Lesson 2 and 3 have passed, on writing this.
The focus was mainly on playing Kan notes:
* playing Ro, Tsu, Re, Ri and Go no Hi start blowing and halfway blow 'over' to kan-register. Sometimes moving the thumb just a little will help to get the tone.
A tip, or more a technique, (I think of vital importance) is this:
http://www.shakuhachiflutes.com/blow.htm
This technique of not blowing helped me a lot getting the right pressure behind my breath. Its the feeling in your abdomen of blowing a balloon.
A beautyfull song is is Wooden Ship from Uttara Kuru. Listen to it on I-meem:
http://www.imeem.com/runtor/music/U8UG1dmC/uttarakuru_wooden_ship/
Just try to play along (with a 1.8 D), it doesn't have meri notes of any kind, just the standard pentatonic ones...It goes up high though...but it is good to practise the change of otsu to kan (and it's a pretty song)...
* On the lessons I have several sheet music I play as well, those you will not find here. But on a few of them starting out with the beginning try to improvise in the feel of the music, use all you have learned or know in it.
* Also in these lessons I learned or attempted to play the B and E; one semitone down of C (Ri) and F( Tsu).
