Shakuhachi:

The Sound of Nature

The shakuhachi is a testament to the
elegance of traditional Japanese
culture. Made from the root of the
bamboo, its aesthetic is organic and
simple. Hidden inside this rustic form,
however, is a bore that is carefully
crafted with the utmost precision.
This instrument produces a sound
that is said to replicate the full range
of natural life on earth.

The shakuhachi is an end-blown flute

tuned to a pentatonic (5-note) scale.
By various fingerings -- half- and
quarter-holings -- and by controlling
the angle of mouthpiece against the
lip, all twelve tones of the western
chromatic scale can be produced.

The mouthpiece consists of an

oblique blowing edge whose design
is unique in that it enables the player
to control the pitch produced by
changing the angle at which the flute
is being blown. This, in turn,
produces a delicate change of
intonation -- a swelling or bending of
notes characteristic of the traditional
music. Alterations in embouchure,
intensity of blowing and cross
fingerings allow the player to create a
wide variety of subtle and incredible
sounds.
The timbre of the instrument
is mellow in its low tones, although it
is equally capable of producing loud,
penetrating and breathy tones in its
middle and upper registers. Little can
be said of the sound of the
shakuhachi without first hearing its
hauntingly beautiful ring. With this in
mind, noted ethnomusicologist Fumio
Koizumi concluded: "Because of the
religious origin of its music, the sound
of the bamboo flute leads the mind
directly into spiritual thought.
Thus a
single tone of the shakuhachi can
sometimes bring one to the world of
Nirvana."
Traditional Japanese music played
on this instrument reflects the many
voices of nature. Gentle and warm,
the summer rain. Frayed and gusty,
the autumn breeze through the
bamboos. Shrill and honking, the cry
of a wild duck, winter on its tail. Quiet
and sweet, a mountain lake fed by
early spring runoff.