Shakus and Suns

*shakuhachis from left to right: 1.2, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1*

Shakuhachi. It is a combination of two words, neither of which are bamboo (take or chiku) or flute (fue). Shaku is a unit of measurement just shy of one foot (30.3 cm). Hachi means eight. The combination is a shorthand for isshaku-hassun; one shaku and eight sun (rhymes with tune), which is one-tenth of a shaku.

These flutes come in a variety of lengths. In the non-Japanese speaking world, you typically hear flutes referred to by their different lengths numerically; in Japan, we call them by the old measurements but slightly abbreviated (e.g. in Japan, we would say hassun for isshaku-hassun, in the English-speaking world, we’d say 1.8). The smallest one in my care is one shaku and two sun (isshaku-nisun, or 1.2); the longest I have is two shaku and one sun (nishaku-issun, or 2.1). All that aside, shakuhachi is accepted as the word for the Japanese longitudinal bamboo flute regardless of length.

Another quick aside about Japanese language:

*ippiki, nihiki, sanbiki, yonhiki. just kidding…they’re all Leo so, ippiki.*

The process of measuring in shakuhachi construction is called tōwari-ho which is a method of dividing by ten which determines the distance between the finger holes versus the length of the flute. Meaning, the distance between the first and second hole, second and third, and the third and fourth hole is 1/10th of the length of the instrument. The distance from the third hole to the bottom of the flute is equal to the distance from the blowing edge to the fourth (topmost) hole.

Making an instrument without this system creates an unbalanced instrument. The pitch will continue to sharpen as the finger holes are opened, thus severely limiting the player. This was the case with two antecedents to the shakuhachi, the hitoyogiri, and the Fuke shakuhachi, both shorter than the shakuhachi from the later Edo Period (1603-1868) versions we are most familiar with.

Often times, people try to argue that the shakuhachi was elongated over time because the komusō—the mendicant monks who practiced shakuhachi—used it as a weapon, and that tōwari-ho was thus created accidentally. This is patently false. One of the hills I’m willing to die on is dispelling the myth of the warrior monk.

It always makes me think of *A Fish Called Wanda*, specifically a short conversation between Jamie Lee Curtis’ Wanda and Kevin Kline’s heroically stupid Otto:

***Wanda*** *(approaching a car where Otto waits):* Otto, what are you doing?
***Otto*** *(behind the wheel, sitting in a bizarro lotus-position):* It’s a Buddhist meditation technique. It focusses your aggression. The monks used to do it before they went into battle.
***Wanda***: …What kind of Buddhism is this, Otto?

But I digress.

As I mentioned in the past, the most basic notes of shakuhachi are ro, tsu, re, chi, and ri; I usually include u as the “sometimes y” of the shakuhachi because it’s made without any partial covering of the finger holes. I try not to make equivalences in pitches between Japanese and western music—ro on the 1.8 shakuhachi and D in western music, for example. Mostly because ro isn’t D—it’s ro, and if we can divorce our minds from a western paradigm it will help to inform our shakuhachi playing.

That being said, if you have a passing understanding of music theory and no real desire to become a shakuhachi player, the corresponding notes for context of the basic 1.8 shakuhachi scale are: D, F, G, A, C, (and A♭).

Here are some images and sound samples of the basic notes on a few shakuhachi to give you a bit of an idea of the intervals. In the ascending run, I’m playing ro, tsu, re, chi, ri, ro; descending, I’m playing ro, ri, u, re, tsu, ro:

2.1:

*nisshaku-issun made by Momose Hodō, student of Kodō III*

2.0:

nisshaku (2.0), made by Kodō III and Kodō V (repairs by Perry Yung)

1.9:

*kyuusun, made by Kodō IV (Baikyoku) and repaired by Perry Yung*

1.8:

*hassun (1.8) made by Araki Kodō II (Chikuō), c. 1905*

1.7:

*nanasun (1.7) made by Kodō V, also repaired by Perry Yung*

1.6:

*rokusun (1.6), unfinished by Kodō III, finishes by Kodō V*

1.2:

*isshaku nisun (1.2) made by Araki Kodō II (Chikuō), c. 1899*

In all these instances, we still refer to the notes in the scale as ro, tsu, re, chi, ri, regardless of the length of the flute, and regardless of their western note equivalent. In other words, what we call the note corresponds with the fingering rather than pitch. There is also such a huge emphasis put on tone that two notes with the same pitch, when played with different fingering, will be given two different names when a discrete tone is produced.

Shakuhachi is played using the index and ring fingers on the front of the flute, and one thumb for the back. I have very small hands and the 1.2 still puts my fingers too close together to comfortably play, so I can’t imagine anything smaller being playable by anyone except for a child. There is a Korean vertical flute called the danso (or tanso) that uses the index and middle fingers, but that absolutely wrecks my head.

Likewise, I have discovered anything lower than 2.2 or 2.3 causes significant pain in my hands, forearms, and elbows which discourages me from seeking such instruments out. I feel like I’m officially at the age where recovery time has eclipsed the value of playing in that range.

Would I like to have a 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5? Maybe a 2.2 and a 2.3? Sure, but I’m fairly committed to playing flutes made from within my family lineage. If I come by one honestly, or if they happen to return home to me, I’ll be overjoyed. As it stands, I need more time to practice just to keep up with what I have on hand.

More anon,
Hanz

Going Off Book

Kinko-Ryu Shakuhachi Honkyoku