Different Materials of Shakuhachi - This is Not a Recorder Ep. 1

[@paulbear3376]

I know it's wrong but; That metal Flute was just UNBEARABLY COOL!!!😁😁😁

[@eugenefender1279]

Definitely teach us shakuhachi in future videos, Zac-san!

[@jamessun2253]

One of the best introductions to the Shakuhachi’s world and specificities alongside with Jon Kypro’s videos. Very surprised in a positive way to see his Bell Shakuhachi among the six flutes here. As a beginner who already has a ‘classic’ bamboo shakuhachi and who only wants to play alone in the forest, I would choose the Bell over the Yuu one as my 2nd flute. Unfortunately the Bell seems sold out :( Anyway, thank you for the quality and the great explanations on this 1st video ! looking forward your next ones man

[@kjell159]

I had - due to Kypros unfortunate personal circumstances - to wait near 9 months on the waiting list before I got mine. And then over a month for it to reach me from the US to my European country (with waiting at customs and all too of course). I personally am not impressed with the bell to be honest. But maybe I'm missing something or being too critical. I recommend the yuu. (It seems as if I'm advertising the yuu here in this comment section. haha) I wrote a lengthy comment where I explain more in depth why I prefer the yuu. Did you get a bamboo shakuhachi from an actual maker, or some relatively random one? Because there is a *huge* difference in quality among bamboo shakuhachi. Which is also one of the main reasons many masters recommend the yuu for beginners. (not just beginners can find it useful though) If the first shakuhachi you get is a bamboo one, you can't discern yet if it has the right qualities. Of course, like you mentioned, if it's just for playing for yourself then it's not too important. But if you want to grow on shakuhachi, it's always good to have a decent one to base yourself on. It's been over 6 years since I got my first PVC shakuhachi-like instrument. And up to this day I still play the yuu. Which I partially regret not getting from the beginning to be honest. :)

[@beingfrank40]

The Enhanced Yuu sounds considerably better than the non-enhanced and sounds quite good. Better if you could get it with the sound enhancements only, not the visual adding of rattan and silver rings.

[@jamessun2253]

kjell159 thanks so much for your reply, i was expecting an honest & useful answer like yours when I wrote my comment. I clearly dont know if my shakuhachi is made by a real maker or not, since it has not the seal of the maker on it. But there are several traditional characteristics such as 7 nodes, red urushi inside the flute, and ox horn at the embouchure. I will think about getting a Yuu then, but i gotta admit that holding & touching a bamboo made instrument offers an awesome feeling, and that.s very appreciable

[@TraversalScore]

I'm so excited that the shakuhachi is becoming more popular. You're seriously such a great musician and I'm so looking forward to this series

[@robertderijcke1130]

Hi Zac, excellent video! Finally someone lets us see & hear the different possibilities & varieties of the shakuhachi...! Your playing of "sakura" on the different shakuhachi is very helpful. I started on a Yuu back in 2005, but own an excellent Ellis shakuhachi made of beautiful bocote since March 2020. Saving money to buy one of his Ebonite shakuhachi... :-)

[@leonardoross8133]

I really did not expect the metal one to sound that close to the bamboo/wodd ones

[@NikitaCha]

Actually, not the material is producing the sound but shape of the bore... more or less

[@kjell159]

@@NikitaCha ​ The material does cause certain resonances that change the timbre to some slight degree. The material can alter overtones and such. But much of the tuning and playability is due to the bore and utaguchi. Plain acoustical physics.

[@barrygross8233]

Thanks for an interesting video! I have the Bell, which I received a few months ago, as well as two bamboo jiari flutes from highly regarded makers. Over time, I have come to prefer the Bell. However, it took me at least a month to get fully adjusted to the Bell and to play it consistently well (for me) and start appreciating its potential. Yes, it is truly a clone of a painstakingly crafted traditional jinashi flute. The perception out there that this is a "beginner" instrument seems wrong to me; I see it as a more advanced instrument.

[@kjell159]

Hey, I saw you responded to a comment I wrote, but I can't find it back anymore. Maybe it got deleted somehow. I've heard from some people (and in my own experience) that youtube has lately been removing &/or hiding comments at an almost random pace. Could be coincidental, but anyway... :) I'll definitely give the bell some more time. Your explanation of it maybe not being a beginner instrument, as it's a clone of/moulded from an actual bamboo jinashi, might partially explain my experience with it. (Why I wouldn't recommend for a beginner. Although I'm just an amateur myself.) From what I can say so far, and a shakuhachi master - who happened to write me today, by chance - mentioned; my taste seems to steer towards jiaris in general. So in that sense I might be a bit more biased then some other people. Do you have a preference for bigger holes, or are you more neutral? I seem to prefer just slightly smaller, the bell holes seem to wide for my taste/playing.

[@barrygross8233]

@@kjell159 Sorry, I deleted it and posted it here. It said the same thing. I struggled with the Bell at first. I think this was because it had a wider top bore and I had trouble at first adapting my embouchure. I emailed Jon and he responded right away and I felt encouraged to stick with the Bell for a longer time. I realized I had to hold off my self-defeating tendency to keep going back to my other flutes. This eventually really paid off as the positive attributes of the Bell revealed themselves to me.

[@kjell159]

@@barrygross8233 Ok, no problem. Do you feel like adapting to the bells embouchure, makes it more difficult to play your other flutes, or isn't there much difference?

[@barrygross8233]

@@kjell159 Good question! The short answer is no. Somehow I am able to easily adapt now both ways, where I obviously could not when I started.

[@cesarvidelac]

It has some similarities the the Andes Quena, love it. I play some recorder and traverso (at least I try) and you are right, it's not a recorder. It's incredible how different are all flutes just changing some rather "small" but not that small details. Loved this, subscribed.

[@KochikuShakuhachi]

Great video Zac !

[@sophiecreaner3012]

This is the video I have been waiting for, thank you so much! Sounds fantastic as usual 🔥 Ps - as a recorder player, I am always having to explain to everyone that my instrument isn’t a shakuhachi 🙄 I feel your pain

[@zingerzmusic]

REALLY!? Nobody has heard of the shakuhachi, but everyone knows the recorder!

[@kjell159]

@@zingerzmusic I've met two people in non-shakuhachi related context, that have heard about it. A music store owner, and kind of a hippie guy playing ethnic instruments in a train station. (We ended up tooting together as I had my yuu with me. He on didgeridoo, me on shakuhachi. haha)

[@sophiecreaner3012]

I’m joking, everyone knows the recorder... I actually sometimes wish fewer people did, as everyone’s connotations are so negative!

[@alishermoshayi893]

@@sophiecreaner3012 yeah.... i get your point.... but i just wish more people understood the real beauty of the recorder instead of just "not knowing it at all"..... plus i also play the recorder and i love playing different styles, like shakuhachi repertoire, slavic folk, vietnamese traditional sao truc music..... etc.... using the recorder or the irish low whistles...... the recorder is a very versatile instrument and sounds amazing at any music style! =D

[@fleurflair8620]

I was so shocked at the quality of the plastic shakuhachi! I'd love to play for a hobby, maybe I'll give it a go (p^-^)p thanks for demonstrating!

[@jeannelking]

Truly surprised and impressed by that ebonite one! I appreciate your generosity of knowledge and spirit with this shakuhachi series!

[@_lars]

I think a part of the problem at least here in Sweden is that recorder is called blockflöjt (lit. "block flute") or sometimes just flöjt/flute. It's also very prevalent and often mandatory in music class, while shakuhachi isn't -- but shakuhachi is called "flute" as well. I remember all the non-Western instrument names from my polyphonic keyboard from the early 80s, shakuhachi, shamizen, etc. As I grew older and started taking music more seriously, I could connect them with actual instruments. :) Great video! Would love to see more.

[@zingerzmusic]

Well, they're all technically flutes. All that means is the sound is produced by splitting air over an edge. But the recorder is a fipple flute since this is done for you by a fipple, rather than manually. The confusion arises because most people haven't seen an end blown flute before, other than a recorder. Side note, when I first saw the shakuhachi I had the same reaction: "isn't that like #135 on my Casio?"

[@kjell159]

In Dutch it's called 'blokfluit'. But Dutch & Swedish are quite similar. But our grammar is a bit more ridiculous and complicated I guess. :) I'm actually Belgian, but slightly over half of Belgian population speak Dutch. The others mostly French, with a minority of German speaking. Arabic is quite common due to migration in certain places, as Turkish, but obviously not official languages. And of course, many speak fluent English. When you go to the capital, the chances of people understanding English are much higher then Dutch for example.

[@_lars]

@@kjell159 Yes, if Dutch people speak slowly I can understand them pretty well, no problems with grammar actually!

[@_lars]

@@zingerzmusic Haha yes, I don't remember if mine was a Casio but it's very likely. Hadn't heard of "fipple flute" before! 👍🏻

[@kjell159]

@@_lars Germanic languages seem to be relatively closely linked. Except for Icelandic. Besides their grammar, their vocabulary is also quite archaic. Icelandic barely changed since viking times. Modern day Icelandic is much closer to old Norse, then the present day Norse dialects are. I've heard that when Swedish, Norse or Danish people meet, they just speak their native language and understand each other so well that they don't really have to alter much to their speech. Is that true or mostly a myth? (If you happened to have met some Norse or Danish people. :) )

[@jamesmarquardt5233]

Thanks for giving me more shakuhachi hunger. It is already difficult to keep all of them humidified. Ellis doesn't seem to offer the Ebonite shakuhachi yet. And the Aireed has only a "discretionary price". (Give me a break ;) On to the jazz video

[@maxhoughtonmusic]

I love how clean the aluminium one sounds but the bamboo/wood variants have that breathy texture that feels so human

[@kjell159]

I prefer shakuhachi that aren't too breathy. You can always add extra breath to your liking. There's this technique called 'muraiki'. Which is like what adding extra white noise on a synthesizer would be like. That 'breathy' kind of sound, because it's, well, literally breath. So in that sense, a clean sound gives you a better plate to express through. An easier, more controlled way to alter the sound. More control over the timbre.

[@VenSensei]

Only ever played guitar. Stared learning how to play the Tin Whistle and I'm oddly loving it.

[@kjell159]

In my opinion, I can recommend the shakuhachi yuu, if you're interested in picking up shakuhachi.

[@emelless5365]

Hi Austin, you may like the native american flute,too.I have a few tin whistles too, and a few native flutes which have a soft haunting quality and are super easy to play( pentatonic scale).

[@gaetanofrangella]

i've just started watching ep.1 and i already know this is gonna be amazing. got here from you jazz shakuhachi video....amazing lines and feel and well, everything.

[@Book-bz8ns]

The Yuu, the last one and the ebonite. That aluminum does have have a certain something too, but like you said it's like a laser. Since I'm very much a beginner, I'll go for the Yuu. It has a decent sound, and it looks good, and a good price. Thanks for going over the different materials, I had no idea they existed, though I should've known I suppose.

[@dillonsnyder1172]

Thank you for the video. I have been playing a PVC pipe "Shakuhachi" for about a year, now I'm ready to move up into natural material Shakuhachi. I am on the wait-list to buy the Jon Kypros Bell, but I'm also looking at bamboo and wood flutes. Shakuhachi are like potato chips, you can never have just one. 😂

[@lnflutes]

Very interesting video Zac, thank you very much. I fully agree with you about the Yuu and I’m happy to know more about the Bell as I don’t have one myself and get sometimes questions about it. The aluminium sounds surprisingly good and it is definitively good to know about it for modern music. The one I prefer is still your bamboo one. I don’t have a meri cut on mine!! looks like handy. Please make a video about playing the chromatic scale in the dai kan octave as easily as you do!! And I love the “this is not a recorder”... how often I have to say it too! 😂

[@tsumeristudio639]

How does this not have more views? Such a high quality video.

[@Dracomidori]

Thank you fort the samples!

[@michamarkuszewski4546]

Thanks for letting me know this is not a recorder.

[@videogamingmusician9844]

Excellent comparison video Zac! I am ashamed to admit that I have that "recorder" shakuhachi mouthpiece... 🤦‍♂️ I got it as a complete beginner thinking it would be good to help focus solely on fingering. Needless to say my teacher was not impressed... But we had a good laugh at it! 😅 And hey, if I ever want to make my shakuhachi sound like a recorder I can! 😂

[@kjell159]

It's timbre is reminiscent of a Native American flute to me. But somehow, the mouthpiece doesn't fit snug enough, it stays a bit loose on my yuu.

[@Nachtuil36]

Really interesting comparision ! Is it my imagination, but I prefer the sound of the first one. That meri slit is something I never knew. Thanks for this video !!! Will this be a series ? Would be wonderful !

[@bluenote1297]

Great video, I‘m already excited for the next one!

[@kaede_jing]

I was thinking about learning Sakuhachi. I love the soulful sound of Sakuhachi, but I am not sure if I would stick with it for long time. It seems like Yuu is a good choice. But if I could only own one Sakuhachi for lifetime, would it be bamboo Sakuhachi?

[@ornleifs]

Very interesting - I'm a beginner of Shakuhachi playing but I have two plastic ones and one Bamboo, needless to say the Bamboo sounds the best but I'm actually surprised how good the plastic one sounds. I bought mine in London and it has bands around it cause it cracked and since the humidity in Iceland is much lower it has a tendency to open up if I don't play it for a while. - The sound of the aluminium one was so surprising I expected a thin sound but it sounded fat and beautiful.

[@phsyonixmadao2788]

I want to learn the ways of the shakuhachi

[@captaincatastrophe5143]

Can you do a History of the Shakuhachi? I know some of the basics about the Fuke Sect but not much else.

[@zingerzmusic]

It's in the pipeline!

[@captaincatastrophe5143]

@@zingerzmusic Be still my beating heart..

[@BattleCattleSA]

I bought one! I hope the mail doesn't mess up!!

[@heiwanobushi314]

This is absolutely beautiful!! How well would a 3d printed(PLA) shakuhachi work?

[@beingfrank40]

There is also the laminated bamboo shakuhachi, perhaps you could demonstrate that as well. The shakuhachi Yuu actually sounded pretty good there...liked it much better than the "Bell Shak".You know, if the "enhanced Yuu" dealer ONLY did the touch ups and skipped the rattan, the silver played metal, it would be cheaper and I think, worth a few more bucks- it really does sound, to me significantly more soulful than standard. That was a really nice explanation and demonstration you offered on this vid! I was surprised by the aluminum one, didn't expect it to sound as good as it did. Bamboo still my favorite.Thanks. I found a maker in Hong Kong who puts his heart into making shakuhachi- VERY responsive and the price, ridiculously inexpensive, I told him he should raise his price considerably! I love his shakuhachis . Till next time, be well.

[@kjell159]

Not that I'm really looking for buying a shakuhachi right away. But it would still be nice to know the makers name & information, if you could provide that? If you want to of course. :)

[@beingfrank40]

@@kjell159 I can get you in touch with him. He is Chinese maker, speaks Japanese as well, has many friends who are Japanese. He 's in Hong Kong. Calls himself Johnson...He will have his own web site up soon. His flutes, in my humble opinion, sound exceptional-especially when you consider the price! I even compared his with a couple of very expensive Japanese flutes made by famous makers .One of the flutes, in only some small ways had a better sound, with some notes, but Johnson's also play much easier , with some aspects tone sounding better-again, in MY opinion for what it's worth. All his new models have the aesthetics of Japan with the utaguchi as the Japanese like. Before, he was not cutting just above the joint, to get that "flared out' utaguchi.

[@jacebeleren1703]

Having started about 2 and a half years ago on a Yuu, i also own a few large jinashi made by my teacher (for solo honkyoku playing) , and while i'd tend to agree that the Yuu can be grown out of , i'd argue it takes quite a lot of time for a shakuhachi student to reach that level, unless they are really devoted to studying the instrument. Apart from the Yuu, i also often practice on a japanese wooden shakuhachi, and that has personally helped me quite a lot in a few areas where the Yuu wasn't as forgiving (mostly in Kan) , not to mention it being quite lighter than the Yuu makes it more comfortable to hold and play for longer periods of time (tendonitis, as you mentioned). Completely agreed that the enhanced Yuu isn't a good idea, especially for the price they re asking for it. Overall, while i do agree that a good bamboo shakuhachi is, of course, the best overall option, i'd really begin to wonder about the prospect of actually getting your money's worth out of a 1000$ dollar instrument (or more) when you aren't gigging/playing professionally often. At least, that's only my personal opinion based on my own experience so far, and it's taking into account the little time that i practice shakuhachi every day , compared to my other hobbies. Really good work on starting these series! Also, on a sidenote, i absolutely LOVED your Monster Hunter Jazz album!

[@zingerzmusic]

Thanks for the nuanced take! When it comes to any gear, for shakuhachi, saxophone, flute, or anything else, I think the most important thing is to find the setup that allows you to sound the most like yourself. If a particular instrument is getting in your way rather than enabling you to find your sound, it's time for a change. The same way a chef's knife doesn't do the cooking, the chef does; the shakuhachi doesn't do the playing, the player does. But if the chef has a dull knife it'll be a lot harder for him/her to make a good meal!

[@kjell159]

I just looked it up. Seriously, that album cover, as if we need even more anthropomorphization and furries in this world... You can't go one day without seeing the fruits of these kinds of people. In all forms of media. And you've definitely heard about the worst kind. The ones that are surprised when their 'nanny dog pit bull terrier or staffordshire', german shepherd, doberman pinscher, mastiff, rottweiler or whatever... has bitten someone. "We never saw it coming, he was 'so sweet.'" "It certainly was the childs fault, it provoked it by playing outside." "It's the 'owner's fault. I don't know the owner, but it's definitely somehow the owners fault." Yeah, we share this planet with those kind of people. And then they call me an animal hater because I'm vegan and don't want to keep pets. Because I like to see animals thrive in nature, and see humans safe between other humans. Go figure. XD

[@jacebeleren1703]

@@kjell159 If you re familliar with Monster Hunter at all, you'd know that most of what you went on a tangent about doesn't apply to the series in the slightest. Not to mention, i was only praising Zac for his incredible performance in the album, not concerning myself with how the cover might rub someone the wrong way, as it apparently did you.

[@kjell159]

​@@jacebeleren1703 I know you were talking about Zac. Just pointing out that there's no escape in this 'modern' world. The amount of pets per capita tripled since the 1970's. People in the west consider them part of their family. (9 out of 10 Americans do) So I'm not making this stuff up. www.petsecure.com.au/pet-care/a-guide-to-worldwide-pet-ownership/ There are about 900 million dogs worldwide, many of whom stray dogs obviously. (disrupting ecosystems, they form packs like their grey wolf predecessors) But a big percentage of those are pets, less then 1% of all dogs have an official function. So imagine if people spend as much money or effort on other people, as they did on pets? Again, it's not a topic that should remain unspoken about. If nobody mentions it (and way too few do, and those who dare usually tend to get shunned or ignored), people keep assuming it's all a okay. Just like how keeping slaves or smoking in hospitals was completely normal & socially accepted back in the day. I can go on about the environmental, the social aspects and such of keeping pets. (especially invasive predators like dogs & cats) Trust me, I've written excessively on the topic before. Citing several sources. So if you're interested I can post it here. But I'm not gonna write too much at once here, so it doesn't start looking like spam.

[@twoowls5570]

Great video, looking forward to more. Any thing about the Shakuhachi interests me. Love your playing. Regards, Jimp Go Pittsburgh!!!

[@alexcarter8807]

I just got on the mailing list for a Bell ... how it works is, you go to the site and put in your email. They send you an email and you sign up and get put on a Mail Chimp mailing list. Jon makes about 5 Bells a week. I'm not sure how deep the backlog is, but if you get onto the mailing list, you *will* be able to buy one. However, I'm really glad I watched this, because now I don't want a Bell! I had a Yuu, sold it (kicking myself) and as I said, got on the list for a Bell, but if the Bell is actually the softest of all of them, that's not what I want. The Bell is beautiful, visually, and I think a lot of players do just want to meditate, and if that was my aim the Bell would be right at the top of my list. But in normal times I'm a busker, and that's what I plan to do. I've got a somewhat cheap bamboo shakuhachi a guy in Taiwan makes coming my way, but if it's not very good (I have the option to return it) I'll go back to a Yuu at this point.

[@barrygross8233]

Jon is making 15 Bells per week and the wait time is currently 10 months.

[@rachelrudich746]

Thanks for this! Very informative and interesting!!

[@eternal_hangnail]

THANK YOU FOR THIS!! I've been trying to pick up the instrument for a long time, but something about it has been eluding me. Given that sax is my primary instrument, you might help me fill in the gaps

[@EthnoCloud]

Very cool. :)

[@diegoxxxbc]

- So yeah, Wanda Vision is great. What are you watching? - I'm watching a documentary on japanese bamboo flutes by a jazz musician based on New York!" -...what. - Nothing.

[@zingerzmusic]

My dad always told me, "when someone calls you weird, you say, 'thanks!'"

[@diegoxxxbc]

@@zingerzmusic and he was absolutely right! looking forward to being tempted into buying shakuhachi :)

[@artmason2]

Very informative and well done..Thank you!

[@ShakuhachiSpirit]

Being oriented to Jinashi for Honkyoku I like the Ellis Maple (I have a bacote), The Bell was also very nice. I am curious does the bell have a narrower bore than the Ellis flutes?

[@kjell159]

Not too get into an argument or anything, just neutral curiosity. Maybe I'm personally even missing something, or some point, about the bell. But what do you like in the bell shakuhachi? (I know that's quite a broad question though. :) ) I have finally gotten one about 2 weeks ago, and I'm not too impressed to be honest.

[@Iceland874]

How large are the larger holes? My hands are very small which is a negative in open hole flutes. I ordered a shakuhachi from Lark in the Morning years ago and sadly had to return it. I play western flute, oboe, organ, and piano but have loved the shakuhachi since I was a toddler. These are beautiful and love the metal one too! Thank you for this informative video! Very much appreciated.

[@jeremiahsweeney6577]

I really appreciated this! I'm still learning more about what features and qualities I should be aware of and consider before buying. The reason for larger holes and the meri cuts were new to me, as well as the info on the utaguchi cuts. I'd be curious to know more about how a 7 hole compares to the flutes with larger holes with meri cuts. I'm assuming they allow for more chromatic playing, but without sacrificing the soft nature of the meri notes when desired, but would love to know more! I'd also be curious to know why you opted for the larger holes and meri cuts over the 7 hole.

[@zingerzmusic]

The thing about 7-holes is if you keep the two extra holes covered, it plays the same as if you were playing a 5-hole. So you can get the meri sound with a 7-hole too. The 7th hole with the right pinky would mess with my brain coming from saxophone and western flute, but the 6th hole sure is tempting just for the easy high F!

[@zingerzmusic]

...That being said, I wouldn't recommend a 7-hole for your first flute. Learn on a 5-hole, then maybe add the extra holes once you know what the instrument is about!x

[@jeremiahsweeney6577]

@@zingerzmusic Oh, yeah, I figured it would not be a good one to start with, but I'm thinking ahead a bit. Thanks for the reply!

[@kjell159]

I've never played a 7 hole, so I'm not in the place to tell you much about it. I can only guess that it would take away from the traditional timbres and way of playing, but add the ease of chromatic playing like you mentioned. Rodrigo Rodriguez (relatively known shakuhachi player alive today) has one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/np61gXh5mZ6Mn8k And Fukuda Teruhisa is tooting some amazing sounds on a 7 hole here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGjWXqqOj7yHa9E If you've never played shakuhachi before, and even if you already have, I can recommend the shakuhachi yuu. No affiliation though. :) They even sell a 7-hole yuu if you're really looking for it. I know I probably wasn't much help in general though. There's isn't soo much information about 7 holes as most people play 5 holes. A kind of precursor to the shakuhachi, the hitoyogiri (still made & played today by few, although having 5 holes in todays form), and the gagaku shakuhachi (prior to Edo komuso shakuhachi which evolved into modern day shakuhachi we know) initially had 6 holes. It's been described that the transformation from 6 to 5 holes probably was a major driving factor. Same for the dong xiao, which some migth refer to as the Chinese precursor of the Japanese end blown flutes like the hitoyogiri & shakuhachi. What I'm trying to say with that, is that - to my view & experience - the shakuhachis 5 holes are part of what make a shakuhachi, well, a shakuhachi. More (or less?) holes are definitely interesting, and shouldn't be taboo in my opinion. But it might explain how there's a focus on 5 holes in general.

[@kjell159]

​@@jeremiahsweeney6577 There we have it, someone who actually played a 7 hole. :) Anyway, good luck on your shakuhachi journey.

[@alaindubois1505]

Zac Sensei, I think it was school recorder playing that put me off 'wind instruments', but flute turned it around, and finally Shakuhachi went into something else entirely. I was surprised the second one had a good sound. Is it imagination, or does the first one have a woody breath quality? I prefer the chromatic variability of the first two. The first time through, I heard a [deep] note pitch, so differently pitched from the tempered scales, it affected me - as I hadn't heard Shakuhachi [in Zen meditation] for years. Second time around, I couldn't feel the same feeling from that note. Is 'Sakura' meant to sound so sad? Or is this how westerners hear it?

[@SlyHikari03]

It was never really a recorder to begin with.

[@zingerzmusic]

This can't be reinforced enough.

[@alsatusmd1A13]

There are nine things it is easier to do on a recorder anyway.

[@elvisodemejero9647]

Bamboo is my Best Material

[@frederic_viennot]

thank you so much for sharing this video ;))

[@mokuho]

How to recognize the flute that is made of bamboo and the one that is made of wood?🙏🏼

[@mokuho]

How to use shakuhachi for meditation? Im interesting in that practice!🙏

[@Nick-ej3qe]

I’d love to see how to play the shakuhachi as well! Love the sound of it. How challenging is it?

[@zingerzmusic]

Once you figure out how get a sound, it just takes time and dedication like any other instrument!

[@cjbrown3773]

What I thought sounded closest to the bamboo was the Ebonite

[@alishermoshayi893]

i must say i like the idea of having that mouthpiece for people who dont intend to become professional players or for people who are really strugling to find the correct embouchure in the beginning... i know its not ideal and the instrument wasnt even designed to be played with a mouthpiece, but some people just want to play for fun or even they just need to feel a bit more motivated and we cant blame them xD flutes have different mouthpieces, shakuhachi headjoints, whistle headjoints, recorder headjoints.... so.... yeah, why not xD

[@gailgrassl2673]

18:17 what is the name of the last song you play on this video. I am looking at buying the beginner abs flute, but love that song and would like the learn to play it. Thanks for having this video.

[@zingerzmusic]

Sakura Sakura! One of the most famous Japanese folk songs.

[@lewi142]

Has the aireed X been discontinued? Can't seem to find any for sale online.

[@zingerzmusic]

@@lewi142 thanks for bringing that to my attention, the link in my description was outdated. I’ve updated it and you should be able to find it for sale at aireedx.com/ They just came out with a new model today, so it’s great time to be looking!

[@ArielBenichou]

YAY

[@RichardJohnson-fb9ys]

Hey Zac have you ever tried to make one of your own instruments? I’ve had a sort of fusion of a yudaki and standard brass instrument on the back burner for quite a while because there is so much work in constructing a metal brass bass instrument not to mention keeping them air tight

[@zingerzmusic]

I just play ‘em, making is a whole different ballgame!

[@MegaDraegon]

5:54 "One of the biggest differences in designing an instrument out of metal, rather than bamboo, is that it's not a natural material." Metal is the only substance know to man that was not created by mere happenstance. No. Unlike most things that were formed from stardust after the greatest explosion the world would ever know, metal was forged in the deepest pits of hell. It was the gods that had made metal, and it was the gods that had left metal with us. Now eternities later, we still use metal for the greatest things in life, for unlike all other natural materials, metal is never gonna die.

[@kjell159]

Funny story. :) Sorry to pop the bubble though. But metal is usually refined from metal ores found in nature. So in simple terms, metal comes from rocks. Metal in metallic form is rather rare in nature, in comparison to metal in oxidized form. Or as carbonates and such. Native metals (anyone favor some gold nuggets) exist in nature though, but most is in the form of ores. Metal oxidizes quite easily. Think about rust for example. Or patina, oxidized copper. I don't know if that implies it died yes or no. Only living beings can die. Yeah, I'm a party pooper. :)

[@HenryPh_am]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@alsatusmd1A13]

“A shakuhachi with a mouthpiece is just a recorder.” Maybe I’m just being a party pooper here, but simply putting a mouthpiece on a shakuhachi is not enough to make a recorder, it’s still missing every other hole.

[@bluenote1297]

Is the Shakuhachi an instrument you can learn on your own by watching tutorials, etc. or should I get a teacher? With instruments I‘m always afraid of getting into bad habits as you mentioned in the video. I‘m also a sax player if this helps getting into playing a Shakuhachi

[@zingerzmusic]

Of course you can learn any instrument on your own, but with the shakuhachi you need a teacher to guide you through the many nuances of Japanese music. Without those, you're not really playing the shakuhachi IMO, just a less facile flute!

[@bluenote1297]

@@zingerzmusic Thanks for the reply! Did not think about the cultural aspect of the instrument but I guess that is especially important with traditional instruments

[@kozanightweaver2924]

I bought one off of Amazon made with PVC parts for 50$. Would you classify that as PVC?

[@kjell159]

I started on a 1.8 PVC 'shakuhachi' as well. The reason I put it in between brackets. Is not too dismiss it's uses & quality. It has a very resonant sound and is pretty easy to play. You can certainly practise, play, record and transfer skills from a PVC to another more 'real' shakuhachi. But the reason for the brackets is that the bore of a PVC tube is obviously perfectly cylindrical. While say a jiari shakuhachi, is more tapered in shape. I can recommend the yuu as a great affordable shakuhachi instrument. But as you already have a shakuhachi-like flute. You can certainly start/keep playing that one. Usually these are well made because there isn't much that can go wrong. (I've personally been able to f*ck up self-made PVC 'shakuhachi' though. :) ) The bore is usually the thoughest part of the shakuhachi making process, and PVC tubes are just cylinders. They do tend to flatten in the higher notes, and may not have much character. But they do play quite well and are resonant. You can play a good powerful, dynamic RO on a PVC flute. And a good ro is the first sign to look for in a shakuhachi. So it's very much like a shakuhachi, except for the bore shape. I haven't got my first 1.8 any more as I lend it to someone I never saw again, but I've still got a 2.4 that I occasionally toot on. I have one self-made PVC of over 90 cm long that barely plays. :) The ro is almost unplayable with a regular embouchure though, as it shifts to kan (2nd) octave too fast. The utaguchi (mouth end) has too thin of a wall to really play properly. That's why the professional makers who use PVC to make fast & cheap shakuhachi-like instruments, use a PVC coupling. To increase the width of the tube wall. For better mouth end, for easier embouchure and such. There are reasons why I would recommend completely boycotting amazon. Which I'm not going to go into right here. I never buy from them. Even in the scenario I've had were something I wanted to buy couldn't be bought anywhere else. For the very essentials there are enough real life stores and other webshops out there. I don't know if the ABS (what yuu is molded from) vs PVC in itself makes very much difference in timbre. The yuu has a thicker wall as most, if not nearly all PVC flutes, though. And as the yuu is molded to an actual jiari, it also sounds near identical to a real shakuhachi. In fact, my shakuhachi yuu is the best, most versatile, most dynamic, and most characterful flute I have. The ABS yuu has that tapered jiari bore. So the shape and thickness are probably bigger factors in the eventual playing and sound, rather then the fact that it's a different kind of plastic. Material type can affect certain resonance, certain overtones. But in this case it's probably the shape & thickness of the material that makes the major difference between plastic yuu & PVC.

[@TaoEmTudo]

Please, do not twist the bamboo shakuhachi to get it apart! It can damage the joint...

[@OkalaborationO]

If ebonite is natural so is aluminum xD

[@kjell159]

3:33 Oh no you didn't just twist it. XD love it Apparently the 'proper' - don't like to be that dualistic & traditional as if there is only one way or something - way to split a shakuhachi, is by putting the thumb of one hand around the back hole, and then knocking on that one hand with your other until it comes loose. Then just ripping it in one straight motion, no twisting, no turning. To have the least amount of friction, the least amount of chance of damaging the nakatsuki. I own a yuu, which has 2 parts. And I've taken it along with me *numerous* times. I must've taken it apart and put it back together for tens to hundreds of times. So yes, the nakatsuki is partially broken. Gotten looser & looser. But nothing that a piece of tape couldn't fix. :) Wouldn't want that to happen to an expensive shakuhachi though, I guess. I've read some try to never take it apart. Especially concerning expensive or special flutes. Although then the yuu wouldn't fit in my backpack. 4:25 The moment I heard the first 3 notes I literally facepalmed. :) Sakura is like the smoke on the water of Japanese folk songs. I mean, no hypocrisy, I've been guilty too though. 13:33 yourlogicalfallacyis.com/appeal-to-nature I don't know if it could be called 'natural' in the context of materials. Ebonite is a form of vulcanized (natural) rubber. They heat rubber and sulfur. I tried searching for it, and correct me if I'm wrong, I don't find any sources for ebonite occurring in nature. I guess the main difference with say, plastic. Is that plastic is fabricated through chemical means. For example by polymerization. New compounds created from other compounds. While ebonite is basically just a mixture between rubber (a naturally occurring polymer, although also sometimes 'man-made') and sulfur. I just recently got my bell shakuhachi, around the 21th of January if I can still remember correctly. :) (after waiting since March, due to complications, like Kypros' house flooding, and him improving his bell making process) So while I can't say that much yet, as I maybe haven't played it enough yet. I would definitely recommend the yuu instead of the bell to a beginner. Maybe I just don't get the 'jinashi' style of things. But the yuu gives me much more control in terms of dynamics and timbre. I wasn't expecting it to be very easy to play, that's what jinashis tend to be. More difficult and less dynamic. But it just doesn't cut it. Both on long tones as short tones with a shorter attack. Articulation, like atari and ru (popping the first hole fiercely while playing a re kan) are too slow on the bell. It doesn't give you much room for expression. If the yuu is a synthesizer with ADSR control, then the bell is like a sampler. The bell barely has any character to it, I have a cheap Phyllostachys aurea bamboo (not madake, but golden bamboo) from an Australian maker who isn't an actual shakuhachi player or traditionally trained shakuhachi maker. Yet, that cheap shakuhachi has (until now, honestly, I need to give the bell some more time/chance to really make a more valid opinion) more character at certain tones then the bell shakuhachi. For modelling a real expensive jinashi, it's rather dissapointing to be honest. The holes are also made pretty big, which causes some extra difficulties for me personally. I know modern jiari & jinashi don't have small holes like komuso Edo flutes used to have. While nowadays it's around 10 mm. But the bell's holes are relatively speaking still wide. Some might like that, prefer that, but I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner. It also hampers articulation and control of dynamics in my opinion. Also the bore is too less cylindrical to my taste, it's too oval. Which also affects the embouchure, as at the utaguchi part it's pretty noticeable. Pretty wide utaguchi in comparison with the average bore size of the shakuhachi. It seems I have to alter my meri/kari too much in comparison to other shakuhachi. Even for 'meditation' purposes (I've always found it pretty hard to be actually meditative while playing at the same time. I'm pretty stubborn in that meditation for me keeps implying actually sitting down, doing anapanasati, or shikantaza or something. Mindfulness isn't meditation to me, it's meditative, but not meditation.) & honkyoku I would recommend the yuu. The yuu comes more natural, with less forced effort then the bell. Even for ergonomic reasons, the way you hold a yuu feels pretty natural. It's a bit on the heavier side, but the bell seems to put more strain on my left hand. Maybe it's just me though. But probably it's mostly because of the more oval-like shape of the bell. Now I'm not a professional. I'm just a player. So I can only give my opinion. I will sure be using and keep on playing on the bell, get to know it a bit better. But this was my first impression when I had it in my hands, and is clearly still my impression right now when writing this. The bell looks cool though. Pretty finish. But looks are just one thing, and less of an importance in comparison to sound, ease and playing style. And to add one positive note, the bell does have a pretty ro otsu in my opinion.

[@Prajnana]

Thanks for your observations - very helpful. I agree with you on the meditation aspect. External music (in all aspects, such as blowing zen, kirtan, etc) can help one to quiet the thoughts in preparation for meditation, but true meditation starts when both physical and mental motion ceases. When one, through prolonged, calm and focused interiorization hears the universal, sacred Aum vibration, now that is true suizen! :-)

[@kjell159]

@@Prajnana Yes. And to add, for me personally, listening to someone else play shakuhachi is also definitely different from playing it myself as well. Playing shakuhachi still involves a pretty hefty amount of both physical & mental motion to be honest.

[@Prajnana]

@@kjell159 Blowing shakuhachi is definitely an excellent way to develop the breath and likely of great spiritual benefit, especially if one consciously makes the mental connection between the breath and prana/chi. Blowing long, relaxed ro's that gradually taper to silent nothingness seems like it would be a good practice to lead the mind from restlessness to stillness. I'll have to give that a try. It's the silence between the notes that speaks the loudest! :-)