Shakuhachi musical notation is a traditional tablature-style method of transcribing

shakuhachi A is a Japanese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .

music. A number of systems exist for notating shakuhachi music, most of which are based on the and the systems. Traditional solo shakuhachi music (honkyoku) is transmitted as a semi-oral tradition; notation is often used as a

mnemonic A mnemonic device ( ), memory trick or memory device is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval in the human memory, often by associating the information with something that is easier to remember. It makes use of e ...

device. However, the master-disciple relationship is given emphasis within the tradition, and written sources are considered of little value 'without experience of the living tradition of actual training within the school'.Ortolani, Benito. 1969. "Iemoto." Japan Quarterly 16 (3): 301. In contrast to Western

staff notation In Western musical notation, the staff"staff" in the Collins English Di ...

, shakuhachi playing instructions commonly indicate multiple fingerings resulting in various

timbre In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...

s for a given pitch, and

microtonal Microtonality is the use in music of microtones — intervals smaller than a semitone, also called "microintervals". It may also be extended to include any music using intervals not found in the customary Western tuning of twelve equal interv ...

slides between

semitone A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between ...

s. Solo Kinko school honkyoku ("original pieces") generally do not feature an explicit beat. In some notation systems, nominal rhythmic values are given; musical importance ascribed to rhythmic markings varies depending on the lineage and/or teacher. Staff notation and graphic notation are sometimes used to notate music for shakuhachi, usually in modern music when shakuhachi is used in conjunction with Western musical instruments. Some current publishers of traditional shakuhachi honkyoku notation include the Chikuyūsha, Chikumeisha, Chikuhoryū, and the Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshūkan.

References

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External links

* Musical notation Japanese traditional music {{Japan-music-stub