SOLD: 2.4 A Chikusing 2 hanko Jinashi

SOLD I have this very nice jinashi Chikusing 2 hanko shak made by Perry Yung. It is of 2.4 length and tuned to A. It is his range of flutes between earth-models and his professional Yung-flutes. It has a windy, mellow and rich sound. It has a very thin layer of darkred urushi in the bore and has spot tuning added by Perry, which is particular of the chikusing models. The flute is in very good condition. For pics and an improv on the flute (mind I play for half a year).

Shakuhachi of old

I have acquired myself a nice old flute of about late 19th century and to be said of belonging to the edo period (1603 - 1867). to even have a flute of that era and age is quite something to me. When the opportunity arised I got this flute, which is a komosu-flute and by itself not a great flute, but a nice one nonetheless. It is a 1.9 ish flute in tune (reasonably) to itself and it plays rather 'lovely' and sweet. The amount of possible meri-ing is amazing (1 full note is quite easy -even for a beginner such as I-). The tuning is a bit tacky at parts, but can be countered.

picture of the hanko

Overall I am very happy being able to play a flute of this era. I'll post a picture of the hanko as well and hope someone will recognize it. I became interested in reading about older flutes in this article by John Singer In Search of the Magic Flute
It is a nice read and has an interview at the bottom by Brian Tairaku Ritchie.

The Hanko displays the kanji for Nakajima (Naka-shima or could also be read Chutou.
It is probably an owners Hanko (not a makers).

About lessons

Hiya,

My fourth and fifth lesson had passed as I write this. Even as I notice that learning does take place on my own, when I practice at home I feel lessons take me futher. The teacher pushes me to try it differently and think outside my own box. That is good, especially if you notice that it work and adds to the playing of the shak. Material is also presented in the order wich is logic to me, but it seems even more so after I am further, I can look back and see why. I wouldn't be able to do so on my own! So what does practice look like:
* ro buki and forms of blowing like muraiki
* songs which challenge the new or tricky notes like Bb Eb, Ri dai meri and Tsu dai meri.
* new honkyoku and pieces like Sanya
My teacher asked me to play an improvisation together on a opening of a Buddhist centre somewhere in the procence...isn't that nice!

Happy practicing!

Hon Shirabe Take 2

Some time ago, begin this month I recorded my first take on the Hon Shirabe honkyoku
Instructions to play this piece and more honkyoku can be found at: bamboo-in
First take, so to speak was on a the Yuu on a simple headset pc microphone. Now I've got me a second hand USB Samson CO3U large membrane mic. I recorded Hon Shirabe again with it and on a different flute: an aged and well seasoned Tozan Saikado flute (full of stable cracks), about 50 years of age, I bought from Perry Yung. Which offers an admirable service to make shakuhachi accessable to a broader public. Go check his site! (there are of course more makers who do so).
The flutes plays well in my beginners opinion; more easy than the Yuu overall, more even, nicer kan, nicer sound, nicer appeal overall... Its quite heavy, even more than the Yuu!
Here is the recording I just did:
Hon Shirabe Take 2
Can you hear the difference with the 1 jan recording?

Learning vs. new flute's and collecting

I don't consider myself a collector, but it didn't escape my notice, that my flute became flutes and now is a small collection. My enthousiasm has a great part in it. Momentarilly I have 4 flutes and I only play for a short while...Does that make sense? Probably not, learning -so I've read- can be done best on 'main flute'; learning the techniques, the notes, the breathing and all. But I've had so much fun playing different flutes! In that I feel its okay for me to 'collect' some interesting flutes and of course play them! Even if its detrimental to my learning progress in this time, I am willing to pay that price. I do not find many things so exciting as this flute. Taming that feeling is kinda hard perhaps. The fun is in the playing and in the learning, so it's only good that it takes a bit longer, no?
As I write this, maybe a 5th very special one -to me- will be added. A komosu edo period flute! If I get I'll post about it later and so I will do about the flutes I have currently, certainly with music (or sound) and maybe sometimes even video...
In the main time: enjoy playing.

The secret of the shakuhachi

What is playing this flute about? What does make it so mysterious, so simple and yet so complex?
For me the playing the flute is the mystery. The flutes themselves can be so different and still be a shakuhachi, from a masterfull jiari to a quick made, but all natural jinashi... The learning of this flute can be seen as a joy -or frustration- in itself. One could try to reach goals, get really good, but it is just as sound to play your level, without need for that goal, to me this instrument is so non-goal like. Much unlike I have experienced with western instruments. This probalby has to do with the specific culture it originates from. But even in that there is no 'right' way, there are many ways, many visions. From the experimental to the very traditional. I love it! (from day one). The shakuhachi indeed found me, instead of the other way round and probably: there is no secret of the shakuhachi, the shakuhachi is the 'secret'.

1 januari recording Hon Shirabe

Well happy new year!
I am now playing a short while on the Shakuhachi and enjoy it a lot! I even purchased new flutes as an addition and/ or replacement of my Yuu. Maybe a bit early, but I am happy to have two new flutes: a 2.4 (A) Yung Chikusen and a Chinese Madake Root (+/- G#) from Ken la Cosse (Mujitsu).
The yung is a semi-jinachi and the one from Ken a jinashi flute, with both very different playing and sound.
Another is comming a 50-jear old Seikado 1.8 also from Yung, so I am happy to have so many new flutes.
Now some sound: I recorded myself playing Hon Shirabe a Honkyoku piece I was and am studiing on. Feel free to listen and comment, for myself this blog and thus the recording is a nice way to record my progress and adventures with the shakuhachi-flute.
The link:
Hon Shirabe (on a Yuu)