Shakuhachi
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A is a Japanese and ancient Chinese longitudinal,
end-blown flute The end-blown flute (also called an edge-blown flute or rim-blown flute) is a woodwind instrument played by directing an airstream against the sharp edge of the upper end of a tube. Unlike a recorder or tin whistle, there is not a ducted flue v ...
that is made of
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .Kotobank, Fuke shakuhachi.
The Asahi Shimbun
Kotobank, Shakuhachi.
The Asahi Shimbun
A bamboo flute known as the , which is quite different from the current style of , was introduced to Japan from China in the 7th century and died out in the 10th century.Kotobank, Kodai shakuhachi (Gagaku shakuhachi).
The Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...
After a long blank period, the appeared in the 15th century, and then in the 16th century, the was developed in Japan. The flourished in the 18th century during the
Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, and eventually the also died out. The developed in Japan is longer and thicker than the and has one finger hole less. It is longer and thicker than and is superior in volume, range, scale and tone quality.Kotobank, Hitoyogiri shakuhachi.
The Asahi Shimbun
Today, since the shakuhachi generally refers only to , the theory that the is an instrument unique to Japan is widely accepted.Tomiko Kojima. (2008) ''Japanese traditional performing arts course. Music.'' p.384. Tankosha. The is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and
hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...
s. It was used by the monks of the
Fuke Zen The term "Fuke" is Japanese and may refer to: * Fuke, known as Puhua, in Chinese, the legendary precursor to the eponymous Fuke Zen school of Buddhism in Japan * Fuke Zen The term "Fuke" is Japanese and may refer to: * Fuke, known as Puhua, in ...
of
Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
in the practice of (blowing meditation). The instrument is tuned to the
minor pentatonic scale Minor may refer to: * Minor (law), a person under the age of certain legal activities. ** A person who has not reached the age of majority * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Music theory * Minor chord ** Bar ...
.


Etymology

The name means "1.8 ", referring to its size. It is a compound of two words: # is an archaic unit of length equal to ) and subdivided in ten subunits. # means "eight", here eight , or tenths, of a . Thus, the compound word means "one eight " (), the standard length of a . Other vary in length from about 1.3 up to 3.6 . Although the sizes differ, all are still referred to generically as .


Overview

are usually made from the root end of (''
Phyllostachys bambusoides ''Phyllostachys bambusoides'', commonly called , giant timber bamboo, or Japanese timber bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the bamboo subfamily of the grass family Poaceae, native to China, and possibly also to Japan. Description ''Phyl ...
'')
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
culm and are extremely versatile instruments. Professional players can produce virtually any pitch they wish from the instrument, and play a wide repertoire of original
Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
music, ensemble music with , , and ,
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, and other modern pieces. Much of the 's subtlety (and player's skill) lies in its rich tone colouring, and the ability for its variation. Different fingerings,
embouchure Embouchure () or lipping is the use of the lips, facial muscles, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument. This includes shaping the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument or the mouthpiece of a brass instrument. The word is of ...
s and amounts of 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. The pieces rely heavily on this aspect of the instrument to enhance their subtlety and depth. Unlike a
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
, where the player blows into a duct—a narrow airway over a block which is called a "
fipple The term fipple specifies a variety of end-blown flute that includes the flageolet, recorder, and tin whistle. The Hornbostel–Sachs system for classifying musical instruments places this group under the heading "Flutes with duct or duct flut ...
"—and thus has limited pitch control, the player blows as one would blow across the top of an empty bottle (though the has a sharp edge to blow against called ) and therefore has substantial pitch control. The term 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. The history of the shows a variety of designs of inlaid mouthpieces that vary between certain traditional Japanese schools of . 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. The five finger holes are tuned to a
minor pentatonic scale Minor may refer to: * Minor (law), a person under the age of certain legal activities. ** A person who has not reached the age of majority * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Music theory * Minor chord ** Bar ...
with no half-tones, but using techniques called and , in which the blowing angle is adjusted to bend the pitch downward and upward, respectively, combined with
embouchure Embouchure () or lipping is the use of the lips, facial muscles, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument. This includes shaping the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument or the mouthpiece of a brass instrument. The word is of ...
adjustments and fingering techniques the player can bend each pitch as much as a whole tone or more. Pitches may also be lowered by or partially covering finger holes. Since most pitches can be achieved via several different fingering or blowing techniques on the , the
timbre In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or musical tone, tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voice ...
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. The has a range of two full octaves (the lower is called / , the upper, ) and a partial third octave ( ) though experienced players can produce notes up to E7 (2637.02Hz) on a 1.8 shakuhachi. The various octaves are produced using subtle variations of breath, finger positions and
embouchure Embouchure () or lipping is the use of the lips, facial muscles, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument. This includes shaping the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument or the mouthpiece of a brass instrument. The word is of ...
. In traditional repertoire, instead of
tonguing Tonguing is a technique used with wind instruments to enunciate notes using the tongue on the palate or the reed or mouthpiece. A silent "tee" is made when the tongue strikes the reed or roof of the mouth causing a slight breach in the air fl ...
for articulation like many Western wind instruments, hitting holes (, ) 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. A 1.8 produces D4 (D above Middle C, 293.66Hz) as its fundamental—the lowest note it produces with all five finger holes covered, and a normal blowing angle. In contrast, a 2.4 has a fundamental of A3 (A below Middle C, 220Hz). 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. Some , 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 bamboo , one can expect to pay from
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
1,000 to US$8,000 for a new or used flute. Because each piece of bamboo is unique, 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 using paste—many layers of a mixture including and and finished with 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 or PVC 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. 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.


History

The is derived from the Chinese bamboo-flute. The bamboo-flute first came to Japan from China during the 7th century. This style of bamboo flute, also called , was used for playing , but died out in the 10th century. Eight remain in the Shōsō-in Treasure Repository. There are no records of musical scores related to the , so details such as its playing method and scale are unknown. The average length was , the diameter of the finger holes was , and there were 6 finger holes – 5 at the front, 1 at the back. In the 15th century, the 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 superior , and was no longer used by the 19th century. The average length was , the outer diameter was , and there were 5 finger holes – 4 at the front, 1 at the back. The flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the . This style of is longer and thicker than the older , and its volume, range, scale, and tone are superior to those of the older . It is made from the base of the bamboo, and the average length is , which corresponds to 1 8 ; the outside diameter is , and there are 5 finger holes – 4 at the front, 1 at the back. During the medieval period, were most notable for their role in the
Fuke sect The term "Fuke" is Japanese and may refer to: * Fuke, known as Puhua, in Chinese, the legendary precursor to the eponymous Fuke Zen school of Buddhism in Japan * Fuke Zen The term "Fuke" is Japanese and may refer to: * Fuke, known as Puhua, in ...
of Zen Buddhist monks, known as ("priests of nothingness" or "emptiness monks"), who used the shakuhachi as a spiritual tool. Their songs (called ) were paced according to the players' breathing and were considered meditation () as much as music. Travel around Japan was restricted by the
shogunate , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...
at this time, but the Fuke sect managed to wrangle an exemption from the , since their spiritual practice required them to move from place to place playing the and begging for alms (one famous song reflects this mendicant tradition: ; "One two three, pass the alms bowl"). They persuaded the to give them exclusive rights to play the instrument. In return, some were required to spy for the shogunate, and the sent several of his own spies out in the guise of Fuke monks as well. This was made easier by the that the Fuke wore over their heads, a symbol of their detachment from the world. In response to these developments, several particularly difficult pieces, e.g. , 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 the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
, beginning in 1868, the shogunate was abolished and so was the Fuke sect, in order to help identify and eliminate the 's holdouts. The very playing of the 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, the 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 the
Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...
did permit the playing of again, it was only as an accompanying instrument to the , , etc. It was not until later that were allowed to be played publicly again as solo pieces. The has traditionally been played almost exclusively by men in Japan, although this situation is rapidly changing. Many teachers of traditional music indicate that a majority of their students are women. The 2004 Big Apple Festival in New York City hosted the first-ever concert of international women masters. This festival was organized and produced by Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin, who was the first full-time master to teach in the Western hemisphere. Nyogetsu also holds 2 Dai Shihan (Grand Master) licenses, and has run KiSuiAn, the largest and most active Dojo outside Japan, since 1975. The has grown in international popularity in recent decades. The first non-Japanese person to become a master was American-Australian
Riley Lee Riley Kelly Lee (born 1951) is an American-born Australian-based shakuhachi player and teacher. In 1980 he became the first non-Japanese person to attain the rank of Dai Shihan (grand master) in the shakuhachi tradition. He is a recipient of two ...
. Lee was responsible for the World Festival being held in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
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over 5–8 July 2008, based at the
Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and known by the moniker "The Con") is a heritage-listed music school in Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the old ...
.The Empty Bell – Blowing Zen
''Into The Music'',
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, accessed 24 October 2008
Riley Lee played the 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.


Acoustics

The creates a harmonic spectrum that contains the
fundamental frequency The fundamental frequency, often referred to simply as the ''fundamental'', is defined as the lowest frequency of a periodic waveform. In music, the fundamental is the musical pitch of a note that is perceived as the lowest partial present. In ...
together with even and odd harmonics and some blowing noise. Five tone holes enable musicians to play the notes D-F-G-A-C-D. Cross (or fork) fingerings, half-covering tone holes, and blowing cause pitch sharpening, referred to as intonation anomaly. Especially the second and third harmonic exhibit the well-known timbre. Even though the geometry of the is relatively simple, the sound radiation of the is rather complicated. 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.


Notable players

The International Shakuhachi Society maintains a directory of notable professional, amateur, and teaching players.


Recordings

The primary genres of music are: * (traditional, solo) * (ensemble, with and ) * (new music composed for and , commonly post-
Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
compositions influenced by Western music) Recordings in each of these categories are available; however, more albums are catalogued in categories outside the traditional realm. As of 2018, players continue releasing records in a variety of traditional and modern styles. The first recording appeared in the United States in the late 1960s.
Gorō Yamaguchi Gorō Yamaguchi (山口 五郎; February 26, 1933 – January 3, 1999) was a Japanese shakuhachi player who worked in both solo and ensemble performances. He was noted for his influential recordings of Traditional Japanese music and one of hi ...
recorded ''A Bell Ringing in the Empty Sky'' for Nonesuch Explorer Records on LP, an album which received acclaim from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' at the time of its release. One of the pieces featured on Yamaguchi's record was , also called (Crane's Nesting).
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
later chose to include this track as part of the Golden Record aboard the Voyager spacecraft.


In the film industry

are often used in modern film scores, for example those by
James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music. Horner's first film score was i ...
. Films in which it is featured prominently include: ''The Karate Kid'' parts II and III by
Bill Conti William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (and four of its sequels), ''The Karate Kid'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''Dynasty'' (and its ...
, ''
Legends of the Fall ''Legends of the Fall'' is a 1994 American epic Western drama film directed by Edward Zwick and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond and Henry Thomas. Based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison, the fil ...
'' and ''
Braveheart ''Braveheart'' is a 1995 American historical drama film directed and produced by, and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays Sir William Wallace, a late-13th century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence ag ...
'' by
James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music. Horner's first film score was i ...
, ''
Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...
'' and its sequels by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
and Don Davis, and ''
The Last Samurai ''The Last Samurai'' is a 2003 epic period action drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan and Marshall Herskovitz from a story devised by Logan. The film stars Ken Watanabe in the t ...
'' by
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, Oscars and four Grammy Awards, Grammys, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmys and a Tony Awar ...
and ''
Memoirs of a Geisha ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the story of Nitta Sayuri and the many trials she faces on the path to becoming and wo ...
'' by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
. Renowned Japanese classical and film-score composer
Toru Takemitsu TORU or Toru may refer to: *TORU, spacecraft system *Toru (given name), Japanese male given name *Toru, Pakistan, village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan *Tõru Tõru is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Est ...
wrote many pieces for and orchestra, including his well-known ''Celeste'', ''Autumn'' and ''November Steps''.


Western contemporary music

* The Australian Master and composer Jim Franklyn has composed a number of works for solo , also including electronics. * British composer
John Palmer John Palmer may refer to: People Politicians * John Palmer (fl. 1377–1394), English politician * Sir John Palmer, 5th Baronet (1735–1817), British politician * John Palmer (1785–1840), U.S. congressman from New York * John Palmer (1842–19 ...
included a wide range of extended techniques in (1999, for and ensemble) * In
Carlo Forlivesi Carlo Forlivesi (born 23 October 1971) is an Italian composer, performer and researcher. Forlivesi was born in Faenza, Emilia-Romagna. He studied at Bologna Conservatory, Milan Conservatory and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia of Rome. H ...
's composition for and guitar (), the performance techniques were remarked as " resentingnotable difficulties in a few completely novel situations: an audacious movement of 'expansion' of the respective traditions of the two instruments pushed as they are at times to the limits of the possible, the aim being to have the and the guitar playing on the same level and with virtuosity (two instruments that are culturally and acoustically so dissimilar), thus increasing the expressive range, the texture of the dialogue, the harmonic dimension and the tone-colour." * American composer and performer Elizabeth Brown plays and has written many pieces for the instrument that build on Japanese traditions while diverging with more modern arrangement, orchestration, melodic twists or harmonic progressions.Sullivan, Jack. "Elizabeth Brown, ''Mirage''," ''American Record Guide'', January/February 2014, p. 83.Carl, Robert
''Elizabeth Brown – Mirage'', liner notes
Brooklyn, NY: New World Records, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
Elizabeth Brown website
Pieces with Shakuhachi or Traditional Japanese Instruments
Retrieved November 9, 2020.
* New York-born musician
James Nyoraku Schlefer James Nyoraku Schlefer (Japanese: ジェイムス 如楽 シュレファー), born 1956 in Brooklyn, New York, is a performer and teacher and composer of shakuhachi in New York City. He received the Dai-Shi-Han (Grand Master) certificate in ...
both plays, teaches, and composes for . * Composer Carson Kievman has employed the instrument in many works from "Ladies Voices" in 1976 to "Feudal Japan" in the parallel world opera "Passion Love Gravity" in 2020-21. *
Brian Ritchie Brian Ritchie (born November 21, 1960) is the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Violent Femmes. Ritchie was born and raised in the United States and is currently a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia, with his full-time residence i ...
of the
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 2004 ...
formed a
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
quintet in 2002 called ''The N.Y.C.'' ''Club''. They play
Avant-garde jazz Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Orig ...
versions of tradition American
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and
Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
songs with Ritchie's playing as the focal point. In 2004 they released their debut album on
Weed Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
. * Welsh composer
Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song " Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; '' Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''. J ...
features prominent solos in his 2005 ''
Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
'', specifically in the movements where the texts are death
haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or se ...
s. * American multi-instrumentalist and composer
Zac Zinger Zac is a masculine given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Zachary or Zechariah (given name), Zechariah. It may refer to: People: * Zac Alexander (born 1989), Australian professional squash player * Zac Brooks (born 1993), American Nationa ...
is a specialist, featuring it on his progressive-jazz album ''Fulfillment'', as well as playing it on the score of ''
Just Cause 4 ''Just Cause 4'' is a 2018 action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. It is the fourth game in the ''Just Cause'' series and the sequel to 2015's ''Just Cause 3'' and was released f ...
'' and the promotional album for ''Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty'', from
Magic: The Gathering ''Magic: The Gathering'' (colloquially known as ''Magic'' or ''MTG'') is a Tabletop game, tabletop and Digital collectible card game, digital Collectible card game, collectable card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards ...
.


Synthesized

The sound of the 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.The "
E-mu Emulator II The Emulator is a series of digital sampling synthesizers using floppy disk storage, manufactured by E-mu Systems from 1981 until 2002. Though not the first commercial sampler, the Emulator was among the first to find wide use among ordinary m ...
shakuhachi" is number nine i
"20 Sounds That Must Die"
by David Battino, ''
Keyboard Magazine ''Keyboard'' is a magazine that originally covered electronic keyboard instruments and keyboardists, though with the advent of computer-based recording and audio technology, they have added digital music technology to their regular coverage, inc ...
'', October 1995


See also

* (a similar, end-blown bamboo flute) *
List of shakuhachi players The following is a list of notable shakuhachi and hotchiku players, arranged by surname. B * Christopher Yohmei Blasdel * Cornelius Boots (Cornelius Shinzen Boots) D * Watazumi Doso E * Douglas Ewart I * Yoshikazu Iwamoto J * P ...
*
Quena The quena (hispanicized spelling of Quechua ''qina'', sometimes also written ''kena'' in English) is the traditional flute of the Andes. Traditionally made of cane or wood, it has 6 finger holes and one thumb hole, and is open on both ends or th ...
(a similar flute from South America) * *
Shakuhachi musical notation Shakuhachi musical notation is a traditional tablature-style method of transcribing shakuhachi music. A number of systems exist for notating shakuhachi music, most of which are based on the ''rotsure'' (ロツレ) and the ''fuho-u'' (フホウ) s ...


References


Further reading

* Henry Johnson, ''The shakuhachi: roots and routes'', Amsterdam, Brill, 2014 () * Iwamoto Yoshikazu, The Potential of the Shakuhachi in Contemporary Music, “Contemporary Music Review”, 8/2, 1994, pp. 5–44 * Tsukitani Tsuneko, The shakuhachi and its music, in Alison McQueen Tokita, David W. Huges (edited by), The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music 7, Aldershot, Ashgate, 2008, pp. 145–168 * Riley Lee (1992).
Yearning For The Bell; a study of transmission in the shakuhachi honkyoku tradition
, Thesis, University of Sydney * Seyama Tōru, The Re-contextualisation of the Shakuhachi (Syakuhati) and its Music from Traditional/Classical into Modern/Popular, “the world of music”, 40/2, 1998, pp. 69–84 * Zapata, Ricardo (2021).
Blow your mind Ride your tone; The conquest of shakuhachi discovering your inner singing
, Ebook, Colombia, 2021


External links


International Shakuhachi Society
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Shakuhachi flute Fingering ChartShakuhachi Online Study Program and Flute StoreFuke Shakuhachi Official Site
{{Authority control End-blown flutes Japanese musical instruments Zen Bamboo flutes Five tone hole wind instruments Fuke Zen