"Choshi" is usually the first song that is studied in many schools
(including Myoan/Meian), and it's generally considered to be a kind of
warm-up piece, often before Kyorei. Some other schools call it "Honshirabe",
but musically they're basically the same (taking into account the variations
each school brings to each piece). "Choshi" is actually a word in Japanese
that translates as:
"tune, tone, key, pitch, time, rhythm, vein, mood, way, manner, style,
knack, condition, state of health, strain, impetus, spur of the moment,
trend" -- so as you can see it can be used to describe everything from
musical tuning to physical/mental health to the nature of a given moment.
It's a flexible word that suggests that "Choshi" is a song you play to check
your own condition, checking the intonation of your spirit, as it were. Some
people say that the study of Honkyoku begins with Choshi and ends with
Choshi.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Haferkamp" <rhafe@pacbell.net>
To: <shakuhachi@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 3:23 PM
Subject: What is Choshi?
> Hello- I am new to the shakuhachi. I was reading an article by Daniel
> Nyohaku Soergel, re. practice, and he mentions playing "Choshi". Could
> someone please tell me what it is- a musical piece, I assume? Thank you-
> Roger Haferkamp
>
>
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