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Practice

Practice is the essence of Shakuhachi playing. While practicing, there is nobody listening, nobody judging, Nobody will be impressed or irritated, nobody will make you self consciousness You just play.

When taking a meditative as well as musical approach to study of the shakuhachi, you are primarily on a course of self-development. Although one can say this about study of any of the arts, the shakuhachi is different in that the refinement of the inner ear and the clarity of mind needed to immerse oneself in the act of playing is itself the the necessary tool needed to make sense of honkyoku.

Making musical sense of the Zen repertoire is not enough. Most of the pieces of the Kinko and Meian schools need to be understood through the experience of playing that particular piece. Although at first one only plays the notes and melodies, ultimately there comes a point when learning the piece in the normal sense is accomplished. But the work has a life of it's own and slowly the piece will begin to teach the player how it needs to be played from that point onward. When one plays the same work over and over, it seems the subconscious starts to take over as memory takes care of the mechanical work of playing. The mind is now free to listen to the sound of Jones's own feelings. Over the years I've discovered that when completely immersed in this experience, I seem to hear somebody else playing the flute, not I.

To get to that place may take hours. If it does not happen while repeatedly playing the oldest and most profound works, I put away the music and improvise. Sometimes the melodies are disturbing, probing. Sometimes they are weak and wandering. At the point where I've given up on making sense, on making music, I hear a new sound. It's usually a music that is fresh, a music that I will never hear again and one that brings me to complete stillness. Then the flute is put away.

In traditional Japanese music one is taught to imitate the teacher. Of course this works well for beginners and develops memory skills. But how far is one willing to go? When the student holds steadfast to the style and approach of the teacher, the student is also absorbing the contribution of the teacher's teacher, who did the same. The more one focuses on the nuances of style and technique that make their dojo unique, the more opportunity there is for the insights of players of earlier generations to be revealed in the music.

At first I thought of this as a brilliant and subtle method developed for Japanese traditional music. But this whole approach to learning to understand the teacher is part of western culture as well. To understand someone, we stand under them. Our English word incorporates this very concept of submitting one's ego towards the end of seeing the viewpoint of another through their eyes. Although this is not easy to do, it is the best way to really comprehend. Ordinarily one will listen, assess the content and then respond, question or challenge. By delaying our response however, one can wholly absorb the content without losing our point of view and unique insight. Is it a fear of losing oneself that makes us want to make a statement from the very beginning? Is it an unwillingness to acknowledge our state of being a beginner? It takes courage to be a beginner, and to play the shakuhachi is to be forever a beginner.

If one learns new works on a steady basis and never gets to really live with the wonderful classics, playing them over and over again, how can the music take over and transport us? There are times when learning new works is important and there are times when the player ought to focus on the gems of shakuhachi literature.

Developing the habit of an hour of daily practice is essential. Finding the time is the real issue in the long run. But why deny ourselves of the sound of bamboo if we actually have a choice? Those around us are almost always willing to listen if it is hard to find a place to be alone. Many a winter day the only place I could come up with to practice was the Staten Island Ferry!

If you practice out of doors you will necessarily learn to project your sound. There may or may not be people around, but there will always be animals around. Play for them. See how they respond. Listen to what the flute sounds like as the wind takes the sound from you. Keep playing as the wind takes the music away as well. Get wet in the rain playing. Let your fingers go numb in the cold until you can hear but not feel what the fingers are doing. Play when you are depressed and when you are ecstatic. The same melodies have something to teach in every mood, in every landscape.

Bring with you only a flute or two. Leave the rest, if you have a stash, in the closet. The only way to become intimate with the shakuhachi is to make a particular instrument part of you. Although this happens naturally over time, many players are on a quest for the perfect flute, not the perfect tone. The tone comes from within oneself. The instrument can only help you disappear into the sound of itself. You the player breathe life into the flute by giving it tone. The resistance to giving a beautiful tone the shakuhachi is famous for is a blessing in disguise. It keeps the truly musical player humble. It suffices for the person who merely desires to blow breath into the flute and is not a "musician" at all. The experience is the same.

So close all five holes and blow. (Ro-otsu) Blow for three minutes, or five minutes. After this I usually play Choshi, because it is short, "simple" and so beautiful. Choshi will always create a sense of calm and focus.

Take on the challenge of learning the Classical Gaikyoku as well as you can. They will slowly reveal their greatness and can get to be a lot of fun as well... if you persist. The payoff is worth it all. The excitement of good ensemble playing is the other side of the Shakuhachi repertoire. Although the flute is now becoming an international instrument, a players knowledge of it's Japanese origins enrich the study beyond measure, giving context and drama and help broaden one's understanding of Zen in Japanese culture.

Buy all the Shakuhachi recordings you can find and listen closely to them. Play along if you can. Get a hold of Koto and Shamisen recordings as well. For the first few years I did not know what a help playing along with a Gaikyo-ku recording was. If you can develop a collection of Japanese music it will be a helpful resource. When I bought my first Shakuhachi record I was stunned at the emotional intensity, and could only listen to it every once in a while.... a heartbreaker

At the point when you finally look up from the score and see tears welling up followed quickly by smiles all around, and the fidgety listeners have fallen fast asleep, you will have understood your teacher.

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