Dear Shakuhchi people.
I would like to add to the "definition" of hocchiku as well. After Tom's=20
mail, I called up Okuda sensei, who is the source of Kodama's information=
,=20
as well as mine, since we have both been studying hocchiku with Okuda for=
=20
many years.
Also Okuda sensei said, as Alcvin corrected, that the length is not defin=
ing=20
the hocchiku. Any ji-nashi nobekan(shak in one piece) would be a hocchiku=
.=20
But he also said that the very short flutes of Watazumi (like his 1,4 et=
c.)=20
could be called doteki (o is long). The character for do is the same as o=
ne=20
of the characters in the name Watazumi. The Japanese way of reading it is=
=20
warabe, mening child. Teki means flute (the same word as in ryuteki). Th=
e=20
word hocchiku comes, according to Okuda, from hoki (sacred tool/instrumen=
t=20
[not musical]). As the Fuke sect used playing on bamboo flutes as a part =
of=20
their religious training, they changed the word by keeping the ho and add=
ing=20
the word bamboo. Therefore hocchiku. By using the word hoki, it could be =
any=20
other sacred object used for religious training, by saying hocchiku, one=20
knows immidiately that it's the bamboo flute of the Fuke sect.
Okuda told me to emphasize, that the main difference between a shakuahchi=
=20
and a hocciku(kyotaku and hocchiku is interchangeable) is the philosophy=20
behind the two instruments. The shakuhachi is made to be a musical=20
instrument. It's made to have a louder volume and tuned in a way, that it=
=20
can be played in an ensemble. That is already different than the "way" of=
=20
hocchiku. The Hocchiku player explores the different tone colors of the=20
natural bamboo. Here, it woould be difficult to answer the question on wh=
at=20
is the ideal neiro(tone color) asked by Reg. You have to hear the hocchik=
u=20
played LIVE. It is very important that you hear the live sound, according=
to=20
Okuda, since a lot of the neiro disappears on a CD. The hocciku playing i=
s=20
very personal and inward process. One has to accept the differences in ea=
ch=20
bamboo, also the disadvantages. Out of 12 hocchiku I have made with Murai=
=20
san's help, only 2 can reach the Daikan, no maybe 3. One of them began to=
be=20
able to play a bit in daikan after 9 years of playing. A lot of sounds ca=
n=20
be played on shakuhachi by blowing harder, thereby forcing the sound to c=
ome=20
out. If you do that on a hocciku, the sound just disappears. You have to=20
play the hocchiku with an extremely delicate breath. A lot of this writte=
n=20
above will overlap in shakuhachi playing as well, I imagine.
I did ask Okuda, if a shakuhachi somehow (maybe this is a bit far out) co=
uld=20
become a hocchiku, if the player had the exact same approach to his/her=20
playing as a hocchiku player. But he refused it by arguing that this woul=
d=20
be impossible, since the shakuhachi is being produced to become a musical=
=20
instrument, and therefore already at the moment of production, because of=
=20
its aim, is disqualified as hocchiku.
From my own experience, I can say that playing the hocchiku and shakuhach=
i=20
demands very diffrent breathing techniques. I have only played shakuahchi=
in=20
teaching situations when I have to be in tune with the student's shakuhac=
hi,=20
and I feel like it's a totally different instrument. and I play the=20
shakuhachi very badly ( I got my first one about half a year ago).So, not=
=20
only is the sound different, but they are quite different to play as well.
Hope this helps a bit to understand the wonderful world of hocchiku, whic=
h=20
is still quite unknown, alonside the world of shakuhachi.
Love Kiku
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