" (Crane's Nesting).[23]NASA later chose to include this track as part of theGolden Record aboard theVoyager spacecraft.[24]
Shakuhachi are often used in modern film scores, for example those byJames Horner. Films in which it is featured prominently include:The Karate Kid partsII andIII byBill Conti,Legends of the Fall andBraveheart byJames Horner,Jurassic Park and its sequels byJohn Williams andDon Davis, andThe Last Samurai byHans Zimmer andMemoirs of a Geisha byJohn Williams.
Renowned Japanese classical and film-score composerToru Takemitsu wrote many pieces forshakuhachi and orchestra, including his well-knownCeleste,Autumn andNovember Steps.
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The sound of theshakuhachi is also featured from time to time in electronica, pop and rock, especially after being commonly shipped as a "preset" instrument on various synthesizers and keyboards beginning in the 1980s.[33]TheGeneral MIDI standard assigns the shakuhachi to program number 78.[34] One of the best known pop songs of the 1980s that uses this sound is "Sledgehammer" byPeter Gabriel. This was also used in the ident of the short-livedCoca-Cola Telecommunications.
