Shakuhachi Flute

Whenever people with access to the internet to come across a new word it now has turned into a natural instinct to search for it or in common word to Google it. Shakuhachi flute is one such topic to search and read about. This Japanese musical instrument is used by blowing from an end, has been part of the Japanese culture since the medieval period. Originally this type of flute is thought to have come to Japan from China. But the Shakuhachi flute has undergone much metamorphosis due to its evolution in isolation and now varies a great deal from the Chinese counterpart.

Traditional Shakuhachi flute is made from bamboo but these days it’s also being made from Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The Shakuhachi flute was mainly used by Zen Buddhist monk of the ‘Fuke School’ to practice suizen. Suizen is the type of blowing meditation where air is blown into an instrument which produces musical note. The flute has a soulful musical sound. The western world was introduced with it in the late 1980s when it was used in the pop music scene.

The root end of a bamboo is used to make the Shakuhachi flute. This makes the instrument extremely versatile. Notes can be produced by covering the holes completely or partially (1/3 or 1/2covered). The pitch of the Shakuhachi flute is got from the angle of the air blown into the hole. Varying the angle can give subtle or high pitch note. With time and practice it is possible to produce any pitch of sound from the Shakuhachi flute. The flute can accompany many musical modern pieces and is used in jazz, folk and koto music.

There are five holes in the Shakuhachi flute. The lowest note or the fundamental note is produced when all five holes are covered and air is blown at a normal angle.

Even though the Shakuhachi flute is used extensively it requires great skill and time to make the flute. Most of the time is taken to get the best quality of material. This is one of the main reasons why it cannot be produced in bulk. Since the craftsmen needs to find the right bamboo so that it plays in the right tune when air is blown in to it. All this adds up in the cost of the flute as a result one can get a Shakuhachi flute for a price of around $300 to $5000. Professional players often order their set of instrument according to their custom needs. Shakuhachi flute with historical past is also valued in the market and can sometimes be priced as high as $10,000. These have valuable inlays on them and are of extreme quality.

There is also plastic or PVC Shakuhachi flute in the market. They have certain advantages in comparison to the bamboo made traditional Shakuhachi flutes. These are of light weight, with unprecedented durable. Most of these plastic flutes are not affected by change in temperature, that means these are impervious to heat and cold. Most importantly cost lesser than USD 100.