The shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown flute that is held more like a recorder or Native American flute than the transverse concert flute that many Westerners are familiar with. It is related to the whistle, organ pipes, panpipes, piccolos, and jugs as a member of the flute family. The shakuhachi is related to various flutes from Africa, Central and South America, as well as the Chinese xiao, which was developed during the Han dynasty and is linked to Confucius’ teachings.
The shakuhachi is typically made of bamboo, but it can also be made of wood or plastic. There are four finger holes and a thumbhole on this ring. It’s called a notched flute because the rim has a notch for pitch production, either curved like a U or pointed like a V.
The 21.5-inch (54.5-centimeter) instrument’s tones are roughly equivalent to D, F, G, A, and C in a Western scale, resembling the minor pentatonic scale. Fingering techniques and embouchure adjustment are used to achieve intermediate pitches and octave changes. Cross-fingering, half-holing, and quarter-holing are also used. Longer wind instruments, like other wind instruments, have lower tuning.
A Zen Buddhist sect uses the shakuhachi in meditation, healing music, and shakuhachi orchestras. Although shakuhachi and koto is a more traditional ensemble combination, it has joined the ranks of orchestral instruments in pieces such as Yamamoto Hozan’s Concerto for Shakuhachi and Orchestra.
Masakazu Yoshizawa, whose shakuhachi playing was featured in the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack, and Bill Shozan Schultz, who played in Snow Falling on Cedars, are two well-known shakuhachi players. Yokoyama Katsuya, Watazumido Doso Roshi, Kozan Tanifuji, Kuniyoshi Sugawara, Anne Norman, John Kaizan Neptune, Akikazu Nakamura, Kifu Mitsuhashi, and Riley Lee are all well-known shakuhachi players.