There's a number of ways to lower pitch besides nodding the head. In
fact, if you blow "wrong" you can lower your head and sharpen the
pitch. (You may want to do this on purpose later when going from
dai-meri to meri for Honkyoku).
Here's a list I came up with for my students. Some of these
techniques I was taught by my teachers and some I discovered by
experimenting for hours on end.
I think the key is to open the throat. A lot! None of the
following techniques will be enough to get meri and dai-meri pitch
with rich tone color without opening the throat and playing from deep
inside. We don't really blow meri. It's more like a type of
delicate breathing. I'm sure there's more techniques. These are
the ones I know of. How to play dai-meri with a bit more volume is
discussed at the bottom of this list.
1)Nod head either straight down or at an angle-down. Turning the
head to the side will raise the pitch or combined with very delicate
blowing keep you from going flat.
2)Blow softer or don't blow, but breathe delicately. You'll hear
sound but it doesn't seem that you are blowing, or even breathing at
times.
3)Push flute into chin. Our lips are thick and pitch can be lowered
just by compressing this area.
4)Relax jaw. This allows the other techniques to work better.
5)Open throat. Play from deep inside to lower pitch and get a rich
tone color. It's possible to get the richest tone from meri notes.
Think AHH like at the doctors office. Or use other vowels for
different tones. Vowels give different shapes to the mouth and
throat cavities.
6)Think low. Think the specific pitch you seek. Will or hear,
internally the tone you want.
7)For meri notes other than RO meri or dai meri cover more of tone
hole already being partially covered; or uncovered. Exp. Tsu Meri.
Cover more of first hole for dai-no-tsu-meri. For U, also cover some
of third hole. Etc.
And. Do all of the above at the same time.
*To get more volume from Ro-dai-meri play the note breathy. But,
make sure it's a feathery breath. A focused breath will of course
raise the pitch.
Sounds complicated, but, this is what it takes to get good pitch and
rich tone color on meri and dai meri notes.
One exercise is to lower the pitch on any note. As you slowly go
down your throat will start to open.
I almost drove myself nuts years ago working on this. But, it was worth it.
Peter
>IMHO.....
>
>One good way to practice getting that low note is to focus and concentrate
>on your Ro, and slowly lower your head (meri) striving to keep tone. This
>lowest of notes will, however, typically NOT be "...loud...".
>Characteristically, meri notes are softer than open whole notes.
>
>Meri can be achieved by either lowering of the head or turning head to the
>side. In either case, it is a function of narrowing the relationship between
>the lips and the blowing edge.
>
>--
>
>Tim Cassler
>Toolbox Studios, Inc.
>454 Soledad, Suite 100
>San Antonio, TX 78205
>
>210.225.8269 x111
>fax.225.8200
>
>> From: Tsunhin John Wong <thjwong@hkusua.hku.hk>
>> Reply-To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
>> Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 03:06:15 +0800 (HKT)
>> To: shakuhachi <shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu>
>> Subject: [Shaku] daimeso sound on the shakuhachi - keypoints and practice
>> method
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I find it very difficult to produce a loud and clear daimeso sound
>> on the shakuhachi, i.e. to produce a one-whole-step lower C sound on a D
>> (1.8) flute
>> Can anyone point me to the keypoints to note during for producing
>> such a sound? And if there is anyway I can practice in order to
>> effectively improve on it?
>>
>> Thank you very much!
>>
>> Regards,
>> John
>>
>> _____________________________________________
>>
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>
>_____________________________________________
>
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-- Peter Ross http://www.cloudhandsmusic.com APDO 542-4100 Grecia, Costa Rica Central America 011 (506) 494-5170 _____________________________________________List subscription information is at: http://communication.ucsd.edu/shaku/listsub.html
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