Hi Zachary,
> I went to Nepal before I started playing the shakuhachi, but for years I
> have imagined playing in those mountains. I've always been worried,
though,
> about what effects the cold and extreme un-humidity would have on my
flute.
> Did you have any problems? What steps did you take to prevent cracking?
(Have put a new one at the same location: playing the Shaku at a Tibettan
Hotel. http://users.bart.nl/~basss/img/tib042a.jpg.)
Actually, I was a bit worried about that too. First the trip went to
Katmandu, I was there at the end of the Rain Season. Just before the big
piles of tourists come. I went hiking in the LangTang area - a 7 day trip
and very very humid. Still rains which caused big landslides. Walked from
1400 m above sea lever to 4400 m+. (4600 ft - 14450 ft) and back. The week
after was driving by 6-wheel drive to Lhasa which takes about 5 days and
takes you over 5 mountain ranges - which take a relative short time. Staying
in Lhasa then is the easy part. China (Tibet) was also quite humid (we
didn't stay in the mountains but drove through the valeys) and the rainfalls
broke down the roads here too.
Yes, you're right, it's a risk taking the flute to such places (also because
it has to be packed in a plain, on a backpack, in the back of a bumpy
4-wheel drive. At least I was lucky for being there when I was there: the
end of the rains and not in the droughts.
Funny thing is: many people think one needs a LOT of air and playing will be
different on those altitudes... well, it's not. You know the monks play
those big horns? and the sound travels far of those. No problems with air.
Maybe even you can take bigger gasps cause there is less oxigen and you can
play longer lines.
Other reason they play a copper instrument up there: the wind. On the bare
planes it's quite windy, distances are vast. Playing with a lot of sidewind
I find quite hard .. playing with the wind in the back or straight in the
wind is less hard.
In that regard, rain forests and outruns of the Himalaya's give more
protection and shelter from the wind ..
And finaly about the protecting the flute:
1 - of course transport it in a cover with plastic lining which keeps the
humidity constant.
2 - oil the flute every now and then wo the pores are closed (though it gets
slippery for some time but the smell is even nicer)
3 - before in Holland I once played in the rain, under a tree - and though
the flute itself didn't get wet it cracked. The builder, Tom Deaver,
restored it by putting on extra bindings. After that it never cracked again.
4 - when buying a Shaku from Monty Levinson (www.pacific.net/~monty), with
this in mind I ordered the flute with bindings .. which prevent it from
cracking.
Long story this time .. Enjoy the play,
Bas
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jan 31 2001 - 12:46:39 PST
