Interesting discussion about shakuhachi/chord progression/transposition and
chromaticism.
Charles, I do not think it is strictly necessary to be a shakuhachi player
in order to write well for shakuhachi. Frank Denyer is one such composer. He
can't play the shakuhachi, but writes brilliant music for the instrument.
Yes, his pieces are extremely difficult, but all his music is, not only the
ones for shakuhachi. The difficulties are not due to lack of knowledge, his
music is just so complex - especially rhythmically. All his ideas can be
done on a shakuhachi, which shows, of course, the composer's intense musical
relationship to one of the best contemporary music players on shakuhachi
ever, Iwamoto Yoshikazu. Check Denyer's music out, and you will see
well-written music for the shakuhachi at top level.
I have just started to practice on "After the Rain" piece by Denyer. This is
the 3rd piece I have learnt of his music (the others: "Wheat" and "The
Tender Sadness of Tyrants as They Dance". It is amazing how much I have
learnt from these pieces, not only as a shakuhachi player, but as a musician
in general.
Phil, I would say that the shakuhachi is not in particular a chromatic
instrument. It is an instrument that can play the chromatic scale, yes! But
that does not make it a chromatic instrument... The shakuhachi, as we all
know, is tuned pentatonic, but due to its construction, it can play
which-ever note we wish to play. So, the shakuhachi can play not only a
chromatic scale but for example any makam, if we wish to do so. It is not a
chromatic instrument in my mind because it is not confined to be only a
chromatic instrument. It was not build to be one. It just has the potential
to play all 12 notes in the Western scale, but it has at the same time the
potential to play in huseyni mode for example or any Turkish mode that may
divide a semitone up to 4 units (Karl Signell, you can correct me here if I
remember wrong). So, for me, to say the shakuhachi IS a chromatic instrument
is stretching it a bit. If the chromatic scale is most important for you, I
can understand you see it personally as such an instrument.
And yes, many shakuhachi schools play in equal temperament. This is not so
strange when thinking that the Japanese have had only what we call "Western"
music in their school system between 1871 and 2002. For the average Japanese
person, the music they feel most familiar with, is not "traditional"
Japanese music, but what we too easily call Western music. So "their" ears
have changed too.
>And there seems to be an insistence that Ro (D on a 1.8) is the tonic. From
>what
>i can see, in traditional shakuhachi music, Re (g on a 1.8) tends to be the
>tonic more often than Ro. Again, perhaps i am mistaken and confused about
>all of
>this. :)
No, you are not especially confused. In traditional Japanese music the
tonic, or kakuon, can change and a piece have several kakuon. Typically
there are 2 kakuon a perfect fourth or fifth apart in a piece, but not
necessary.
Take care,
Kiku
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