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Hi Tony and Doug,
Observing that some of the best known players in Japan -- including
Yokoyama Katsuya and Kurahashi Yoshio -- hold their shakuhachi with
the right hand on top, I broached this question to Nakamura Ginetsu,
my bamboo harvesting teacher and a shakuhachi maker for over 40
years. (He too hold the flute in this way.) Most players I know
outside of Japan use the opposite arrangement.
Nakamura-sensei explained that since left-handedness is uncommon in
Japan, many players purposely train themselves to hold the shakuhachi
in this manner. Three of the five holes on the flute, including the
all-important back hole requiring great dexterity, can thus be
fingered with the dominant right hand. You might say this is an
attempt by these players to get the "upper-hand" in performing
honkyoku. (Ouch!).
As a maker, I am a proponent of offsetting the finger holes on the
longer instruments starting with the 2.1'. Shakuhachi is hard enough
without having to struggle with the physiological demands of holding
the bamboo. Ergonomic arrangement of the finger holes allows the
player to focus on the many other demands and challenges of learning
to blow shakuhachi. In longer instruments I have made for Koga
Masayuki-sensei of the Japanese Music Institute, he first insisted on
a straight alignment, but was later won over by the staggered
arrangement. For folks who use the right hand on top, the offset is
the same but reversed. Another issue to consider is which part of the
index finger is used to cover the #2 or TSU hole. The tip, second or,
on very long chokan, even the third joint can be used. Hole offset
must be designed with this in mind.
By the way, alignment of the finger holes on the shakuhachi has no
effect on pitch which is only affected by vertical distance of the
hole to the blowing edge.
All the best.
Monty
Subject: Left handed / Right handed ?
>I have a related question. When I started playing a little less
>than a year ago, it just felt more natural for me to have my
>right hand on top and left on bottom. I'm left handed. I'm not
>sure if that is the "normal" right handed way or not. But it
>concerns me in the sense of getting a longer flute where the maker
>would probably offset the finger holes for easier fingering. How
>are the holes placed on a long flute where right hand is on top vs.
>left.
>
>I was just curious as to the differences with what I would call left
>or right handed Shakuhachi. Were they traditionally made one way or
>the other or was it always a personal thing as to which hand is
>upper most and which is lower. Does dexterity really play a part
>here as it seems both hands are used equally to me. When I see
>photos of others playing I have noticed about half and half.
>
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--></style><title>RE: Left handed / Right handed
?</title></head><body>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">Hi Tony and Doug,</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">Observing that some of the best
known players in Japan -- including Yokoyama Katsuya and
Kurahashi Yoshio -- hold their shakuhachi with the right hand on top,
I broached this question to Nakamura Ginetsu, my bamboo harvesting
teacher and a shakuhachi maker for over 40 years. (He too hold the
flute in this way.) Most players I know outside of Japan use the
opposite arrangement.</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">Nakamura-sensei explained that
since left-handedness is uncommon in Japan, many players purposely
train themselves to hold the shakuhachi in this manner. Three of the
five holes on the flute, including the all-important back hole
requiring great dexterity, can thus be fingered with the dominant
right hand. You might say this is an attempt by these players to get
the "upper-hand" in performing honkyoku.
(Ouch!).</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">As a maker, I am a proponent of
offsetting the finger holes on the longer instruments starting with
the 2.1'. Shakuhachi is hard enough without having to struggle with
the physiological demands of holding the bamboo. Ergonomic arrangement
of the finger holes allows the player to focus on the many other
demands and challenges of learning to blow shakuhachi. In longer
instruments I have made for Koga Masayuki-sensei of the Japanese Music
Institute, he first insisted on a straight alignment, but was later
won over by the staggered arrangement. For folks who use the right
hand on top, the offset is the same but reversed. Another issue to
consider is which part of the index finger is used to cover the #2 or
TSU hole. The tip, second or, on very long chokan, even the third
joint can be used. Hole offset must be designed with this in
mind.</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">By the way, alignment of the finger
holes on the shakuhachi has no effect on pitch which is only affected
by vertical distance of the hole to the blowing edge.</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">All the best.</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">Monty</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">Subject: Left handed / Right handed
?</font></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">I have a related question. When I started
playing a little less than a year ago, it just felt more natural for
me to have my right hand on top and left on bottom.
I'm left handed. I'm not sure if that is the "normal"
right handed way or not. But it concerns me in the sense of
getting a longer flute where the maker would probably offset the
finger holes for easier fingering. How are the holes placed on a
long flute where right hand is on top vs.
left. </font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1">I was just curious as to the
differences with what I would call left or right handed Shakuhachi.
Were they traditionally made one way or the other or was it always a
personal thing as to which hand is upper most and which is lower. Does
dexterity really play a part here as it seems both hands are used
equally to me. When I see photos of others playing I have noticed
about half and half.</font><br>
<font face="Arial" size="-1"></font></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
</body>
</html>
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