Japanese Music Notation (shakuhachi music)

Western music is read from left to right, but other cultures do it differently. Notational systems reflect the music they express, and sometimes Western notation isn't the ideal means of expressing musical ideas.
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[@OscarGeronimo]

"It takes a lifetime to learn the shakuhashi... so the earlier you start, the longer it takes."

[@professorpancakes6545]

That's a fantastic quote! Where's it from?

[@Spaghettaboutit]

Oh Yeah 16:17 he says it ~

[@professorpancakes6545]

Spaghettaboutit thank you, I'm an idiot lol, must have zoned out at the end

[@BrianIshiba]

That's such a good quote. It really is such a stoic/monkish thing to say haha

[@bonniejunk]

@@Spaghettaboutit 16:22

[@danielthrasher]

My man's gotta hit 'em with the lick within the first 5 seconds of a video

[@georgerussell2947]

L I C C

[@CptCascadia]

hey daniel

[@metaZen]

if I ever see him in public I will instinctively sing out " ba da bam ba dam ba daa"

[@chicken_punk_pie]

@@metaZen I say it "bum ba dum ba dum ba dum"

[@hidehitosatoh]

Thank you for always interesting topics. In Japan, shakuhachi is almost extinct. It may be reimported if it rises overseas. I am very happy! thank you so much.

[@tokyotoad81]

Is it really so? Several years ago I went to a fabulous gig by a shakuhachi player (I don't remember his name though but he is Japanese) and jazz pianist Naoki Nishi in Asagaya Jazz Festival. In terms of other traditional instruments, I passed by a street gig by a trio of, shamisen, guitar, and double base in the same jazz festival in a few years later. Also a couple of years ago, jass pianist Dairo Suga did a concert in Mito employing a number of musicians each specializing in jazz and traditional Japanese instruments. I often go to rakugo performances and kabuki plays, where traditional music instruments are vital and yose/theatres are usually almost fully packed with audience enjoying both performance and music. When I joined an open mic event, amateur shakuhachi players played traditional tunes (, while I did storytelling in traditional format). Some of my friends play shamisen, biwa as well (while I shun string instruments as I have not recovered from my high school days trauma of failing to play F chord on folk guitar, but I dream of learning shamisen some time in future).Perhaps, shakuhashi and other traditional Japanese insturments may be almost extinct, just around you, I think....

[@OfficialTigerino]

tokyo toad again, “near extinct”

[@Pancake020]

I wish that it was when I heard no rythem

[@songfulmusicofsongs]

I think you often hear it in anime. Perhaps it's a similar sounding instrument, I don't know...

[@wannabikkit]

@@gideonroos1188 Wagakki Band uses it, along with koto, shamisen, and western instruments.

[@elijahminiuk2058]

Me: Do you know how to vibrato? Adam's Friend: _SHAKES HEAD_

[@Prajnana]

Of course, you can perform breath vibrato on shakuhachi, but that is not a traditional technique. Blowing the appropriately colored tone requires one to very precisely control the breath through the flute. This is accomplished by integrating the air flowing from deep within the lungs, out through the throat, mouth cavity, curve of the tongue, past the skillfully puckered lips and at a very precise angle across the utaguchi (the shak blowing edge). Any subtle change in the flow or shape of the breath stream (which might result from breath vibrato , for example) can, therefore, result in an undesired or unsatisfactory change in tone color, especially on certain notes. One may surmise that the shakuhachi is a primitive instrument. Mechanically it truly is simple, BUT, It is an extremely difficult instrument to play (even poorly!), but in capable hands, like Zak's, it can produce a huge range of emotional feelings. This is an excellent demo from which I learned much. Thanks! :-)

[@elijahminiuk2058]

r/whooooooooosh

[@Prajnana]

@@elijahminiuk2058 Exactly! I'm sill a novice at playing shakuhachi. When first starting, it took me hours of practice before I could even get a semblance of a note out of it. I really admire Zak's technique, control and tone, plus his knowledge of the music is motivating!

[@xander1052]

@@elijahminiuk2058 its r/woooosh ya nub

[@xander1052]

@@Prajnana I love how you entirely just reversed Elijah's pointing out of you missing his joke into talking more about the instrument, which is far more interesting than the joke.

[@PurpleOverdrive]

Lmao from Arabic this phrase is literally translated to licking the jazz

[@MisterManDuck]

More like 'lick of the jazz', given the ordering of Arabic syntax/grammar/what have you. Or 'the lick of Jazz' rather. 'The' in Arabic doesn't have the strictest 1:1 to English.

[@PurpleOverdrive]

@@MisterManDuck but لعق is a verb, no?

[@kinocomix]

Depends on how you say it, it could mean both

[@raulperez2308]

oh yeah baby lick that jazz

[@jordanmiles106]

Raúl Pérez lol this is such a derp ending to this convo

[@evanwilliams8908]

These videos always make be feel simultaneously smarter and stupid.

[@primordial.sounds]

They make me feel better informed but humbled by all that I have yet to learn.

[@mademsoisellerhapsody1868]

same

[@numnut1516]

That is called learning. It is a strange feeling. I’m still not used to it.

[@wadecarefully]

Zoli Marosan jeez dude tell us how you really feel

[@wadecarefully]

Zoli Marosan I disagree with that analysis. I thinks it’s just a certain sense of humor that you don’t like. I personally find the videos funny and informative. His videos aren’t FOR beginners. They’re not for people trying to learn an instrument, they’re for people who want to learn about abstract topics in music. They used to be about learning bass, but even he joked about them not really being good videos for that. the “how to not suck” videos might apply, but you have to willingly submit your music to him for him to judge it. But I’m sure I’m just a twat as well.

[@Sammie_Sorrelly]

Awesome video. Zac is a badass on that instrument, and it's surprisingly rare to see a video on something Japanese that doesn't fall victim to exoticism on some level - whereas this has a really nice sense of maturity in that regard, which I think comes with more genuine cultural receptiveness.

[@Javo_Non]

What kind of exoticism do you mean?

[@Sammie_Sorrelly]

@@Javo_Non Obsessing over how weird and different things are and emphasising niche things that *are* weird and different to suggest that they are the norm. Constructing a certain limited perception of a "Japanese mindset" and applying it universally, like Japanese people collectively are hardworking to a fault, they're all sad and want to die, they all have an innate brilliance with aesthetics, they're all totally selfless and have no individuality or individual will, and using this to "explain" Japanese things (of course, not generally all those things at once but frequently one or more is implied). Obviously there are things which are different between Japan and the west, but a lot of western perception of Japan and its culture consists of poorly-understood kernels of truth extrapolated into clumsy stereotypes and used to make authoritative statements from a place of no real experience.

[@matty9460]

@@Javo_Non Basically it's nice to see someone interested in/explaining an element of Japanese culture without being a weeb

[@10e999]

well put. I agree.

[@IsaacWolfOfficial]

What if I told you, through a close family member who studied Japanese culture/language at a collegiate level and went there on many trips, that what you said in your explanation of exoticism is exactly what it's like over there? Exoticism by definition is characteristics of a country.

[@Tantacrul]

That sheet music so lovely and ornate looking, I just want to frame it and keep it nearby.

[@peterrowan9955]

Tantacrul oh hi Tantacrul.

[@AdamNeely]

Thanks Zac for talking to me about Shakuhachi! This interview was about 2 hours long, and there was a lot I had to cut out, so there might be more Shakuhachi content out there in the future. Check out Zac's music, and stay tuned for the full album! kzbin.info/www/bejne/amSXqXaveLiLeMk Oh, and definitely check out his transcription of Giant Steps on the Shak! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHqbnnmHjqiDmKM

[@LeeGee]

Please.

[@telecasteroil]

This was super fascinating, I'd like to see more! I like the concept of no theme and the focus on tone . The selflessness of the music , the fact that it's not about you, we need more of that in the west.

[@MrMoonCraft]

Release the full interview

[@ArielBenichou]

We need more Shakuhachi! thanks for the video!

[@0neirogenic]

Please do more with the shakuhachi

[@chickenbeforeegg]

Adam is the really cool home room teacher and Zac is the really cool substitute teacher.

[@memedreams8558]

I want Adam to be my personal bass teacher so I can actually become good at my instrument

[@011001er]

And what a time to be alive, that we get to be their students.

[@auburnsmith5610]

Zac looks like budget PewDiePie

[@hickorymccay2994]

Zac is the guest that your teacher brings in.

[@hickorymccay2994]

It's like Mr. Rogers

[@lrowlands53]

I play shakuhachi because it is grounding and focusing, like deep meditation. To say it is a blissful and exquisite way to be with music is an understatement. My mentor in Japanese music, Associate Professor Hugh de Ferranti aptly describes shakuhachi music as ‘painting with sound’. Thanks for the video Adam. Zac is a great ambassador for shakuhachi as well as being a fine player.

[@Corredor1230]

Debussy on Shakuhachi was one thing I didn't expect but I'm glad I heard today.

Juan Pablo Corredor Juan Pabloooooo!!!

[@Corredor1230]

Paula Sofía Contreras Oyeeee que coincidencia!!

[@mikesimpson3207]

The way he described the more traditional Shakuhachi monk music (no real beat, no real theme, used for meditation) makes me think of old Western plainchant. Plenty of differences between the two naturally, but there does seem to be a kinship of purpose there. Also, hearing him break out in Debussy made my day.

[@IONATVS]

chants in general have a “however long it feels right for it to take” approach to time and rhythm. Studies of the old-style “squiggly line” neums do seem to show a bit more of the specific rhythmic and accentual nuances (including embellishments) common to cantors and choruses singing Gregorian chants in the medieval period, but these were still clearly in a very free-time context.

[@nochannelmusician769]

I know when he broke out playing Debussy I was like “hey some music I actually know!”

[@GiacomodellaSvezia]

It takes imagination and a sense of humor to make that musical leap. I understand Debussy liked gamelan, so I wouldn't be surprised if I learned he appreciated Japanese music as well.

[@paavobergmann4920]

hmm....that comparison made me think of Sami joik for some reason. Some of those also just go along, until they are suddenly over.

[@jimlapbap]

Fun fact, the name Shakuhachi has to do with the length of the instrument. 尺(shaku) is about 30cm/1 foot and 八 (hachi) which is “eight” (寸(sun, 1寸= about 3cm/1.2inches/a 10th of a 尺)). So, you could say that it translates to the "1.8 feet."

[@JariSatta]

その通りです。It is also slang for bj.

[@jimlapbap]

Fantastic. I wonder what Tsugaru shamisen is slang for.

[@6884]

japanese subways sound much more interesting now

[@BethCarmichael628]

@@JariSatta Are you being funny or is that really true?

[@JariSatta]

@@BethCarmichael628 本当です。Hontou desu. It's true.

[@sachionang]

I actually do Japanese Dance, and from years of listening to traditional Japanese music, there is a very strong emphasis on strong and weak beats!

[@lyricmomoschatzi8781]

Please do one on Indian music! I recently got into Karnatic compositions and Hindustani raga. It's beautiful.

[@DarthLore00]

@@bryanleigh6497 Maybe he wants other people to know about it though and feels that Adam could explain it better than him? Perhaps.

[@kungfuasgaeilge]

Hey, that would mean another collab with Ben Levin, for sure! Do it Adam!

[@caitlunsford2440]

Lyric Momo Schatzi YES i would LOVE to see him do a video on indian music!!

[@laubowiebass]

I second this . I love classic ragas

[@danballe]

Adam gave us a glimpse of Indian music in his 18th century theory music vid. it is one of my favorite vids he has released.

[@gungy_vt]

"This one is called Zan Getsu" BANKAI.

[@Matt.Craine]

Beat me to it

[@stephen0793]

I know right!

[@lebro4401]

*BANZAI*

[@visionaeon]

BAN-KAI! *Number One starts to play*

[@Rhaegar19]

Sadly, "zan" in this case means "lingering" rather than "cutting" moon.

[@tannerbobanner9453]

ADAM! You forgot to censor the sheet music!! UMG is in their way right now.... XD

[@cc12yt]

xd

[@stevesynan3910]

Sorry man, but you said the word “Forgot”, did you forget about Dre? That word has already been used in that song, be prepared for a heavy lawsuit coming from UMG.

[@Daniel-hx1yu]

Steve Synan lmao? « Be prepared »? We know Disney gonna sue you. Periodt

[@NormanBEnz-dt3hr]

@@Daniel-hx1yu Did you really just use the registered trademark "Disney" (all rights belong to the Walt Disney company) in the composition of an original sentence without crediting the owner of the term? Bold move, hope you have a good lawyer!

[@ZaleARogers]

UMG could never own something as beautiful as the shakuhachi music.

[@dill_peanuts_]

Never thought I’d hear Prelude à l’àprès-midi d’un faune on a shakuhachi... This video is amazing!

[@HadleyParum]

right???

[@PugCuber]

One of my dad’s friends plays Shakuhachi. It’s super cool also, the thing at 5:16 is called a grupetto

[@markmalinowski5951]

I don't have a Shakuhachi but now I'm inspired to do more quarter tones with the open holes on my clarinet

[@steve7745]

I know I'm a bit late, but you haven't looked into it at all I'd highly recommend looking at indian music played using clarinets. I'm a big fan of Shankar Tukar, western trained clarinetist who fell in love with indian music and learned to translate the technique to the instrument, really exposed me to quarter steps and alternative tonal systems

[@markmalinowski5951]

@@steve7745 Thank you! His slide technique is perfect too! These days the clarinet is much underappreciated. Also for a death metal twist on clarinet check out Caleb Canatheviphth 👹

[@PostApocolyptica]

Well, you certainly don't get interesting material quite like this from Duolingo. Thanks, Adam! EDIT: I wasn't expecting Zac to demonstrate "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune", but it was quite pleasant all the same.

[@TAP7a]

Oh my god that would be amazing

[@gustavmadsen8971]

Ohhhh right that's where it was from. For a moment I was thinking it was from one of ravel's preludes or maybe Stravinsky's firebird. I think Stravinsky has a similar melody in one of his pieces??

[@imdone8243]

Duolingo killed my father :(

[@kengonagaoka1968]

Pretty incredible stuff. I learned a lot, I’m japanese and have never come across this type of notation. Such a different philosophy of music

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

16:30 This is how you continue to learn and get better all the time. It's not about mastery, because once you *think* you have mastered anything, you have completely blocked anymore growth in that area. This works the same for everything from music, cooking, relating to people, learning a language, learning about love, or any type of job there ever has been or will be.

[@jexalinne5959]

This makes me appreciate the Sekiro soundtrack all the more, thank you!

[@chaoticgood9297]

Damn it, you just reminded me of the Twitter "outrage" Sony caused by having a western sakuhachi player (officially recognised as a master, Cornelius Boots) on the Ghosts of Tsushima E3 presentation.

[@Superphilipp]

In fire bending, power comes from the breath!

[@ryanallen2001]

Scrolled down to look for an Uncle Iroh reference. Was not dissappointed.

[@Ryuma_MO]

"Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname 'Dragon of the West'?"

[@onkelpappkov2666]

Why are you still watching these stupid shakuhachi videos? We need to set course immediately and capture the Avatar so I can restore my honor.

[@livedandletdie]

Well in all Martial arts breath is what gives power.

[@stevetrujillo324]

I've always felt so safe and confident with the contentment of the phrase "Music is a universal language", and while I still believe that, this video diagnoses anxious feelings within. Just in the same way that there's not so much (if any) of that "home", or at least progressive repetition and understanding we seek for in Western music. Like with his river analogy, I would like to say that the cultural style we've adapted to is in search of an ocean or sea, where they're just enjoying the ride. They're getting the most fullness out of a meditation rather than expecting to be done soon, or occupied by the worry of a time, effectivity, or gratification limitation. You'll hear so much that life is all about the journey, and the freedom; and doing good deeds isn't about reconciliation or what you get in return but about the karma and just that (for lack of better phrasing) warm feeling we get inside. Again that *freedom of guilt and surplus of positivity/optimism. I think that odyssey-like perspective is definitely one way the Japanese / eastern Asian music would have a more insightful take on music. Props to you if you read the whole way through, hope you gained any minimal alternative perception:)

[@martifingers]

So much to admire here in terms of musical skill and knowledge. But perhaps best of all is the attitude of both participants. Zac is amazing while Adam's genius (apart from the editing process - perfectly done I would guess from the large amount cut out) is to stand back for the most part only intervening to add clarity and help understanding. Another exemplary video.

[@peepeeland]

Super cosmic next-nevel shit. Thank you for sharing. Even being Japanese and listening to Japanese music my whole life, this helped me with seeing shakuhachi in a new light.

[@MohamedTarek-lz3hi]

LMFAO لعق الجاز isn't an accurate translation its just hilarious that way

[@osaze2708]

Mohamed Tarek i know it doesn’t make any sense😂

[@ThatWeirdCellist]

Licking the jazz is how I read it. That, or I completely misread it.

[@EllissDee4you4me]

I love how he just busted out that Debussy flute solo to demonstrate vibrato.

[@theawesomebrick]

It was really interesting to hear that bit about there being a kind of "gravity" pulling forward in tempo and down in pitch, it really reminded me of the idea of how tension and release can be found as basic concepts of almost any music, regardless of culture. Keep up the interesting content, Adam!

[@devinmin9894]

Giant step(su) That's a perfection

[@MisterManDuck]

For those that don't know, that was 'the jazz lick' in Arabic. :p ARAB NATIONS REPRESENT.

[@PurpleOverdrive]

جملة الجاز would be more appropriate and would have a better meaning in Arabic music context, as in the video it translates to licking the jazz, while جملة الجاز would translate to the jazz sentence in Arabic it means jazz lick. greetings from Iraq :)

[@matthewtorbert9211]

Thank you for this vital piece of information

[@jon.wilson]

You gotta lick the jazz

[@MisterManDuck]

​@@PurpleOverdrive Sure, going with 'Jumlat Al-Jazz' (no Arabic keyboard) is more proper but I disagree with that notion because prescriptivism has it's place, and it's not here. 'The Jazz Lick' is, at it's heart, inherently more colloquial than proper and I'm okay with playing a little fast and loose with language when the need arises. If you want to go with the 'proper' meaning, then go for it. But it doesn't capture the feel of 'the jazz lick' by being that proper, and nobody would really get what you're talking about. It would serve as a good translation of the 'jazz *phrase*' better than *lick*, and kills the joke. And "La'aq" is a fine substitute for the the noun version of 'Lick', it can work as either noun or verb. Conveniently enough, just like the word 'Lick' itself.

[@MisterManDuck]

@@St0ckwell I think he was going more for translation than transliteration.

[@Kigit42]

Adam really likes his dutch angles

[@subversiveasset]

aaahh this was so interesting! And when he played those miyako-bushi scales, it gave me STRONG vibes of Japan's theme from Civ 6 (Lullaby of Itsuki)

[@codymccormick7317]

Oh thank God you uploaded. I was starting to have Neely withdrawals

[@thecynth3820]

(You were Neely having withdraw...)

[@codymccormick7317]

I NEELY DIED

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

@@codymccormick7317 Your touching story got all up in my Feelys.

[@camillemaquillage]

SAME

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

@@codymccormick7317 Reely, dude?

[@MichaelBogaMusic]

Damn you can feel he's so passionated about it. That was a dope video, thanks guys!

[@bidaubadeadieu]

Adam, this is one of my favorite videos that you've ever made! I love learning about music, and instruments and styles from around the world, especially how different they can be from the Western world where I grew up. Thank you!

[@BrianIshiba]

I never even thought about how traditional Japanese music would be notated differently despite being Japanese. Weirdly that was what took me for a ride the most. It was also really cool to hear about the difference in how the music is used as well as the purpose of it. So much good stuff!

[@GabrielPerboni]

Hey! That was really cool!!! I hope you do more non-American stuff in the future, not only eastern but also Latin music, Brazilian, african, etc

[@eliash2827]

I’ve been waiting for this since yesterday. Happy to see it uploaded!

[@Superphilipp]

I've been waiting for this since 2005!

[@aweirdbloke7758]

Well, I’ve been waiting since the lick was first played.

[@etepeteseat7424]

I love shakuhachi (and Japanese traditional music in general), so this was a really fascinating opportunity to learn more about it. Thanks, Adam and Zac!

[@GwazaJuse]

This is your best episode for me. Please do more of these with different musical traditions.

[@matteogenerani5097]

5:22 “Gruppetto” the italian name for the “turn” ornament (“gruppetti” is the plural)

[@mmarocker]

Wasn't Gruppetto the dude that made Pinocchio? 🤔

[@matteogenerani5097]

mmarocker that is Geppetto!

[@keepyourshoesathedoor]

Matteo Generani Thanks!

[@junichiroyamashita]

Gruppetto literaly means "little group".

[@junichiroyamashita]

I don't remember coming here and writing this

[@activistarts7722]

Brain Ritchie of the Violent Femmes is another Jazz Shakuhachi player who I got see live. Unforgettable experience. There are more players than you think, you have to dig amongst the old music, like Reikan Kobayashi & Kominato Akihisa. The earliest cross over artist that I know of is John Kaizan Neptune with records from the 70's. Rich and unexplored history of pushing the shakuhachi outside its traditional limits. Even my teacher plays western classical interpretations on her flute. Finally, thanks for doing a video on this fabulous instrument and as a student playing for 3 years, this video helped me understand a lot of concepts I still struggle with after just finding a teacher a few months ago. Zac Zinger is well on his way to becoming a certified master , scares me cuz I'll never reach his skill level lol

[@Copperhell144]

Every single artist you mentioned is on Spotify with a few songs, except Kominato Akihisa who only has one song. So thank you for the name drops, lol

[@activistarts7722]

@@Copperhell144 Thanks for reading and keep flutin!

[@CarlMichaelAyotte]

I've watched thousands of Shakuhachi videos in the last 10 years, this may have been the most informative and concise. Thank you!

[@divaldorocha7837]

The philosophy, in the end, was beautiful! Japanese make saying like we do poetry! They are so sweet and full of wisdom.

[@williamwoodward2632]

I enjoyed this immensely as the Shakuhachi is awesome and one of my fav instruments

[@samuelwnovak]

He made Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun sound even more otherworldly, damn.

[@archive3824]

That was an amazing interview. Got me so many ideas about music and music organization from it. Thank you for posting this.

[@JustAnotherGhibliFan]

This is hands down one of the most interesting videos I've seen lately. Thank you Adam & Zac!

[@prateekgautam5514]

that painting in the background is just....wow!!!

[@paavobergmann4920]

yes. He talks about in in one of the Q&A

[@prarobinson]

As a shakuhachi player, I approve this video :)

[@kyrabrown6529]

Do you like playing Shakuhachi?

[@prarobinson]

@@kyrabrown6529 very much!

[@francismoore3352]

Same!

[@jennw6809]

Wow, fascinating. I got a chance to study Javanese Gamelan and it's also an incredibly different concept about what music "IS" and where it resides (in the instruments) and how to notate it and interpret the notation. Would love more videos along these lines!

[@HaliPuppeh]

I think this is in my top 5 favorite videos of yours, Adam. This was absolutely fascinating as a composer.

[@gabrielmorton7030]

The miyajo-bushi scale is identical to the Ethiopian Ambassel scale

[@SwagmanMcGee]

I think this is the most interesting video I've seen in months. Bless you, Adam-sama.

[@paulpaschulke8636]

Thank you very much, Adam!! As a composer and also a music theorist, this is the extremely high-quality, and for me in this case still completely unknown, exciting content that I am looking for [on yt].

[@resena7234]

For your Q+A: Hi Adam! Totally AMAZING video, pliiiis add more "ethnomusicology-oriented" videos in the future! This one it made me think a lot about this: in the past video you talked a lot about music notation as a mean of expression, as a language with a grammar. So, if music is a language, are there different possible experiences in reading music, without playing the music written? I mean reading music as alphabetical texts: the medium remains the same, but our mental disposition toward the text and our experience as readers can change if we are confronting with a novel, a scientific research, or a political pamphlet. If this is the case, does the musical genre change the experience of reading music, beside the reproduction of notes? Cheers from Italy!

[@ILDTSM]

Hey Adam, questions for your next Q&A: Have you ever rejected a gig because you felt that you are not technically proficient enough to play for the gig? What are your thoughts on playing with a click on stage? I am a drummer in church and I really struggle to do that because not everyone is on monitoring headphones and can hear the click. As a result, when I pull the band back to follow the click, it can get very distracting for the singers and it appears that I have bad time. Do you prefer in ear monitoring? Or monitor speakers? How do you ensure that you don't get hearing damage? What suggestions can you give to a young song writer that have very little chord knowledge? I write songs, but I feel that as a drummer there is a limit to how much I can produce myself. Questlove, the drummer from The Roots once said in a video that the sloppier he delivers his breaks/beats the more heartfelt and human it is. What are your thoughts on that? What differentiates a sloppy drummer and a drummer that purposefully tries to be sloppy? I see certain drummers like Ringo Starr and Charlie Watts, they certainly don't have the best technique when it comes to their instruments. However, they are among the most iconic drummers in popular music. Did that lack of technique actually made them unique? What other musicians do you like that doesn't have the best technique?

[@fran6b]

For the sloppiness in drumming, check out a recent video in which Adam explain the song Drunk for is band Sungazer. It explain pretty much that concept of sloppiness in drumming.

[@absurdistcat]

These are all great, I'd love to see him answer them.

[@c64cosmin]

This kind of natural and instinctual approach to learning different skills, in the Japanese culture, is ubiquitous. Especially the "easy to grasp, hard to master" way of teaching. You can go in depth, talking about the culture and the historical choices for hours, indifferent of the certain skill chosen. I studied Japanese language and played a little bit of Go and as I can see, the shakuhachi seems to be the same. Simple, yet like a life long journey.

[@mudkiptm1951]

As someone whose been learning japanese for a few years, this is really cool to learn.

[@charliewilson8950]

Adam: *Doesn't censor the japanese sheet music* UMG Monks: NONIIIII??

[@tomlobur111]

*nani?

[@jame254]

また言ってを??

[@markusschultz4637]

what does Nonii mean?

[@LaughingOrange]

@@markusschultz4637 assuming it was a typo of "nani" it would translate to "what".

[@macleadg]

Western classical string music often includes string indications (“sul G”) or bowing indications to produce a specific tone color (“sul tasto”). A good example is Bach’s Partita #3 in E for solo violin. The note E is (later A) is insistently repeated, but you alternate between an open string and a fingered note of the same pitch, producing a sort if illusion of melody (a similar idea was later termed “kleinfarbenmelodie”). To my novice mind, these seem similar to the tone indications in shakuhachi notation. Can anyone confirm or deny this observation? Also, if I decide to study jazz shakuhachi, will I automatically become the second best player in the world? lol

[@BrianJoeSandy]

No. Try Snake Davis

[@MuteMusicalMorgan]

This was one of your most fascinating videos for me, Adam! I hope you do more about eastern music!

[@Invisible_Hermit]

The end of this video was indeed the most inspirational part. I'm 56 years old, and just started playing this marvelous instrument several months ago. With limited eyesight, some of that notation presents quite a challenge for me, so I'm glad to hear that playing it from the heart is more or less the idea. As a Buddhist, I can only hope that maybe I'll be halfway decent in a few lifetimes! LOL. Thank you for this brilliant and informative tutorial.

[@mariokirwant3232]

Hey Adam, Actually, in violin is preferent to play the same note some way than another because of timber, especially when you play fingering instead of playing with free strings because it is "softer" and you also can make more vibrato. So at least in violin as the shakuhachi, the timber is as important as the tone.

[@ryofurue]

Interesting that "korogashi" actually means "to turn"! You turn the notes. Thanks for the illuminating video.

[@apoplexiamusic]

This is one of the most interesting videos on your channel!!!! It’s so cool and enriching to learn about this completely different approach to music!

[@evilotis01]

"The earlier you start, the longer it takes." Words to live by. This video was absolutely fascinating! Thank you ❤️

[@iswearitwasntmeeee8607]

Ah I had no idea this notation existed .-. I really want to see him doing a video on simplified notation as well that’ll be cool ^

[@racenicolia29]

For a Q+A I recently herd a piece called big trouble by a group called man man (really good). The guitar in the A section is like completely in a different key or something but why does it work so well though.

[@IcarusRuthven]

Ives' "George Washington Bridge" has some of that at points, meant to evoke the different levels of traffic going in opposite directions on the eponymous bridge. Assuming I got the title and composer right, I mean.

[@charliejenkins100]

Thank You for this comment. Just discovered them. Just the right amount of weird for me.

[@BudCharlesUnderVlogs]

Race Nicolia Pro tip, make sure the guitar isn’t in the same key

[@HeyZeus096]

Man Man is so fucking good.

[@812cp]

Fascinating! Thanks so much for this, Adam.

[@dennisgodaire485]

Thank you ... for providing information regarding various instruments and their subtleties. Good stuff.

[@stephen0793]

Incredible! More non-Western music content please! Sincerely, an anthropologist (do the oud next!)

[@TheMrVengeance]

I can no longer see/hear that instrument referenced without thinking of Bill Bailey. 😄

[@igsoblechero]

Watching this video I see A LOT of conceptual similarities with Western pre-Baroque music and, specifically, Gregorian chant. For example, rhythm was also kind of free, although you also had some indications, but nothing to do with our current concept. And harmony was irrelevant, with monks singing at unison. Have these similarities been studied? Do you think there's a common pattern on how music started to evolved in unrelated cultures the same way it happens with human language? Thanks for your videos! You always inspire me much further about music and general knowledge. Cheers!

[@forrcaho]

I've been reading this book called _Comparing Notes_ by Adam Ockelford, and while I'm hesitant to recommend it because it's written in a convoluted style, he does suggest that the ontogeny of musical development (how a child develops a sense of music growing up) parallels the phylogeny of musical development (how human civilizations have developed their sense of music over time). If this is true, then we would expect parallels between ancient musical traditions that have developed in different cultures -- for example, melodic unison being the common style before harmony appears.

[@everab1209]

Pentatonic scale sure has something to do with it. It's the easiest scale you can get out making a flute. Here in south America the first flutes and music seems to have been pentatonic.

[@charlesmayberry2825]

This was one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. It's incredibly interesting to see how music works outside of western culture

[@taLLdavidproduction]

I appreciate the work you put into the videos man awesome job

[@ibji]

@7:39 he says, so if you were to play it straight from the page, you'd miss all the subtleties from hearing it...so basically it's just like western notation.

[@octubre_lilaka]

Damn, I feel like the shakuhachi in bossa nova would be amazing

[@AreEnTee]

😱😱😱🔥🔥🔥

[@ibieldahuk]

Marvellous! I loved the video. I hope to see more of them exploring different cultures and it would be great if a native of that same culture could be the interviewed. Thanks, Adam!

[@LefGermenlis]

Perfect video. I wouldn't imagine that in only 15 minutes I'd have such a good idea for the foundation of that instrument/notation. Adam dude thanks again :) Zac also is a really good musician :)

[@riparia2702]

For an Q and A: Dear Adam, how many bassguitars do you have and can you show them to us and tell their story?

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

I think he has 4. His gear is all listed here: equipboard.com/pros/adam-neely/#

[@richsackett3423]

@@lifeontheledgerlines8394 I don't know what it equipboard is but it's not correct. Adam's been playing his Dingwall a lot.

[@chrisischauer56]

I’d love to hear the “Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune” flute solo played by an actual Shakuhachi with orchestra! 14:44

[@kvn95ss]

The closing remarks are really inspiring!

[@AlecStory]

The tone color / key issue is really interesting! Some of the videos by the folks over at orchestra in the age of enlightenment talk about the same issue - without complex compensating key systems, flutes and other instruments have the same problem, so different keys really do have different feelings. We've largely lost that today.

[@mercuryli3872]

Gosh that looks sooooo similar to ancient Chinese scores! Reminds me once again how close our cultures are to each other. PS "min yo" （民谣）is pronounced "min yao" in mandarin. So close~

[@DIDCHOI]

haha, minyo in Korean is pronounced "minyo" lol. In terms of notation, most of the systems are derived from the Tang dynasty, and in Japan's case also filtered through Korea's Baekje and Goguryeo Kingdoms.

[@crono303]

Yeah, I noticed many of the Kanji have similar pronunciations to either Mandarin or Min, which makes sense based on when the Kanji were borrowed.

[@TheMrVengeance]

@@crono303 - It depends on the reading of the kanji. There are two options, either _kunyomi_ (訓読み) or _onyomi_ (音読み), those being the Japanese reading and the Chinese reading. General rule of thumb is that a single kanji on it's own is _kunyomi_ (Japanese reading), and a combination of kanji will be _onyomi_ (Chinese reading). As an example: The kanji for mountain is 山. In Chinese that reads 'san' or 'shan', in Japanese it's either 'yama' _(kunyomi)_ or 'san' _(onyomi)._ And on it's own 山 would generally be read as: 'yama'. But in combination 火山 meaning volcana, it's read: ka'zan', so there it keeps the original Chinese. Fun fact: Because China simplified characters when they made Simplified Chinese in the 1950s, many kanji in Japan are more complex than the current Chinese counterpart because they still reflect traditional characters. Also kanji (漢字) literally means 'Chinese' 漢 'letter/character' 字.

[@crono303]

@@TheMrVengeance Interesting! So, basically only the two or more character words get the onyomi reading? I only use traditional characters 繁體字, so I find that I can usually get at least a small gist of the meaning of most Japanese texts. It's very convenient! I have friends from Taiwan who just use 漢字 to communicate while in Japan because the general English level is pretty low.

[@TheMrVengeance]

@@crono303 - As a very general rule, yes. Characters on their own, or that have hiragana added to it (okurigana), are read in the kunyomi. Characters in a compound kanji of 2 or more characters are read in onyomi. There are plenty of exceptions of course, like the word 手紙 which is a compound kanji but reads in the kunyomi 'tegami'. Which means letter (the kind you mail).

[@rammsteinrulz16]

First introduction to the shakuhachi: Linkin Park - Nobody's Listening Still in love with it today

[@MrFair]

Superinteresting!! Really digging the focus on folk music related stuff recently!

[@oscargasparguitarra]

Thanks Adam for uploading this kind of content, very educational and even inspiring (the last thing Zac said was amazing). Hope you make more videos about other notation systems. Good work!

[@Seralzae]

Man, seeing Adam make these kind of videos make me feel giddy as a musician that mainly dabbles in Japanese traditional Music The lack of the concept of "tempo" is actually pretty common in other Japanese instrumental works too Japanese traditional music has a lot of that "empty space" too Modern and western influence has of course changed many aspects of the music now, which has its own appeal

[@AntonioKowatsch]

The odd thing is that I already knew all of this. When it comes to traditional Japanese instruments I'm very well educated. The thing that I'm currently discovering for myself is Maqam music. You should do a video about that next. It's truly beautiful and unique.

[@katherineryanmusic]

This is incredible! I didn't know much about the shakuhachi or this tablature before - thank you so much for this video! I'm definitely going to share with my students!

[@FrisoVB]

6 minutes in and this is already a great video. Thanks for the info Zac & Adam :)

[@JohnnyThousand605]

I actually own a shakuhachi flute. It's makes a lovely sound, as you can hear, but dang is it hard to get ANY sound out of =D

[@alonamaloh]

The more Italian word for the "turn" is "grupeto", which is what we call it in Spanish.

[@secretsofthedeep20k]

Your life is mad. Great channel, found you a year ago, one of the best.

[@dd376ers]

3:32 didn't feel like a "guest" in the Kakariko Village theme from Breath of the Wild xD awesome video man

[@sengroagers1111]

In WESTERN music, you read from the WEST In EASTERN music, you read from the EAST this is funny to me

[@LimeHunter7]

I sure hope not! It'd get a little difficult for me to read a score that way if the left side of my page is pointing North and the right side of my page is pointing South!

[@Roboprogs]

What do Aussies do? I’m not, just wondering 😊

[@wikiPika]

@@Roboprogs they read from a mirror while headstanding

[@oarchitekton3845]

I’m actually going to use that as a memory trick.

[@pintavodki]

Only if you're facing North. :-D