I've been mostly a wind instrument player from young, except for an interlude learning the classical guitar, and percussive stuff never caught my interest possibly due to my affinity towards more melodious music. Thanks to Youtube I was introduced to the handpan some years ago and loved its unique soundscape. Unfortunately the availability and price point was a bit high for me.
The Covid pandemic provided a window of opportunity for me to dive deeper into music and one aspect which challenges me is groove. I guess it's partly due to my more dominant left brain which influences how I feel and express music - vanilla playing I'd say. My music teacher once commented I'm weak with phrasing.
This all made sense after reading a highly recommended text, The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search For Growth Through Music, by Victor L Wooten. I knew it was time to venture further.
So why pick the handpan? Its timbre is unique and captivating as it was created based on the Caribbean steel drum, which has a bright and I'd say shiny sound to it. Watching a player wave his hands about in a blur is almost magical. It's also an instrument that can be free of theory since the notes are limited to a specific scale where any note combination will usually sound nice, and thus easy to improvise on. Essentially the rhythms or groove patterns carry the music. And there's little to study about grooves other than to practise and embody it.
Still, I went ahead and signed up for an online course just to get some structured learning. One can possibly learn from lots of free and good quality online material but it can get messy not knowing how far one has progressed. The additional advantage of the course I'm in is that there's an active online community of students and professionals built around it.
Timing was perfect as I had earlier stumbled across a local shop that sells a China made version. That eliminated the risk of online buying and shipping worries given how expensive and heavy a handpan is. Despite all the online criticism about cheap handpans, I'd say this version is good enough to get someone started. It sounds good, pitch is accurate, and plays well. This one is made of stainless steel and comes in a nice reflective copper colour.
The early obstacles in handpan playing are mainly about accurate and swift hand movements, followed by balancing of agility and strength between both hands and the fingers used in striking. However compared to instruments such as the Xiao and Shakuhachi, it takes less time to get a consistent good sound. It's easier to start making music albeit at a slow tempo. The challenge for me is more about getting into a relaxed mind-body state and not fumbling on the groove patterns.
In the world of handpans, there are many makers with their own designs but essentially the tones are produced through the vibration of the metal when struck, similar to how a bell works. Different tone fields (those dimple shapes) are either hammered or hydro-formed by water pressure. Even though made of steel (usually stainless or nitrided) they are susceptible to going out of tune if played too harshly for prolonged periods. This brings me to the next type of pan, which falls into a category called tongue pan.
Tongue pans are similar to tongue drums. Drums are smaller than pans which are typically 20 inch or more in diameter. Mallets are often used to play the drums. Regardless of size, notes are produced by the vibration of the "tongues" (cut outs) of metal. The advantage is that the tuning remains stable because the pitch is determined by the mass of the tongue rather than the tension or shape of the metal.
Among tongue pans, the Rav Vast stands out as it evolved out of the maker's desire for an affordable alternative to the expensive Hang (the very first brand of handpan) that was limited in production. I've done a mini comparison between the Hluru stainless steel handpan and the Rav Vast 2 (thicker version with 2mm steel).
Comparison Table of Handpan and Rav Vast 2
Attribute
Handpan
Rav Vast
Dynamics
Loudest note at 89 dBA
Loudest note at 89 dBA
Attack and decay
More percussive
Gentle, smooth rise and fall
Sustain
Some sustain that's around 10 sec
Much longer sustain at more than 20 sec, reverb feel
Tactile feel
Light touch brings up sound. Conversely can't hit too hard as the tone quality becomes rough
Requires more force and can take harder hits without degradation of tone quality
Harmonics
Have to explore and figure out specific spots to press and strike to activate harmonics
Each tongue has standardised spots to press and strike for activating harmonics
However, comparing the Rav Vast to a handpan is not quite appropriate. The two types of pans share many similarities in terms of playing techniques and materials used, but the timbre are distinct and really depends on what one is more attracted to.
The sound of the handpan is more lively and energising due to its brightness. For me, it dazzles without overpowering. The sound of the Rav Vast is more soothing and ethereal, more spacious. The longer sustain allows greater freedom for expression outside of a rhythm structure.
I played the handpan for a few weeks before getting my hands on a second hand Rav Vast. I'd say almost anyone can enjoy the Rav Vast immediately even if one is tone deaf and has no sense of rhythm. It's a most forgiving instrument.
The book's cover shows the author in a dynamic mid-air pose. The other items are unrelated: they're a DVD (Ishikawa Method Daily Practice of Shakuhachi) and CD (Fukuda Rando's Excellent Pieces for Shakuhachi) which I may review in future.
The original name of the book is 尺八を 五つの音だけで 吹く本 and the author is 神永大輔 Daisuke Kaminaga. So what attracted me to the book was the artiste himself who's a member of the WagakkiBand. The book is fully in Japanese so be prepared. I took the plunge with some basic knowledge of kana and kanji input method (similar to Chinese pinyin), and much help from Google.
For those rushing to know my conclusion, here's a brief:
The book is suited for intermediate students who wish to expand their repertoire of playing techniques for contemporary music. There's an assumption that the reader has sufficient knowledge of basic music theory, e.g., reading staff notation. The gem of this book is the inclusion of some original pieces by the artiste, both the audio tracks and scores. The book is geared towards Tozan-ryu techniques so do not expect coverage of traditional Kinko styles. It's obvious he is advocating the continuation of shakuhachi as a versatile modern instrument.
Let's start off with the print quality. It's a large format book that's slightly bigger than A4. Thick paper is used and the binding allows the book to lay flat, which is great for propping up on a stand. It comes with a CD that provides demo clips of exercises, and also the performance of Daisuke's compositions.
Chapter 1 serves as a refresher on the basics such as posture and embouchure. However he has deployed some metaphors to help illustrate breathing methods which I found refreshing, as I had not encountered these elsewhere whether online or in books.
In Chapter 2, we're given a broad stroke introduction to the pentatonic notes of various Japanese scales. Consolidating and comparing them gives greater clarity.
Chapter 3 covers ornamentation techniques for articulation and accentuation of notes. He advisee on how to integrate these into performance.
Further on in Chapter 4, there is elaboration on application of ornaments, including trills and vibrato that are unique to the shakuhachi. Some of these ornaments are specific to Sankyoku ensemble playing and come from the Tozan-ryu tradition. There's even a section on imitation of Celtic style music.
The gems are in Chapter 5 where eight original pieces in staff and Tozan-ryu notation are presented. They are all meant for the 1.8 shakuhachi so it's more accessible for beginners with only one flute on hand.
Overall I'm satisfied with the content of this book even though most material are not new to me after having had regular lessons for 1.5 years. The audio demos are a useful reference for verifying that one can reproduce the same tone patterns described. Personally the focus on Tozan-ryu methods and inclusion of Tozan scores are a bonus, but that may not appeal to those learning other styles. The vibrant, exciting book cover reflects the content well, this is not a book for traditional/classical honkyoku enthusiasts. The objective of the book is clearly to encourage players to experiment and evolve the culture of shakuhachi performance.
I found this piece of advice from Master Winson Liao thought provoking and inspiring. Here's my interpretation on his sharing (speech starts at 1 min 27 sec):
Today let's talk about habits. It is an important concept when we consider how we wish to grow in our perspectives, creativity, and approach to life.
It was decades ago that I attended a class on leadership. It was taught by a professor of behavioural sciences who spoke on how habits tend to limit our potential. I experienced this in the realm of Xiao performance.
Many friends face a plateau and get stuck because of habits. They are unable to find a breakthrough. When we choose an instrument or choose our choice of pieces to perform based on our personal habits, then we constrain ourselves. It is very important that we can let go of these fixations. These fixations are formless and subconscious to us.
For example, we may get stuck while learning certain embouchures such as U or V shaped. We tend to hold certain unchanged views or habits, so we need to reset to start from zero, to have a beginner's mind, so as to be able to open up to what is unfamiliar, to explore and try differently.
Just like mirrors, we have examples we can look to for lessons. Some people when they get their hands on a good Xiao, they trust their instrument and thus put in effort to practice and adapt to the instrument. They learn to fully exploit and open up new avenues of expression with the instrument on hand.
On the other hand, there are those who stick to their personal habits and preferences and thus pick instruments that conform to these habits. Therefore they limit their own growth due to this approach of thinking.
I personally experienced the importance of the need to go beyond our habits. Whether it was in my development of the Xiao or in my work life developing systems, I realised how significant was the professor's lessons. We need to expand our horizons by letting go of our habits. Such habits can hold us back perhaps for a life time.
When you reset to zero and explore new horizons, you'll have new discoveries and insights that lead to breakthroughs. Whether in performing or crafting of Xiao, we should let go of our fixations. In the face of doubt and uncertainty, it can lead to infinite new possibilities. The human potential is infinite.
Let me share a story. Since primary school age I played the Xiao and till my college days I had become quite seasoned with opportunities to perform on stage. I felt I was a good performer. I did some recordings and others advised I could even produce an album. I thought I was really good until I encountered a wider realm of music and was awed by the realisation that there was much more room for growth. To date, I still feel I can improve further, whether as a performer or as a craftsman. Continuously practising and refining to progress on the journey of life.
This is a process of learning. I firmly believe that letting go of habits will aid in breaking through. Don't get stuck with thoughts such as "what is the best ...", "what should be the case ..."; there is no absolute as all things are relative. When you've gone through such a journey, you can look back and appreciate that we should sustain such a spirit of learning. This applies to many aspects such as career, and family relationships too. Past habits and ways of thinking need to be reset so that we can welcome what is in the present. My sharing ends here, thank you.
Here's another interpretation made of Master Winson Liao's video.
Do note I had not asked him to verify my interpretations so any errors are purely my own. For clarity sake, I may make expansions to better illustrate some points that do not have a direct translation, for example, due to cultural references.
In this video, he introduces the Tang Xiao and how to approach playing it. For clarification, these are some terms to be aware of:
箫 Xiao - the Chinese Xiao is currently crafted with 8 finger holes. Traditionally it was 6 holed. Mouth piece has a U shaped cut for blowing.
北箫 Northern Xiao - usually a narrower bore and thinner walled instrument compared to the Southern Xiao. It is much longer and mostly made with black bamboo (commonly called purple bamboo 紫竹 in Chinese).
南箫 Southern Xiao - a thick bore and thick walled Xiao whose mouth piece can be U or V shaped. The madake bamboo (桂竹) is often used. Its appearance is very much like the Japanese Shakuhachi as the root end is used, and instrument lengths are similar. This Xiao is sometimes still called the 尺八, referring to its length. So although the Kanji or Chinese words are the same as the Japanese Shakuhachi, they are distinct instruments with different musical cultures developed around them.
Tang style Xiao 唐式箫 or Tang mouthpiece Xiao 唐口箫 or 唐尺八 Tang 1‘8“ - I abbreviated it to Tang Xiao. This is a more recent development where the Tang Dynasty mouthpiece (straight cut) is integrated with the more modern Xiao body, i.e. 8 or 6 finger holes. One can easily mistake this with the Japanese Shakuhachi due to the similar design of mouth piece used.
So here's my interpretation:
00:00 - I'll be covering the characteristics of the Tang Xiao and how to play it. This piece I'm using is a Tang mouthpiece Xiao, it's 8 holed. The Tang Dynasty version had only 6 holes: 5 at the front, and 1 at the rear. When we play the 8 holed version, the retention fingers 保留指 can be used to get the traditional scale of the 6 holed instrument.
(Note the retention fingers are on holes 2 and 6. When using the 8 holed playing approach, these fingers often provide as support to grip the flute)
00:35 - When I make such flutes I retain the musical aesthetics of the traditional 6 holes, so the modern version can still play traditional scaled tunes.
Keeping the retention holes closed, you will get the traditional Southern Woodwinds 南管 scale.
Frequency of each flute can be customised, setting them at 442Hz, 440Hz, 453Hz (referring to concert pitch A).
01:00 - This piece is made from Indian red sandalwood 印度小叶紫檀. It was taken from a demolished home and about a century in age. So the resonance quality is excellent.
01:15 - We'll use this for demo. The Tang Xiao has a wide blowing edge/mouth piece, and it's an external cut. This conforms better to the shape of our lips.
Thus for those used to playing U mouthpiece it will be tough to adapt. Even if sounds are produced, the tone quality is that of the U mouthpiece Xiao -- it's not so expansive and open.
01:56 - The critical factor is that the embouchure is too tight/small. It should be more natural. Lips are relaxed and gently closed. The lips are already wide so a naturally closed embouchure would result in a wider aperture for blowing. This will match well with the wide blowing edge.
02:17 - Obviously if we already play the Dizi or U mouthpiece Xiao, the habits are hard to break and we won't reach the desired tone quality. The quality of the Xiao is another factor, especially when making a Tang mouth piece instrument, a lot more precision is required to ensure good resonance. Tang Xiao without resonance will have poor tone quality, even worse than U mouthpiece Xiao. Overall Tang Xiao has more stringent craftsmanship requirements in terms of resonance.
03:00 - In terms of blowing, keep the lips naturally closed. The air expelled is flat, and if well aimed at the flat mouth piece will produce an expansive sound.
If the aperture is narrow, the tone quality won't be open and bright. It sounds just like a U mouthpiece instrument.
03:48 - Importantly, playing the Tang Xiao one should aim to get its full expansive sound.
For me, I feel that Tang Xiao is well suited for performing ancient tunes, to produce a certain texture.
Because the Tang mouthpiece allows a more intimate relationship to be established between player and instrument, thus very delicate tones and dynamics can be portrayed. There will be richer layering and expressiveness. The texture can vary from soft and delicate to harsh and windy. The effects are more exaggerated.
04:41 - I'm going to use an ancient tune, originating from guqin 古琴, to illustrate. This piece, Geese Descending on Sandbanks 平沙落雁, has a slow melody, so if you play it flatly without guqin accompaniment, it will sound awfully monotonous.
We can use tone contours and textured layering to enhance a solo performance, creating sensory perceptions that make it attractive. It helps one perceive the sandbanks with the feel of scenic autumn, a wide open space where geese settle down.
05:35 - Demo of 平沙落雁 is played as a solo Xiao piece.
07:10 - The breath can be finely controlled and released. leading to the gentle closing and opening of the sound. Earlier we demonstrated contours and textures, and if we added breath sounds you'll hear the effect of wind blown sand.
07:33 - Demo of 平沙落雁, with addition of breath sounds.
09:12 - When you are mindful of the shifts in breathing and intonation, you are fully concentrated, and you enter into the music itself. It's a very enjoyable experience for self and also for the audience. It's a good utilisation of the Xiao.
For me, after having reconstructed the ancient Tang Xiao and played it for a period, I find it very appealing and fascinating, and became my favourite. Of course, the U mouthpiece has its own unique characteristics. The Tang Xiao paves another pathway for Xiao aficionados.
It's also a helpful instrument for practising meditative blowing. There's no burden on the lips and facial area, the body can be relaxed. Being aware of the ongoing breath and sound relationship easily brings us into a calm state.
10:40 - Next, I'll talk about embouchure refinement. To find the ideal embouchure, one can aim to get the 水润声 in the higher register notes. It comes from adjusting the angle, forming a focused breath, basically where the expelled breath lands.
(水润声 - I interpret it as as a sound that's moist and polished)
10:59 - Demo of high register notes.
11:13 - What I just played has the "water" sound.
Demo briefly.
11:16 - This one does not have as much "water" sound.
11:20 - It's a very polished, very sweet tone. The sweetness comes from precise cutting of the air, leading to rich overtones.
11:30 - Demo.
11:35 - Now if you revert to normal playing ...
11:40 - That is, no more "water" sound.
11:48 - This rounded, polished, sweet sound can be achieved.
You maintain similar angle for both high and low register notes.
12:09 - Same angle is used for blowing high and low notes.
An important point for low notes, don't always play with full resonance.
Yes, resonance needs to be practised but let's not forget that without resonance, the fundamental frequency is the primary sound of the flute.
A lot of people play with strong resonance, however, the fundamental frequency is not clear. There's resonance but the proportion of the main frequency is tiny.
12:40 - Demo of resonance lacking in clarity for fundamental frequency.
12:50 - The overtones are obvious but the fundamental frequency is weakened.
If you want to maintain the thick solid overtones, use relaxed blowing.
13:02 - Demo of blowing that keeps the solid overtones and does not diminish the fundamental frequency.
13:08 - How should one practise the fundamental frequency? You'll need to start from practising without the resonance.
13:18 - Demo of playing without resonance.
13:25 - Lesser resonance with louder fundamental frequency -- use an exhalation that is relaxed and slower.
13:31 - Demo again on same principle.
13:39 - Absence of resonance means there's just the fundamental tone.
Once you've the foundation established of playing the fundamental note, you can add in the resonance.
13:49 - Demo of resonance.
14:00 - Without resonance, the airflow is relaxed, slow, weak. It is pure, no overtones, just a single main note.
Many tend to forget that the fundamental frequency is also an expression of the music.
In displaying the aesthetics of 浓淡美学 the fundamental frequency remains important.
(浓淡美学 - an aesthetics of dense vs. light, or yang vs. yin)
14:30 - Demo of this aesthetic.
14:44 - Often the soft/relaxed tone is used to lead and open a phrase until a turning point.
14:52 - Demo of soft tone leading and turning into a denser tone.
15:21 - This layering brings out the effect of a mountain and water scene, a far and near experience (depth).
So the tone quality and texture is important. Moving from no resonance towards resonance, and back. This ebb and flow is very important.
15:41 - Another aspect, is the purity of the sound.
15:48 - Demo.
15:54 - Find the ideal spot, a focus point on the mouthpiece.
Another consideration is for low register notes. To use the horizon (the flat edge) as a guide, aim to expand the utilisation of it.
16:11 - Demo.
16:19 - If you didn't activate it fully width wise, then it will become ...
16:26 - Demo.
16:30 - The expansiveness of the sound is limited, the tone quality's brightness and openness can't be achieved.
Therefore the characteristics of Tang Xiao can't be fully harnessed.
The embouchure is important. The Tang mouthpiece's width requires fine control in embouchure in terms of controlling the width and focus of the expelled air. Tone quality/colour is dependent on the lips/embouchure.
Do practice diligently, 10,000 hours is a necessary foundation. That's all for my sharing today, thank you.
As part of my learning journey in the Xiao and Shakuhachi, I've found Master Winson Liao's videos to be helpful in breaking down common beginner mistakes and misunderstandings. Thankfully I have sufficient proficiency in Mandarin to benefit from these videos. I believe his detailed analysis and explanation can help more learners break new ground so I'll attempt to select some of his videos for interpretation. Do note I had not asked him to verify my interpretations so any errors are purely my own. In addition, for clarity sake, I may make expansions to clarify some points that do not have a direct translation, for example, due to cultural references.
In this video, the topic is on how to switch from U mouth piece (used in Xiao) to Tang mouth piece (used in Tang Xiao and Shakuhachi). Enjoy the video.
00:00 - Now we'll talk about what to look out for when switching from a U mouth piece to a Tang mouthpiece.
00:10 - I'll use this mature madake (Taiwan) Tang Xiao in E to demo. Initially I had wanted to keep this piece but am letting it go, so this video serves as a personal record and also as sound test (for the buyer).
00:25 - Those playing U blowing edge are used to a narrower width for blowing, thus the embouchure is kept more rounded. Another habit is to have the upper lip protruding over the lower lip, which is quite typical for players of the Northern Xiao. This is not a natural position for playing Tang Xiao. Both habits are taboo.
00:58 - These habits limit/tighten the blowing. Another point, is that the cheeks are tensed up which becomes a barrier towards playing the Tang mouth piece. The Tang embouchure is essentially a lot simpler: rest the lips together. You can blow at your hand to test, the landing spot should be on your palm. Your nose should be in line with the second segment of your middle finger, and the breath will hit the palm.
01:42 - The degree of focus or width can be fine tuned. This palm exercise is to simulate for own observation.
01:49 - Next, when placing the Tang Xiao to the mouth, align the flat edge to the middle line between the lips. Firstly pick it up and do the alignment horizontally, then tilt the bell/tail of the instrument downwards.
[A mirror can be a good aid]
02:25 - Another thing to note, touch the upper lip to the edge. This touching provides 3 sets of information:
1) the lateral position (left-right) of the mouth piece relative to the lips
2) the vertical position (up-down) of the mouth piece relative to the lips
3) the lateral slant position (roll axis) of the mouth piece relative to the lips
02:18 - When you align the flat edge, ensure both corners of the edge are in contact with your lips. For lateral positioning do likewise and sense it for yourself.
02:33 - While you are performing, you can also do a brief check-in using this method. When you get an optimum tone, check-in also to recognise the position. Do it regularly. This will help cultivate accuracy in positioning of the instrument with the body.
02:58 - The consequence (of natural, relaxed embouchure) is that your breath utilisation can then be natural, unobstructed, and smooth.
03:08 - Pay attention to having a natural, relaxed embouchure, then you can enter a state of Zen via the Tang Xiao. This is crucial. If you use a tight, tensed embouchure, then it will be very difficult, you'd be far from the Path. Because it's too deliberate, too fixated. So we need to "put it down" (let go); let go of our mind, body, breath.
03:35 - When we're blowing, the first key factor is fixing/stabilising the position: the flat edge is aligned well with our lips (as described earlier) before bringing the bell/tail end downwards forming an angle of between 25 to 30 degrees away from our body.
For U mouth piece, the instrument can be tilted higher. For Tang mouth piece, lower it.
The Tang blowing edge is already cut at a slant of 22.5 degrees, so you can tilt the instrument more sharply.
4:08 - Just blow out directly. The blowing edge is straight/flat, so to achieve a fuller sound you can laterally shift the lower jaw a bit. It will help widen and shape the aperture more flatly.
4:25 - If you use the Song 松口 mouth piece (Winson's innovation), then you can simply open up the lips.
4:52 - You need to listen for the sound quality. It should be open and bright. Breath use becomes very efficient, and you'll be able to play in a more natural, relaxed state.
5:12 - For high register notes, narrow the aperture. As a beginner, practice with long tones. The sound should be flat, like calm water in a pond. This helps to stabilise the tone and your breath. Your mind-body will also settle down.
6:00 - When you switch to higher register, reduce the blowing aperture. It's not done forcefully. It's a gentle narrowing. Just like a water hose, if you pressed the opening, the expelled water will speed up.
6:23 - It's the same for high notes, you want to save energy and sustain its duration.
6:40 - Naturally keeping the lips closer. Another point is that the inner lips should have a guiding effect on air expelled, that is, don't purse the lips which uses only the outer surface to shape the airflow. Just bring the lips closer while keeping the cheeks relaxed.
7:15 - When you do this, air volume can more easily build up within the mouth (the cheek area naturally puffs up). This will introduce different velocity to the air expelled which results in greater resonance. A blend of slow and fast air expulsion will result in more overtones/multi-harmonics.
[This is Winson's theory which some may disagree with]
7:50 - Air flow that comes with diverse speeds leads to resonance.
Slower air speed is used for lower register notes, and higher speeds activate the higher register. It's that straight forward.
8:07 - Of course, we need to be in control of the air speed but priority should be on sustaining stable long tones. Don't be in a rush to play pieces of music. Get the foundation right, that is, stable long notes. Only then is the relationship between instrument and person strong enough to make variations and enhance playing. Your mind and spirit can then focus well on the playing.
8:56 - Once you've established these, and able to play the Tang or Song mouth piece, you can then reach for the "awakened" sound. Through precise and mindful playing, the sound can appear to be reed like. This means the overtones are richer. The embouchure has to be very efficient, very focused, very precise in relation to the mouth piece. In addition, the Xiao has to be very responsive, then you can find the sweet spot. These two types of sound quality are different ("awakened" vs normal).
As a beginner do not strive to achieve this "awakened" sound yet, just focus on establishing stable and clear single tones. Eliminate the "sa-sa-sa" wind-noise as that means wastage of breath, which results in breathlessness.
10:39 - A typical person would have sufficient breath capacity, the key is in air flow control. Just a fine air stream ... playing the Xiao can be slow inhale and exhale.
12:00 - Let your breath be focused on the sweet spot, let your mind and spirit be attentive on the relationship between breath and sound. You can gain much clarity on this, and thus attain an in depth experience of the Xiao sound. This means you've also reached the depths of your own mind/heart.
12:28 - Thus for playing the Tang Xiao, do not rush to learn pieces of music. First, get into the internal workings of producing the tones. Focus on your breathing and how it relates to sounds produced. With eyes closed, feel your lips, feel your breath, feel your sounds. These are inter-related and become an element for reaching a state of samadhi. Your mind can be very clear, undistracted.
There is no short-cut, each step has to be taken concretely on the path. Each step leads further into insights about the sound. Keep going further, don't think you're already the best because there's still a lot more ahead of us.
In sharing about "awakening" my Shakuhachi, I thought I'd better share some technical tips to make it less abstract. This is not expert advice but based on personal experience, which means it can be highly subjective due to various factors such as instrument used, learner's body type and conditions, degree of sensitivity in interception and proprioception, and even interpretations of what is written here. Indeed a teacher's presence would help make it an experiential learning rather than a conceptual or academic exercise.
Breath Support
Any body posture or positioning that limits air flow should be fine tuned. Most learners would know that chesty breath is not advised as it is shallow and would not sustain for long phrasings of music. What we're less familiar with is that the in-breath should not be just an abdominal movement. Tips are often given to check for abdominal movement but in fact many more areas will move, to different degrees, when the diaphragm is activated. This includes the sides around the ribcage; imagine a wide inflatable belt around the waist, including the abdomen. Apparently the term "belly" breathing is different from diaphragmatic rib-cage breathing and thus can lead to misunderstandings.
The other aspect that I was taught and also realised, is that just doing diaphragmatic breathing is not sufficient, especially when trying to play the higher octaves on the Shakuhachi or Xiao 箫. As a beginner, hitting the higher Kan 甲 register was straight forward if practised as a single note on its own. And I happily assumed I could join the dots and enjoy taking on more advanced pieces. Instead I faced more struggles as follows:
Shifting from lower Otsu 乙 to Kan 甲 note while playing on the same exhale within a few bars of music:
there is insufficient breath to "push" to the upper register and so it fizzles out
The score says to play softly, e.g., piano for a Kan note within the phrasing:
the note could barely be produced
the note goes beyond the dynamic/volume required
The challenges are due to two key factors: unstable embouchure, and lack of breath support. Let's stay with the topic of breath support for now.
What had been lacking for me is the appropriate tension in the "belt" area mentioned above. It's relatively easy to do a one time powerful blow and thus produce a Kan note regardless of the level of refinement in embouchure. The trick is in understanding this elementary equation:
Speed = Distance / Time
Higher notes require overtones to be activated by higher speed air across the blowing edge (utaguchi 歌口). When we use a powerful exhale (while we're still fresh from a recent inhale), we cause the air to rush at sufficient speed to cause a higher frequency vibration at the blowing edge. Essentially we shortened the Time variable in the equation to up the Speed. But this is at great cost as a larger volume of air is lost, which explains why we can't sustain a long high note with this method.
To overcome this, a finer embouchure is needed. If we gently close down the aperture of our lips to a smaller slit, the expulsion of air would speed up naturally. It's the common phenomenon we see when we squeeze on the end of a water hose causing it to expel water more quickly and thus farther. Now the trick here is to tension the "belt" area so that the exhale is controlled. There’re probably some formulas involving air flow pressure to explain this but that's a little more complicated. So for high notes, my mantra is: relax the upper body, hold the note with the lower body.
Another obstacle comes from the Xiao teaching literature where higher registers are described as needing 急吹 (rushed blow) and 超吹 (over blow). Unfortunately these are precisely what Xiao and Shakuhachi players need to avoid. I’ve heard that these terminologies were borrowed from the Dizi 笛子 pedagogy, likewise my Shakuhachi teacher had also shared on the need to blow "harder" for the Dizi based on his experience as a Dizi player/teacher prior to learning the Shakuhachi.
Relaxed Embouchure
This was probably the most challenging for me, especially in trying to do the following:
sustaining good quality high register notes (as described earlier)
sustaining a resonant low register note
obtaining a blasting Ro ロ note
Subconsciously when I see Kan notes, especially the upper Kan (チハヒ) and Dai Kan 大甲, I would tense up my mouth area and finger grip. Basically there is lack of confidence in getting a clean correct pitch at the onset which then brings on a stress reaction.
The way to counter this is with regular practice of long tones including the higher registers. The drills help condition the tiny facial muscles and program the embouchure shifts into muscle memory. It sounds simple but it is tedious and requires diligence.
Language can be a handicap at times. What I mean by relaxed should not be equated to a collapsed state. Chinese language has this term called 松而不散, which I feel captures this essence of having suppleness and not losing structure. Viewing Taijiquan 太极拳 might give you a hint of this, a balance of hardness and softness.
In terms of embouchure, my lips are neither pursed nor pouted, and they are brought together naturally. Exhaled air is released as the aperture closes and occasionally I let the lips gently pop open (minimise the popping sound) especially for high register notes. Master Winson Liao describes in the first 3 minutes of his video (below) on this, emphasising how the inner lips' surface (内唇) is what acts as a smooth straight conduit for the expelled air. Even though the video shows the Xiao, I found it applicable to the Shakuhachi too. This gives a more precise method of focusing the air stream compared to pursed lips which causes the air to go out in disarray.
I see that there is often attention placed on embouchure but less on the other mechanisms around the mouth. Firstly I find the “gentle smile” tip misleading for Shakuhachi, in fact it feels more like a “gentle frown” for me to get good tone and resonance. The logic is this, the blowing edge of a Shakuhachi is flat, unlike the Xiao or Dizi. So to maximise alignment of expelled air onto a wider section of the edge, the mouth aperture should be close to flat, or rectangular as my teacher advised. Thus a no-smile or slight frown plus natural lips closure gets you there. Go look at Shakuhachi masters’ performances and you’ll notice they mostly don't wear a happy face (good music is hard work).
The throat and back of mouth cavity play an important role too. One tip often heard is to imagine holding a small ball at the back of the mouth. The difficulty is in gauging how big that imaginary ball should be. My advice is not to over strain, and just remember the principle is in keeping the throat passage open so there’s minimal resistance for the air flowing up from the lungs. I prefer another tip that asks you to feel your yawn and how it opens up the mouth-throat area, at least it provides an experiential reference point. I found that having this openness in the mouth cavity also opened up my tone quality: better resonance and volume. So while doing this, we have to keep the embouchure steady.
Summary
These are general ideas that need experimentation to find your personal sweet spot. For example, I would let my lower lip be at ease while slightly tensing the upper lip. Somehow that gives me an optimal sound quality for both low and high registers. These are internal sensations that I use as a personal guide but likely would not work for others. Just as with life, we learn better through trials and making corrections to steer us on the right track. Fortunately the outcomes are not that elusive, the sound of success is clear and unmistakable.
It was around winter solstice, 22 Dec 2020, that my Shakuhachi (尺八) awakened. Or from a more scientific perspective, my mind-body adapted to the instrument and thus found its sweet spot. The process took around 5 months of regular practice.
In the Shakuhachi world, the base sound or tonic 筒音 which is when all finger holes are closed is an important tone to stabilise and strengthen. It is taught that establishing and maintaining this foundation helps one improve all other tones. Having learnt the Xiao 箫 earlier on also helped me better appreciate the similarities and differences between these two instruments. It is interesting that despite the common lineage, the two cultures of teaching and playing developed rather differently.
The base note for Shakuhachi of any length is simply called Ro ロ, so you'd often hear about Ro-buki ロ吹き (Ro breath practice), with an emphasis on sustaining long notes. Generally this is similar for all wind instruments, that is, acquiring an efficient breathing technique that produces a stable tone and volume. However, in the Shakuhachi fraternity, players also aim to achieve a blasting Ro sound, like a roaring jet engine. This emphasis on intensity is rather distinct from Xiao, perhaps due to the pervasiveness of "soft" music for the Xiao. Words to describe the Xiao include 敛内，清幽，古朴，清虚，roughly meaning reserved, deeply serene, quaint/simple, clear/elusive. Possibly such words could be stereotyping the Xiao by only highlighting these characteristics.
I suspect there's also a misunderstood image of the Xiao due to the fact that there are two further categories of Xiao: the Northern Xiao 北箫 and the Southern Xiao 南箫. The slimmer and longer northern version produces the above mentioned "soft" characteristics. Thus it is often paired up with "soft" instruments such as the guqin 古琴. Understandably, the Northern Xiao is not included into the modern Chinese orchestra as it would be drowned out.
On the other hand, the Southern Xiao is much closer to the Shakuhachi in both its design, tone quality, and dynamics. From my understanding, ancient Chinese cultural elements such as language, music, and customs, had migrated southwards and thus were preserved in these parts of China, away from the strife in the central and northern regions. So it is not surprising to find that the Chinese word for Shakuhachi, 尺八, is also used to describe the Southern Xiao.
The migration of the ancient Xiao to Japan happened in the religious context of Zen Buddhism, and this influenced how spiritual practice became intertwined with this instrument. Sound was used as a tool for meditation and brought forth such statements as 一音成佛 enlightenment through one sound. There was less emphasis on performing a piece that had melodic appeal.
Somehow along its development in Japan, the resonance of each tone in the Shakuhachi grew in importance. It is admirable that the craftsmen made refinements that now make the Shakuhachi an outstanding instrument. One of which is the coating of plaster paste (ji 地) and lacquer (urushi 漆) to the inner bore to achieve correct pitch and quality of tone. The number of finger holes were also reduced from 6 to 5 and there are various theories on this revolving around music scales. In contrast, the modern Xiao is commonly found with 8 finger holes. For me this reduction is emblematic of a Zen approach, which adds a layer of technical difficulty towards playing the right pitch "between" the full clear tones. This is the well known head/flute tilting used to shift the angle and thus the pitch of sound produced. And this uncertainty in the production of microtones also reflects a spiritual approach of how one can accept imperfection and its inherent beauty.
Perhaps the value placed on direct experience of sound and just being present with the instrument contributed to the difference in emphasis between the playing of Shakuhachi and Xiao. For a Shakuhachi to be "broken in", "opened up", or "awakened", the benchmark is one can produce the blasting Ro sound. For some instruments, it can be easy to reach but for others it may take months of patience to find the connection between embouchure, angles, and breath pressure. This is a satisfying endeavour which you may wish to consider.
The early obstacles in handpan playing are mainly about accurate and swift hand movements, followed by balancing of agility and strength between both hands and the fingers used in striking. However compared to instruments such as the Xiao and Shakuhachi, it takes less time to get a consistent good sound. It's easier to start making music albeit at a slow tempo. The challenge for me is more about getting into a relaxed mind-body state and not fumbling on the groove patterns.
