Rhythm & Flutes 3
Ori, suri, yuri, yuri-komi, muraiki, tsuki, kiru, asane. These are the terms we use in Kinko-ryū to describe embellishments; techniques that contribute to the overall sound of Kinko-ryū shakuhachi.
Of these, probably the most identifiably (maybe even stereotypically) Japanese sounding ornament is the muraiki. It’s the equivalent of a Flamenco guitar riff in a Spaghetti Western.
An excerpt from Banshiki Chō, ending with muraiki.
My dad translated this as “wild breath,” but I’ve seen it called “all breath” or “explosive breath.” In short, it’s a very forceful expulsion of air momentarily masking the pitch of a given note. This is done while shaking the flute fairly aggressively. It requires tremendous control not only of your breath, but your embouchure as well since you’re essentially trying to hit a moving target. It’s also a technique that should be used sparingly; the old saw anything worth doing is worth overdoing (h/t Mick) is something we would do well to remember with tongue in cheek.
More common are ori and suri which we often—but not exclusively—use to end a phrase. Basically, ori is dropping the pitch of a note, while suri is lifting it. Ori can lead into suri, but it’s not the default. As I mentioned last week with the rules of articulation (ascending vs descending) we have a similar rule for ori/suri: if the first note of the following phrase is the same or higher, ori; if it’s lower, suri. Similar again to the rule of ascending and descending, meri notes at the end of a phrase can have ori regardless of the following phrase. The only strict rule regarding ori/suri is never play ori before a nayashi.
The intro from Kokū Reibō. Note the placement of ori / suri
Another important technique is yuri, meaning “to shake.” This is similar to muraiki but with a gentler approach. Yuri-komi, meanwhile, is similar in technique but with different phrasing.
Excerpt from Shin Kyorei; the phrase is yuri-komi / yuri-komi / yuri. Note the difference in phrasing.
Deceptively challenging is tsuki. Tsuki refers to a jab of the instrument that interrupts the breath. A student of mine who has practiced kendo for decades told me tsuki is the term they use for a thrust, often to the throat. Relatable. One of the trickier turns for beginner shakuhachi players is ha-ra-ro; tsuki is often employed in this phrase.
Two versions of ha-ra-ro; second one with tsuki.
Kiru is reserved for the thumb hole, and not considered a repeat. It literally means “to cut,” so rather than tapping the hole with your thumb, you slash across the opening from the side. (see below)
Rarely put in notation but not uncommon is the term asane. This means to play with a loose embouchure creating a raspy, breathy sound.
Try as I might, I have never been able to roll my r’s. This is known as flutter-tonguing among woodwind players. There are two types: alveolar (tip of the tongue) and uvular (back of the throat). Shakuhachi players call this tamane, I’m told. My father never taught me this technique—never even told me it existed!—despite being able to execute it beautifully himself. In fact, he takes such a dim view of tamane, I would go as far as to say he forbade me using it entirely. Joke’s on him because evidently something called ankyloglossia literally prevents me from doing it. (Take that, dad!) I’d like to think I am physically incapable of disappointing my father but I think I still manage. Ha ha. Anyway, asane is what my father taught me in place of tamane.
This passage from Sōkaku Reibo for example:
There are countless others, and some of the terms above may have different names in other schools. Some techniques are avoided—like plosives and tonguing, except in modern, Western-influenced music.
As I said before, for such a simple looking instrument, every note and every embellishment requires a tremendous focus. I think if I were to give you one piece of advice, it would be to familiarize yourself with these techniques and most importantly their placement. Then, when you use them, play omoikiri. That is, to the utmost. Don’t use them half-heartedly. The “rules” we have are a guide to get you started, so you don’t need to second guess yourself at every turn. I think you’ll find as you become more and more familiar with a piece of music and these embellishments, they’ll start to make sense.
More anon,
Hanz