Dear Stav:
Dizziness is caused by hyperventilation. This will easily pass. One=20
thing we must be careful of is that playing shakuhachi can cause=20
tendinitis (I hope I spell it right). it is always a good idea to=20
exercise your hands and fingers before to practice. Dadid Sawyer has=20
some exercises on his web site.
You mentioned about trying to play the higher octave in pitch, using a=20=
pitch meter. If you do not plan to play with Western instruments before=20=
a while this is not necessary. Try to use your own ears and inner sense=20=
of tuning instead. In this way, you will be more able to adjust to=20
more comfortable and "natural" positions. Later on, you can try to play=20=
in tuning according to Westerm tempered scale. When playing honkyoku=20
it is not essential to be "in tune", although some people might say=20
otherwise. They were not written with that in mind, anyway. The=20
tempered and chromatic scale is a Western invention, and it is not=20
necessary to impose it on non Western music by using a tuner. Also,=20
you mention that the higher octave is flat. You also have to adjust=20
yourself to each of your shakuhachi. The higher octave of my 1.8 is=20
also flat, while my 1.6 it is sharp.
I hope this help!
Bruno
Le Mercredi, 25 juin 2003, =E0 13:40 America/Montreal, Stav Tapuch a=20
=E9crit :
>
> I have been studying shakuhachi for a little less than two years. I=20=
> have been making progress very slowly. (which means reasonably so by=20=
> shakuhachi standards so I have come to learn)
>
> During the process of going through this initial period of absorption=20=
> I have undergone several strange periods of pain and discomfort.
>
> My first problem was sudden periods of dizziness and near- fainting=20
> speels. This has become fairly uncommon.
>
> Then for a while my right hand and arm went through periods of pain=20
> and sorness - but this passed after awhile. (I now use my mouse with=20=
> my left hand only.)
>
> Now here is my newest experience with discomfort in playing shakuhachi=20=
> and wanted to know if anyone has had an experience like this.
> For a while now my biggest challenge was trying to get my high octave=20=
> in pitch. (No surprise I was, and am still, half of the time very=20
> flat.)
> Using a pitch meter I discovered that I need to be holding my head=20
> much higher, and I need to purse my lips much tigher to get the right=20=
> pitch. Good news: with effort I manage to do this. Not for very long=20=
> periods but I get the idea of where I need to be to get right pitch.
>
> Bad news: I now have been pursing my lips so tight that I have been=20
> causing myself a good deal of soreness and even outright pain in my=20
> front teeth. By pursing my lips so tight for two hours or so each=20
> daily practice session I think I might even be shifting my teeth as if=20=
> I had braces or something pulling back on them. I have been feeling=20=
> this now for about a month or so. It is not serious pain, but it is=20=
> distracting.
>
> Anyone go through something like this? Any advice to offer? I guess I=20=
> should speak to my dentist, but I am loath to have to confront a=20
> doctor's advice to stop playing shakuhachi.
>
> thanks
> Stav
>
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