Shakuhachi in F key

[spozzi]

Hi all,
I built a shakuhachi.
For the bamboo used, it resulted a shakuhachi in F.
So, I searched on internet for fingering chart, but I find only fingerings for D shakuhachi, and not F

Do you know where I can find them?

On youtu*e there are many videos teaching how to play shaku, but as expected, the shaku they use is always D

I need help thank you

[davidmdahl]

I would think that you could make up your own fingering chart using the standard D chart as a reference. If I understand correctly, the fingering of a note on the D chart would actually sound a minor third higher.

If you have questions about the shak, you might check out Monty Levenson's website www.shakuhachi.com . I wouldn't be surprised if there is a forum dedicated to the shakuhachi.

Best wishes,

David

[kyokuhon]

Hi, spozzi and all,

Well, I've played shakuhachi for about 20 years. Length of shakuhachi related to pitch isn't so complicated though it is a little confusing. The word shakuhachi means "1.8 shaku", a shaku being a traditional Japanese unit of length that's very close to an American foot. So officially only a flute of 1.8 shaku (about 55 cm) is a "shakuhachi" which equals a base pitch of "D" with all finger holes closed. A "nishaku" at 2.0 would play in "C". A "rokusun" at 1.6 plays at "E", etc. I'm assuming yours is either a shorty at 1.5 (45.7 cm. long) or VERY long, approaching a meter. 1.8 has been standard since the shakuhachi replaced the bowed kokyu in chamber music around 1890, so the name has been generalized.

In either case, it doesn't matter in finding the pitches that your flute will play. If you've placed the finger holes correctly, open holes should play up from base: minor 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and octave, or: F (all closed), Ab, Bb, C, F (thumb hole).

However, most of the shakuhachi players I know don't play from staff notation and don't think much about pitches. Shakuhachi notation is a kind of tablature that's specific to each school and that usually uses Japanese katakana symbols to tell you which holes are open or closed and only incidentally what pitch, though some (like "koro-koro") also indicate specific techniques.

Further, "absolute" pitch only comes into it if you're playing with other instruments, such as in sankyoku ensemble with koto and shamisen or some modern shakuhachi ensemble pieces that specify instruments of specific (and differing) lengths. The traditional religious pieces ("honkyoku") can be played on any length flute, though some are traditionally associated with a specific (usuall more than 1.8) length.

And David is right (as usual!), there is at least one independent shakuhachi forum, as well as a Facebook group, that I know of. I'm sure there are more (most shak players love to talk about it), though I don't spend much time there. There are also quite a few adequate to good tutors available now (Monty Levenson should have them), and I suspect stuff on youtube.

Hope this helps, and good luck in shaku world.

Best to all, and keep playing,
K.

[spozzi]

Thank you for replying.
Now I have a problem with another shakuhachi. I just finished build a D shakuhachi (1.8)... the problem is that the notes (D, F, G, A, C, D') are not in tune!!!!!
So the notes of my shakuhachi are: C#, E, F#, G#, A# and the last one (all holes open) is PERFECTLY a C'#!!!

Where's the problem? I followed the measurements described here www.mujitsu.com/howtomakeshakuhachi.pdf and I used madake bamboo.
My flute presents 3 nodes: one used to build utaguchi, one just under the 5th hole and one just under 1st hole.
Madake bamboo used is a cann, so without roots.
The utaguchi node was opened to a 2cm diameter... the middle node (under 5th hole) was drilled c.a. 1.4 cm and the last node was opened to 1.8 diameter.
The internal diameter of the bamboo is 2.4 cm and outer is 3.2 cm.

How can I set the flute in tune?



Now I'm wondering........
...and if I file inner nodes levelling them to the bore? So I'll have a bore perfectly round (it's easyer to modificate the bore adding pieces of wood to raise the pitch).
Finally, I can apply in the end of flute a woodden disk with a 1.8 hole

This idea was given to me thinking on PVC flutes that are perfectly round (inner and outer).

[kyokuhon]

Hi, spozzi,
Now you're in way beyond my knowledge! I did find the new shakuhachi forum at www.shakuhachiforum.eu/index.php There's a builder's forum there, I bet they'd have some advice.
Best of luck, and keep building!
K.

[spozzi]

thanks a lot!!!!!!!

I reduced a little bit the lenght of the flute, so it plays a prefect low D!
F and G aren't accurate, and now I'm working on A.
Another few questions?

- Is normal that I have to enlarge the holes to over 1.3cm? They now are very large (1.3 cm), and not perfectly in pitch (except for the low D)! It is due to large bore?
- How can I find a substitue for urushi lacquer? I can use a normal lacquer?
- In videos, urushi is spread with a long bar, so i think that the bore is hollow...