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How long will it take to learn to play shakuhachi?
As with any instrument the length of time it will take to learn to play is highly dependent on one's commitment, available time to set aside for practice, previous musical experience, and each individual's ability to learn. However, it is immediately apparent to most when trying shakuhachi for the first time that it is a particularly difficult instrument to get a reasonably musical tone from. In fact, the shakuhachi is one of the most difficult flutes for a beginner player to produce a tone.
After being able to consistently produce a tone the most obvious challenge is playing in tune, an activity that is complicated by the fact that the shakuhachi only has five finger holes but a player is expected to be able to access all twelve notes of a chromatic scale. This is accomplished with techniques such as tilting the head to change the angle of the shakuhachi and pitch of the tone, partially closing holes, and employing cross-fingerings. At more advanced levels many notes have alternate fingerings resulting in varied tonal colors.
Due to all of these factors, mastering the shakuhachi involves a lifetime of study. However, most students are usually able to play some simple melodies within a few months.
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Do I absolutely need a teacher?
Very few instruments can be learned without the student having a teacher. Shakuhachi is no different, and given the difficulty of both the complexities of the instrument and the repertoire written for it, it's not surprising very few beginners make much progress without a teacher. There are some good tutorial books for folk-songs, and some people are satisfied with playing relatively random meditative tones for some time, but it's best to find a teacher for guidance preferably before even buying an instrument.
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There are many scientific papers dating from the 1970's strongly suggesting that the material a wind instrument is made from does not affect the way the instrument sounds. Of particular note to flute players is the Coltman experiment that caused a stir among the silver concert flute community when the results of the experiment were presented in an issue of "Flute World".
Despite scientific theory, it is obvious to shakuhachi players that bamboo shakuhachi do not sound like wood shakuhachi, and neither of those sound like plastic shakuhachi. It is easy to explain those differences as being due to the fact that the bore profiles, finger-hole edges, and mouthpieces are not exactly identical on any of the instruments. Scientific theory explains that the acoustical characteristics of a shakuhachi are so sensitive to changes in the dimensions of the instrument that it is in practically impossible to create two shakuhachi, even of similar material, close enough to identical in dimensions to eliminate perceived sonic differences.
Due to the organic nature of bamboo, it is easier to achieve an amount of quality control when working with wood or plastic that allows the maker to create good playing shakuhachi at a lower cost than bamboo. As it is, the best playing shakuhachi are bamboo, however the fact that a shakuhachi is made of bamboo by itself does not suggest that it will play better than a wood or plastic shakuhachi. Whether the reason the finest playing shakuhachi are bamboo is because of workmanship and hand tuning or because of a characteristic of the material is a question that will probably not be definitively answered any time soon.
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I want to play Western pop and classical music. Do I need a 7 hole shakuhachi for that?
No. There are many shakuhachi players who are able to execute difficult Western pop, classical, and jazz passages on a standard 5 hole shakuhachi. It's a personal preference, using a 5 hole shakuhachi for Western music often requires some creativity because aside from being a challenge in fast passages, the meri notes on a standard 5 hole shakuhachi lack the evenness in tonality that is often desirable in Western music. Be aware that the learning curve for the different fingerings on a 7 hole shakuhachi is steep in itself, and whether a 7 hole shakuhachi is "easier" for Western music or "cheating" is arguable.
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There are plenty of inexpensive shakuhachi on Ebay, are they worth it?
The most important thing to remember if you choose to purchase an inexpensive shakuhachi from Ebay is that if you buy it with intentions to use it for lessons with a teacher you will likely be disappointed. There are some reputable dealers on Ebay that will be able to accurately answer questions, let you know what the shakuhachi you are buying is best for, and will stand behind their product with return policies and sometimes upgrade policies.
There are also some makers with very limited experience and playing abilities selling instruments that, although they meet the loose definition of a shakuhachi as being an end-blown bamboo flute with 5 finger holes, are lacking enough of the characteristics of a good playing shakuhachi that teachers, skilled makers, and advanced students are hesitant to even call them shakuhachi. Some of these of makers are good, honest people who price their instruments accordingly and may eventually become more skilled, but it is important to understand that these instruments will usually not be satisfying to a student as they progress.
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Can I find a bargain shakuhachi on Ebay?
There are some reputable makers that have a presence on Ebay. Sometimes you'll find them starting an auction at a low price or lowering the price on a shakuhachi listed with "buy it now". I've found that looking for these is the most reliable way to find a "bargain" shakuhachi on Ebay.
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Typical shakuhachi care includes keeping the shakuhachi in a plastic bag when not in use to avoid drastic changes in humidity levels. Cracked and restored shakuhachi are particularly sensitive to humidity levels as the cracks tend to open up and cause air leaks when the humidity levels drop. You may need to keep a small dampened cloth in the plastic bag with the shakuhachi for a day or two to help close the crack.
If you continue to experience problems, contact a shakuhachi maker.
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Probably nothing. Many older shakuhachi do not play in tune well. Some speculation on why this is so common is that the finger hole position on older shakuhachi were placed more with aesthetics in mind than whether the shakuhachi would play in tune. Whatever the reason, there are a lot of vintage shakuhachi that do not play in tune well. You could contact a shakuhachi maker to make modifications to the shakuhachi. However it's important to keep in mind that any vintage or antique shakuhachi is an historical clue to what the music of its day sounded like, to alter it will lower its value in that respect and may bring up ethical decisions as well.
Fortunately, the pitches on a shakuhachi are very easy for the player to adjust, and advanced players can compensate for most tuning issues.