beginner dizi player

[chinti]

hi, i just recently purchase an alto C dizi and the dizi i purchase is

www.carrotmusic.com/servlet/the-4/Dizi-Shinobue-Shakuhachi-Flute/Detail

im not sure whether its good or not as i cant find other online shop that ship to US with reasonable price d. some comment needed on this dizi. it will arrive on monday.

im new to dizi but i play quite a few instrument including piano,guitar and ocarina. i cant really read notes as mostly i play using tab. i read a lot bout dizi sheet music are call jianpu?
just wondering does anyone have any good site to learn to read jianpu? chinese site is ok as well as i can read chinese.

thanks

[edcat7]

Hi Chinti and welcome.

I bought an intermediate Carrot C solely because I liked the look of it. It sounds good for the money but the main reason I like it, is because it's so easy to play. As a new-comer to the dizi you will have problems with the dimo and will put it on too tightly.

I've been having dizi tuition for just over a year now and I can say it's only just starting to click. Timing has always been a problem for me but now I know how to use a metronome my progress has been much faster.

I think learning any instrument without a teacher is difficult. Some can do it, I can't. There must be teachers you can find through your 'Chinatown'.

I started on the hulusi, which is so cool an instrument and so easy to play. I think 6 months dizi tuition will be more than enough for you to play the hulusi well. As you said jianpu is not easy to understand without a teacher.

I have books bought for me from HK, which has the jianpu score and music on cd. You might not be able to do it on your own with these books for dizi but the hulusi you should be able to manage.

Best wishes

Ed

[edcat7]

Oh yes, I have a £2.99 D dizi (inc postage from HK) which I love. It sounds ok and it's so easy to get all the notes all the octaves.

[chinti]

hi, thanks for the reply.

problem with putting the dimo too tightly? i bought a spare pack of dimo so i think i can try to put it on and if its too tight i can still change it^^

im studying in montana and we don't have chinatown in my city so its kinda hard for me to get a tutor and also my timetable are kinda full. so i was thinking of finding lesson online.

i think it wont be hard for me to learn jianpu by myself as i already got music background and i learn instrument pretty fast. but for now i only need a good site that teach jianpu. and what should i know first before learning jianpu? example i should know how many holes to cover for which key?

[edcat7]

Xindi....help?

He types much faster than me and is more articulate.

First note 1 , 1 hole covered. 2 -2 holes covered 3 etc. 4 No holes covered, though you can cover the second hole for balance.

7, 5 holes covered. 6, 5 holes covered and lastly 5 all holes covered.

[xindi]

Ed - I'm supposed to be doing my f*&@!** tax returns tonight (excuse my French!)

Hi Chinti,

welcome to the forum! There's a lot of posts in the archive about the Carrotmusic seller (they don't make dizi flutes - they are a retailer).

The Model 8937 you've shown is adequate for getting started, and is a cheap easy entry into the world of dizi music. C key ...hmm...if you're into southern chinese music, I suppose that would be a more obvious choice for key? There's nothing wrong with the dizi you bought for the price. Of course, it isn't going to sound as rich or colourful as a US$200 dizi, but it is probably easier to start blowing with for practice.

This model is pretty generic - it's tuning won't be pitch perfect but it is generally okay (once you master the di mo).

Hmmm...you're asking a lot of questions lol.

example i should know how many holes to cover for which key?

starvoid.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Wind&action=display&thread=1073

home.comcast.net/~davidmdahl/dizichart2.jpg [/img]

That should help you get started. Your 'C' pitch is the 4th covered hole: all 6 covered holes are A.

The chinese Jian Pu system gives a sliding scale of flexibility; you really need a cheap primer or just the first few pages of it, if you can't read sheet music, it's not a problem. I don't think I've seen (a legal) one on the internet, but the fingering chart and your musical background in transposing should help. Some internet bud has been up to naughtiness and uploaded a complete Jian Pu book on the internet, but all of the music is way too complicated for a newcomer.

A piece of music will indicate which key: if you play C key music, then the 5. notation and finger holes is the one to follow. If you're learning solo, there's no requirement to play in pitch, and you can follow the 5. notation in the chart (5 . below = all 6 holes covered or 'A') for other D, E, F, Bb keys, but you may find that you 'run of holes' at either end of the octaves. Generally, a knowledge of music transposition helps, since you can't always play Bb Key music easily on a C dizi key. If you understand baroque fingering, it is actually possible to get semi-tones on the dizi easily, but you should be able to play D and G key music with a few minor issues.

Yes ...di mo application is a real art for the weather conditions. I still struggle...lol it's funny reading some of my old posts from over a year ago. I still haven't learnt how to apply dimo wonderfully, but I do it beautifully

Just look at that masterpiece of a dimo application:



Shame I poked a hole through it when I lifted it off the table

[davidmdahl]

Welcome to the forum, chinti. The dizi is similar to other six-hole folk flutes, so maybe you can get help from a teacher or player of another tradition.

Jianpu is not that hard to learn. There is a good article on Wikipedia that I recommend.

The following link is of a jianpu fingering chart for dizi. It is a little simpler than the Eason chart.

www.oldflutes.com/world/diziim/chart2.gif

There are others as well, including for staff notation. If you don't read staff notation, then it is just as well to learn jianpu.

A dizi in C produces a C with the three left hand finger holes covered. The lowest note is G, with all six holes covered.

Best wishes,

David

[edcat7]

The above table is confusing for a novice. Just stick with the standard first column on the left. The other columns are for playing in a different key.

If the dimo is put on too tightly you'll get a flat dull sound. There's no need to remove the dimo - just breathe on it and tap it gently with your finger. A dizi needs to be warmed up to play it's best.

[edcat7]

Whoops! Oh Yeah Thanks David. Chinti, ignore my fingering advice.

[xindi]

Oops....David's right ....the C is printed on the 4th finger hole , but refers to the top 3 covered holes!

The joys of playing solo ...I never know I'm out of pitch lol

[chinti]

haha sorry for so many questions.
wow thanks for the fingering chart, im currently reading this

jianpu-music.blogspot.com/p/reading.html

so from what i understand right now is

1 = C 3 holes cover
2 = D 2 holes cover
3 = E 1 hole cover

and so on if i use the chart given by david, the chart by xindi a bit confusing.
o and 1 more question, i look at some jianpu at the top they have 1 = D 4/4, does that mean i cant play song from that jianpu since my dizi is C? i need to find jianpu with 1 = C?

[xindi]

i need to find jianpu with 1 = C?

Hmm. I don't understand the jian-pu blogspot page lol.


errr...look at the confusing table from Eason: 1 = C [3 covered holes]; 2 = D [2 covered holes] 3= E [1 covered hole].

It's not that complicated! It just gives more information.

That's the one you need to play in pitch

1=D 4/4 you can play (out of pitch) for the time being, by following the first column.

You will be able to learn transposing, so that 6 holes covered = 5. or 6 holes covered =2. To play ensemble, you'd have to be able to do transposing. That's where the chart is useful.

Generally, if you have 1=D 4/4 time, then you would use a D key dizi
If you only have 1 dizi in C, then you can play in D - but you would use the complicated transposing chart above lol.

[chinti]

o, so you mean that if i want to play 1 = D i need use the fingering chart for D?
so for 1 = C i use the fingering on 1st column, for 1 = D it will be fingering on 4th column. is that right?

[xindi]

Yes ...that's it [first column].

As long as you are playing solo, it's not a problem. Sooner or later, you will have a few flutes anyway

I think the consensus here, is that most beginners learn with the 5. Jian Pu scaling [6 covered holes = 5. system: 3 covered holes = 1] and ignore the key, until you either play ensemble or own another flute.

The most common transposition systems are the 5. and the 2. systems. If you really get into the dizi, you would need both systems, although 5. covers most bases.

[chinti]

alright, this helps me a lot^^ thanks
i will start practicing all the notes first after my final then once i get use to which number is which hole then only i go find simple jianpu to play.

[davidmdahl]

Apr 29, 2012 0:21:14 GMT chinti said:

o and 1 more question, i look at some jianpu at the top they have 1 = D 4/4, does that mean i cant play song from that jianpu since my dizi is C? i need to find jianpu with 1 = C?

When you are playing a tune by yourself, you can use any flute in any key you choose. Generally, the setting of the tune will fit your dizi best if "1" is the noted sounded with the three left-hand finger holes covered. That does not have to match the key of the tune. It matters if you are playing the tune with others, of course.

The 4/4 in a score indicates that there are four beats per measure, and a quarter note gets one beat. This is the same as in staff notation. If you see 3/4, that is three beats per measure.

Best wishes,

David

[davidmdahl]

If you can't find a local teacher, you might consider Tim Liu's method:

www.2measures.com/

This is what I used to get started on the dizi. It is on the spendy side for self-study materials, but well worth it. Private lessons will cost a lot more.

Best wishes,

David

[chinti]

o 2measures, i saw that link and see ya talking bout it a lot on other thread. but the price is too much for me right now, maybe i will consider getting it when im a bit better.
for now i will try to learn with all the free resource i can find first.

[chinti]

o forgot to reply something on xindi post.
i din't really do much research bout dizi before i purchase so i purchase C key cause most of my instrument such as the ocarina is C key. im planning to play song like castle in the sky.
not sure dizi C key same as other instrument or not.

[Blue]

A dizi C key is not necessarily the same as another flute.
Consider the fingering chart of the shinobue that is pitched in "G":
homepage2.nifty.com/iwatake/scale/3hon.html

The shinobue is considered to be pitched in "G" because G4 is played when six holes are covered.

A shinobue pitched in "G" (G4 when 6 fingers are covered) is equivalent to a dizi pitched in "C" (C5 when 3 fingers are covered).

[chinti]

ic, its so interesting that 1 key dizi can play so many key. i always thought tht wit 6holes there wont b much key for me to play. cant wait to get my dizi tomorrow.

[chinti]

hi, i just receive my dizi today~ and wow i din't thought its so hard, until now i still cant blow a sound....can i blow without applying dimo? or do i need to apply dimo first then only i can blow?

[davidmdahl]

I suggest taping over the dimo hole (between top finger hole and embouchure) at first. The dimo membrane is not that hard, but it does add complexity when you are trying to get the basics of blowing a flute. A small piece of cellophane tape over the dimo hole should allow you to work on getting a sound.

Best wishes,

David

[chinti]

yeap, i tape over the dimo hole d. its so hard...i try turning the dizi at many angle n still no sound...

[edcat7]

Stand against a mirror and watch yourself do it. You really need a FINE flow of air from your lips. My guess is that the air flow is not fine enough and most of it is not going inside the dizi. Aim downwards. There are dizi basics on youtube.