Learn to Play the Shakuhachi: Fukuda Rando - Intermediate

This is a warm-up exercise that I recommend you do every day. We will have a few of the Robuki added to the beginning of the lesson as well.

5-10 minutes a day will help you with your playing and breath control.

This song is usually played as a duet. I have used it as a solo as well. I found that the first and last parts were easier and slower and would help the student in developing the musical phrasing of a song. This will help you get more feeling into the song. these are post-romantic songs from the early 20th Century. The feel for most of the songs is a look on the past and remembering fondly of walks in nature and discovering the beauty of nature. So with this in mind, try to make these melodies your own and bring your interpretation and images in them. Have fun with these songs.

The song is from the Azuma Ryu that Fukuda Rando started.

The school has been passed on to Yokoyama Katsuya then later on to one of his students  Matama Sensei from the  Kenshukan.

Learning to play the fast part of the song. You will work on Stacatto / tonguing to play this section. Make sure to start at a slow tempo, even slower than on video if need be and work up to the tempo of the song.

Great practice for using tonguing in a softer way.

Note: For those more advanced, you will find my interpretation of the song at the end of lesson 4 when we put it all together. I will post a slightly different score with more "decoration " to some of the phrases and notes.

I just did not want to confuse beginners with more complicated phrasing, I will put up a video later on with more info on those phrases to embelish

We are coming to the part where I recommend you to memorize the song at one point to better focus on the sounds you create. Be very critical of each note and sound you create. Closing your eyes and focusing on your playing will make it easier to really get into the song. By playing it over and over, you will slowly get a better feel for it. Where to take a rest (Ma) or to get louder or softer.

Question each new decision you make and make sure your choice makes sense in your interpretation of the song. Have fun.

We have added this version for those who are more advanced and want some more pointers on how to make it come more alive. Make sure to practice the Kobushi or new fingering techniques and play them in a way that is fluid and does not sound out of place.

three songs have the bonus video to play at a more advanced level

The Traveler's Song. This is considered a Honkyoku for the Azuma Ryu that Fukuda Rando started.

The school has been passed on to Yokoyama Katsuya then later on to one of his students Matama from Kenshukan. I feel this song's mood is set with that first Ro note.

So pay attention to that first note. Imagine a wide expand of land, think of a walk you took and imagine your sound carrying away to the end of the land, as far as you can see. As a student and in my study, I was told to practice only outside, so that my sound would be bigger and I would not depend on the acoustic of a small room. Your body is part of the instrument. the sounds do not start only at your mouthpiece, but inside your mouth, head, chest and whole body. Your body is a little bit like the body of the guitar it vibrates and sounds with the flute. The sound of the Shakuhachi is particular to each player. So I hope you have fun on this journey with your shakuhachi.

Note: For those more advanced, you will find my interpretation of the song at the end of lesson 6 when we put it all together. I will post a slightly different score with more "decoration " to some of the phrases and notes.

I just did not want to confuse beginners with more complicated phrasing, I will put up a video later on with more info on those phrases to embellish

The Traveler's Song. This is considered a Honkyoku for the Azuma Ryu that Fukuda Rando started.

The school has been passed on to Yokoyama Katsuya then later on to one of his students Matama from Kenshukan. I feel this song's mood is set with that first Ro note.

So pay attention to that first note. Imagine a wide space of land, think of a walk you took and imagine your sound carrying away to the end of the land, as far as you can see. As a student and in my study, I was told to practice only outside, so that my sound would be bigger and I would not depend on the acoustic of a small room. Your body is part of the instrument. the sounds do not start only at your mouthpiece, but inside your mouth, head, chest and whole body. Your body is a little bit like the body of the guitar it vibrates and sounds with the flute. The sound of the Shakuhachi is particular to each player. So I hope you have fun on this journey with your shakuhachi.

Adding another score for those who want to work on a more difficult interpretation of the song

This is a version that I play and has added technique. Make sure to practice the new fingering so that it becomes seamless. It should not be overused and the song still should sound simple and fluid.

Some parts will be similar to what we did in the other video and some parts will be more intricate adding new notes.

The Cicada(Semi) deep in the Valley. This is considered a Honkyoku for the Azuma Ryu that Fukuda Rando started.

The school has been passed on to Yokoyama Katsuya then later on to one of his students Matama from Kenshukan.

From the start with Re Chi, you feel the greatness of the mountain or valley and can almost hear your sound echo. This song really gives you the feeling or the vastness of Nature.

Imagine a wide space of land, think of a walk you took, and imagine your sound carrying away to the end of the land, as far as you can see. As a student and in my study, I was told to practice only outside, so that my sound would be bigger and I would not depend on the acoustic of a small room.

The same goes as for the other songs. Your body is part of the instrument, the notes do not start only at your mouthpiece, but inside your mouth, head, chest, and whole body. Your body is a little bit like the body of the guitar it vibrates and sounds with the flute. The sound of the Shakuhachi is particular to each player. So I hope you have fun on this journey with your shakuhachi.

Here we will recreate the sound of the cicada/ Higurashi ( a type of cicada that is reminiscent of Autumn with a quieter cry), so listen to what they sound like in nature and try to recreate it here.

Note: For those more advanced, you will find my interpretation of the song at the end of lesson 9 when we put it all together. I will post a slightly different score with more "embellishment  " to some of the phrases and notes.

I just did not want to confuse beginners with more complicated phrasing, I will put up a video later on with more info on those phrases to embellish

The Cicada deep in the Valley. This is considered a Honkyoku for the Azuma Ryu that Fukuda Rando started.

The school has been passed on to Yokoyama Katsuya then later on to one of his students Matama from Kenshukan.

Feel the greatness of the mountain or valley and can almost hear your sound echo. This song really gives you the feeling or the vastness of Nature. From the start with Re Chi, you feel the greatness of the mountain or valley and can almost hear your sound echo. This song really gives you the feeling or the vastness of Nature. You will play the sound of the cicada, so listen to what they sound like in nature and try to recreate it here. Different versions of HA with a trill on 2.  First Ha3 is played with a kari going into a meri closing 4, then a regular Ha.

Imagine a wide space of land, think of a walk you took, and imagine your sound carrying away to the end of the land, as far as you can see. As a student and in my study, I was told to practice only outside, so that my sound would be bigger and I would not depend on the acoustic of a small room.

The same goes as for the other songs. Your body is part of the instrument, the notes do not start only at your mouthpiece, but inside your mouth, head, chest, and whole body. Your body is a little bit like the body of the guitar it vibrates and sounds with the flute. The sound of the Shakuhachi is particular to each player. So I hope you have fun on this journey with your shakuhachi.

The Cicada deep in the Valley. This is considered a Honkyoku for the Azuma Ryu that Fukuda Rando started.

The school has been passed on to Yokoyama Katsuya then later on to one of his students Matama from Kenshukan.

Feel the greatness of the mountain or valley and can almost hear your sound echo. This song really gives you the feeling or the vastness of Nature. We will start here with the sound of the cicada, so listen to what they sound like in nature and try to recreate it here. Different versions of HA with a trill on 2.  First Ha3 is played with a kari going into a meri closing 4 then regular Ha.

Imagine a wide space of land, think of a walk you took, and imagine your sound carrying away to the end of the land, as far as you can see. As a student and in my study, I was told to practice only outside, so that my sound would be bigger and I would not depend on the acoustic of a small room.

The same goes as for the other songs. Your body is part of the instrument, the notes do not start only at your mouthpiece, but inside your mouth, head, chest, and whole body. Your body is a little bit like the body of the guitar it vibrates and sounds with the flute. The sound of the Shakuhachi is particular to each player. So I hope you have fun on this journey with your shakuhachi.

For more advanced: You will see here another score in this lesson that says new- updated with my interpretation that I play at the end

Here is a special lesson that gives you a advanced version of the song

This is an extra lesson to help you write and read the Shakuhachi notation. There is a way  and order to write Japanese characters. This will help you out in playing the notes as well as reading and writing them.