zondag 28 november 2010

Changing the past



Changing the past of a flute to be precise. Not so long ago I have acquired a new old 1.8. My main flute is from a renowned maker Gyokusui and I am really fond of this instrument. As I understand they have made shakuhachi for three generations now starting with Gykosui Kono I. Now the 3rd generation is continuing the arts of the craft. His father and grandfather have died. Both can be seen on this picture.



They worked together on the flutes to make -for some- the best post WW-II flutes around. I haven't played that many flutes in general to say the same thing. But I know when I like a flute.
So a new old Gyokusui came along the way and I decided to give it a go. It is the flute picutered above. It played ok and evenly, but not with the magic feel I had with my main 1.8. It sounded a bit stuffy and some notes were to vague (like Ro). I've sended it for professional repairs, first at doubt if I should have let the past changed of this flute. What if it is me and I have to get to learn to play this flute correctly? Well I sended it and my observations were correct: the flute was as I described -so it wasn't my playing ....- The flute was even changed already before I had it. First it was bound for a serious crack. This was done very well so wasn't the culprit. The bore was changed in a way it wasn't made by Gyokusui. So I felt a lot better about restoring the flute to its more original state. I have to wait patiently for it to be restored. Restoring sound a lot better then repairing :) Lacquer had to cure and that takes time. But I have a feeling it is worth it.
Do I think flutes should be altered for the better? Not if they are original, rare and stand for a special era or historical maker. Those are little artifacts which I feel should be treated with respect. But many flutes do not fit into that category. If you own a flute you also can do to it whatever you like -even if it is rare- so it is al up to the owners of flutes to decide if a flute should be altered...or restored ha ha.

5 opmerkingen:

Unknown zei

Hi Bas, i'm happy to read your nice blog now & then and maybe this page is interesting to you: http://reibo.org/retuning.html. Peter Hill on retuning. Personally i'm very reluctant to fumble on old shakuhachi. I like to discover the sound it originally got from its maker. But that can be a little disappointing sometimes.. And a challenge to the player.. Maybe our ears are used to more 'expressive' sounds nowadays? Anyway, i´m curious how the adjustments on your flute work out. (I saw this flute for sale also but was a little too late)
Groetjes, Roel (Kaito member)

Bas Nijenhuis zei

Hello Roel,
Thanks for the link. I concur with what you wrote, if the flute is original, which mine wasn't anymore. It was already tampered with(unfortunately). I'll probably post something about the change to the flute when I get it back :)

Anoniem zei

Dag Bas,
Ook uit Groningen komend:-)...kwam ik je blog tegen. Ik wil graag een fluit gaan bespelen zolang het maar geen blokfluit is (als kind wel 2 jaar gedaan) en ook geen dwarsfluit. (geen fijne manier van een fluit vasthouden vind ik)Een niet-Westerse fluit zal ik maar zeggen.

In een tv-programma zag ik een Turkse Nederlander een Ney(rietfluit) bespelen wat ik erg mooi vond. Al zoekend kwam ik ook een Duduk tegen en een Kaval(herdersfluit) en nu als laatste een Shakuhachi.
Heb jij misschien wat info voor mij hoe ik aan zo'n fluit kan komen en of er ook les in wordt gegeven in Groningen? Of dat je mij anderzins op weg kunt helpen?
Groetjes, Reinier

kees de fouw zei

Happy Christmas!
Bas, is your Kono back from restauration?
Hey yetiman Roel, is that Roel uit Berg & Dal?
Groeten allemaal,
Kees

Bas Nijenhuis zei

Dag Reinier, Roel en Kees,

Ik had enkele reacties nog niet gezien, bij deze. Reinier, het lukt me niet om op je profiel te kijken...dus maar zo. Je mag me ook mailen op basnijenhuis at home dot nl.
Er is geen les in Groningen voor de shakuhachi. Wel in Leeuwarden. Zo ben ik begonnen ermee. Vervolgens heb ik meerdere lessen gehad via skype wat vrij redelijk werkt en niet eens zo heel duur is. Als je nog niet zeker bent of je shakuhachi 'leuk' vindt, raadt ik een shakuhachi Yuu aan, bijv. te koop via kyotaku.nl of kaito.nl(of via de internationale site van de Yuu) ongeveer 100,- kost deze, is van kunststof en speelt behoorlijk goed, is goed voor les e.d.

Kees, jij ook goed kerst gehad? Iig: gelukkig nieuwjaar! Ik heb de fluit nog niet terug, Perry wilde nog kleine beetjes aanpassen aan de bore en dat duurt even ivm het drogen van de urushi. Als ie terug is laat ik het weten via het blog.