I too find memorizing shakuhachi pieces to be difficult. I studied classical piano for a number of
years, and though I was much younger then--a teenager--I memorized pieces very quickly, so much
more quickly than honkyoku now that I think despite the age difference it is easier to memorize
piano music. That you repeat many phrases with subtle changes in them, in honkyoku, is for me the
most difficult thing; add to that the lack of harmonic markers and such that Stav talked about. I
think memorization is necessary for playing a piece really well, so it's important to focus on. At
the same time, I proved many times to my piano teacher that you could have a whole piece memorized
and yet not play it very well! In the end, though, when you've memorized a piece all your energy
can go into your epxression, and I think it makes a huge difference. During a lesson I had with
Riley Lee he recommended just playing the pieces over and over, rather than doing technical
exercises; good advice for honkyoku, I think, as you need to just get them under your skin.
As for singing, it's very helpful, and strongly recommended by Yokoyama sensei, no doubt other
teachers as well. I personally feel that it's better not to sing the names of the notes, but to
try and convey the feeling of the piece by changes in the tone of your voice, while singing a
single, neutral sound, or even imitating the tone qualities of the different notes. Ro tsu re chi
ri are not in my mind an expression of the sound or quality of the notes on a shakuhachi--I guess
ro alone comes somewhat close. Singing them by name may make it a bit easier to memorize, but I
think when playing with notation that the note names are a visual clue that you transfer directly
to your hands, whereas if you're playing without music the pitch alone, once you get the scales
stuck in your head, will be sufficient. Nevertheless, whatever works best, and Kurahashi sensei
for one usually sings the notes by name.
By the way, I've been told that master players playing sankyoku pieces have the music memorized,
and only spread the music out in order to not appear arrogant. That's amazing to me.
Peter
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