Koudou Tsugami
TSUGAMI KOUDOU
What kind of instrument is the Shakuhachi ?
The Shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese wind instrument.
The features are...
・It was played by "Komuso", Zen monks in the Edo period.
・Made of bamboo, with five finger holes, the mouthpiece is cut on the outside
・Very diverse "tones"!
・It has a very rich range of expressive possibilities
The History of Shakuhachi
The shakuhachi: an instrument that has existed in many different contexts
The shakuhachi was brought over from China during the time of the Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty as one of the instruments used in modern-day gagaku. Instruments from that time are still stored in the Shosoin Repository today. However, as gagaku became more nationalized during the Heian period, it fell out of use and records of it were lost.
The instrument as we know it today became popular during the Edo period, when it was played by Zen monks known as Komuso, not for music but for training. Officially, only Komuso monks were allowed to play the instrument, but in reality, it seems that they were also teaching it to ordinary people.
In the Meiji era, the Fuke sect of Komuso monks, which had held special privileges in the previous era, was abolished. The shakuhachi, which managed to survive as "musical instrument" by abandoning its religious context officially, has been passed down to the present day through its performance in a variety of genres.
Instrument Features
Simplicity and analog characteristics
The shakuhachi has a very simple structure, consisting of a bamboo tube with finger holes and the top cut outward. It has been handed down since the Edo period with only five finger holes.
There are pitches that cannot be produced by manipulating the finger holes alone, and the sounds are produced by combining this with jaw movement, known as "meri-kari."
It takes a completely opposite approach to Western wind instruments, which pursue functionality by incorporating key systems and stabilizing quality by using metal materials.
Why bother maintaining the "inconvenience"?
This is thought to be because the analog nature of its simple structure is accompanied by the appeal of "diversity of tones."
With the proper technique, the shakuhachi allows for a wide range of control over pitch, tone, and volume, giving it great expressive potential.
What kind of music is Shakuhachi used for?
From classics to popular music
Nowadays, Shakuhachi is played in all sorts of musical genres.
As the classics, there is Komuso pieces and Sankyoku, an ensemble music with Jiuta singing, shamisen and koto music, which are both from Edo period.
Since the Meiji period, there has been the music of Miyagi Michio, famous for his song "Spring Sea" , which is heard during the New Year holidays in Japan, as well as folk songs and popular songs.
Modern Japanese music, contemporary music, jazz, pop, and rock and so on.
What is good about Shakuhachi?
Various views over Shakuhachi
The shakuhachi has been played in a wide variety of contexts and with a wide range of possibilities, both historically and as a musical instrument, and it is difficult to describe in a few words what kind of instrument it is.
On the contrary, perhaps the charm of the shakuhachi lies in its ability to embrace such diversity. As I get to know the instrument better, I feel it is an instrument that allows each player to respect their own perspective on the shakuhachi and to help improve each other.