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Glossary
Traditional shakuhachi music uses a variety of expressive playing techniques that control pitch, tone color, articulation, and musical phrasing.
Six important techniques are:
- O-Kari (大カリ): Raising the pitch through an emphasized kari position.
- Nayashi (ナヤシ): An expressive pitch bend involving a lowered pitch and an upward return.
- Suru (スル): Connecting notes smoothly, often with a pitch slide.
- Yuri (ユリ): Producing vibrato through controlled head movements.
- Ru (ル): A fingering ornament used to articulate or repeat a note.
- Kara (カラ): A percussive fingering ornament involving a rapid strike on finger hole 1.
These techniques are particularly important in traditional honkyoku compositions and may be represented by special symbols in Kinko, Tozan, and other shakuhachi notation systems.
O-Kari, sometimes written Oh Kari or Ō-kari, refers to an emphasized or extended form of the kari playing position.
In shakuhachi playing, kari means raising the chin or changing the blowing angle to increase the pitch.
O-Kari describes a more pronounced movement toward the raised-pitch position.
- Begin with a normal or slightly lowered head position.
- Raise the chin to change the angle of the airstream.
- Allow the pitch to rise.
- Control the movement to achieve the desired musical expression.
O-Kari can produce:
- An upward pitch bend.
- A brighter or more penetrating tone.
- A feeling of tension or intensity.
- A contrast with the lowered meri position.
The exact pitch change depends on the instrument, note, and musical tradition.
Nayashi is an expressive pitch ornament involving a movement below the intended pitch followed by an upward return.
It may begin with a downward bend from the principal note or with an approach from below, depending on the musical context and school.
- Begin the note or its approach.
- Lower the chin into a meri position.
- Allow the pitch to fall below the intended note.
- Raise the chin smoothly toward the normal position.
- Settle on the intended pitch.
Nayashi creates:
- A gentle downward and upward pitch movement.
- An expressive introduction to a note.
- A flowing, vocal-like articulation.
- A transition from tension to resolution.
Meri describes a lowered pitch or playing position.
Nayashi describes an expressive pitch movement involving a lowered pitch and a return.
Nayashi is therefore a dynamic ornament rather than a fixed pitch.
Suru is a term used in some shakuhachi teaching traditions for a smooth or sliding movement between notes.
Its interpretation depends on the school and composition. The related terms suri, suriage, and surisage describe more specific sliding ornaments.
- Play the initial note.
- Maintain a continuous flow of air.
- Change the pitch smoothly through head movement or fingering.
- Arrive at the following note without a strong attack.
Suru may produce:
- A smooth transition between notes.
- A softened or nearly imperceptible attack.
- A flowing melodic line.
- A subtle pitch slide or portamento.
- Suri (スリ): A sliding movement between pitches.
- Suriage (スリ上): An upward slide.
- Surisage (スリ下): A downward slide.
Exact terminology and notation vary among shakuhachi schools.
Yuri is the traditional shakuhachi term for vibrato.
Unlike the vibrato commonly associated with Western flute playing, shakuhachi yuri is often produced through deliberate head movements.
These movements change the blowing angle and create periodic variations in pitch, tone color, or both.
- Begin with a stable, sustained note.
- Move the head gently and rhythmically.
- Allow the pitch or tone color to fluctuate.
- Adjust the speed and depth of the movement to suit the musical phrase.
Yuri can be subtle and slow or pronounced and intense.
| Technique | Japanese | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tate-yuri | 立ユリ | Vertical head movement producing pitch variation |
| Yoko-yuri | 横ユリ | Horizontal head movement, often emphasizing tone-color variation |
| Mawashi-yuri | 回ユリ | Circular head movement |
| Take-yuri | 竹ユリ | Vibrato produced by moving the shakuhachi toward the chin |
| Kaeshi-yuri | 返ユリ | A transition between different yuri movements |
Terminology and execution may vary between schools.
Yuri adds:
- Expressive vibrato.
- Warmth and emotional intensity.
- Movement within sustained notes.
- Subtle changes in pitch and tone color.
- A sense of breath and natural phrasing.
Western flute vibrato is frequently generated through variations in air pressure.
Shakuhachi yuri, especially traditional head vibrato, relies more strongly on movement of the head and embouchure.
The resulting sound may vary in pitch, tone color, and intensity simultaneously.
Ru (ル) is a traditional shakuhachi fingering ornament, particularly important in Kinko-ryū notation.
It is commonly used to articulate or repeat a note through a brief finger movement.
Depending on the school and principal note, this may involve striking finger hole 1 or using an additional fingering pattern.
- Play the principal note using its normal fingering.
- Maintain a continuous airstream.
- Perform the specified rapid finger movement.
- Return immediately to the principal note.
The movement produces a short articulation without requiring a separate tongue attack.
Ru produces:
- A short percussive articulation.
- A clearly defined repetition of a note.
- A momentary change in pitch or tone color.
- Rhythmic emphasis within a melodic phrase.
- Ornamentation without interrupting the breath.
In Kinko notation, Ru is represented by the katakana character:
ル
It commonly appears after another note symbol to indicate an ornamental articulation.
Ru should not always be interpreted as a separate note with an independent fixed pitch.
Its precise execution depends on the notation school and musical context.
Kara (カラ) is a traditional shakuhachi fingering ornament that produces a short, percussive articulation by rapidly striking finger hole 1.
The technique is closely related to Kara-kara (カラカラ), a repeated finger-tapping ornament that creates a trill-like effect.
Kara is found in traditional shakuhachi notation, including Tozan-ryū and other performance traditions.
- Begin playing the principal note.
- Maintain a steady and continuous airstream.
- Briefly strike finger hole 1 with the index finger of the lower hand.
- Release the finger immediately, returning to the original fingering.
- Continue the principal note without interrupting the breath.
The movement should be quick and precise.
The fingering and register depend on the note and notation system.
Kara can produce:
- A brief percussive accent.
- A momentary pitch fluctuation.
- A subtle change in tone color.
- A rhythmic articulation.
- A distinctive finger-generated ornament.
The precise acoustic effect depends on the fingering, pitch, and instrument.
Kara-kara is a repeated form of the Kara ornament.
Instead of striking the finger hole once, the player performs a rapid succession of finger movements.
- Begin with a sustained principal note.
- Maintain continuous breath pressure.
- Rapidly strike and release finger hole 1 several times.
- Keep the movement rhythmically controlled.
- Finish by returning to the principal note.
Kara-kara produces:
- A rapid, pulsating articulation.
- A percussive or beating effect.
- A microtonal trill with relatively small pitch changes.
- A distinctive trembling tone color.
- Increased intensity within a sustained note.
Unlike a conventional Western trill, Kara-kara does not necessarily alternate between two clearly separated musical pitches.
Instead, it may be perceived primarily as a rhythmic or timbral effect.
In Tozan-ryū notation, Kara is represented by the katakana characters:
カラ
A documented Tozan fingering instruction describes playing in the kan register with the thumb hole closed and striking finger hole 1.
The technique appears, for example, in Rokudan.
Although both techniques involve rapid finger movements, they serve somewhat different musical purposes.
Ru is commonly used as an ornamental articulation or note repetition.
Kara emphasizes a rapid finger strike, often producing a distinctive percussive effect.
Kara-kara extends that movement into repeated strikes, creating a trill-like or beating sound.
The exact distinctions depend on the performance school.
| Technique | Primary Movement | Pitch Effect | Musical Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-Kari | Raising the chin | Raises pitch | Emphasis, tension, brightness |
| Nayashi | Meri movement and return | Downward/upward bend | Expressive pitch ornament |
| Suru | Smooth fingering or head movement | Sliding or connected pitch | Legato transition |
| Yuri | Repeated head movement | Periodic pitch or timbre variation | Vibrato and expression |
| Ru | Rapid finger-hole articulation | Brief pitch interruption | Note repetition and rhythmic emphasis |
| Kara | Rapid strike on hole 1 | Brief pitch or timbral fluctuation | Percussive articulation |
| Kara-kara | Repeated strikes on hole 1 | Microtonal trill or beating | Repeated rhythmic ornament |
These techniques are not simply decorative effects. They form an essential part of the musical language of traditional shakuhachi performance.
In Kinko, Tozan, and other notation systems, they may be indicated by special symbols or annotations.
Their interpretation may depend on:
- The notation school.
- The musical composition.
- The traditional performance lineage.
- The player's interpretation.
- The musical context.
For accurate interpretation or software-based notation conversion, these techniques should be represented independently of the basic note symbols.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Technique | O-Kari, Nayashi, Suru, Yuri, Ru, Kara, or Kara-kara |
| Note | Principal note to which the technique applies |
| Fingering | Finger-hole configuration |
| Finger movement | Holes involved in the ornament |
| Pitch variation | Direction and extent of pitch change |
| Duration | Duration of the ornament |
| Repetitions | Number of finger strikes, where applicable |
| Notation system | Kinko, Tozan, or another school |
| Symbol | School-specific notation character |
A technique such as Kara should preserve its finger-articulation instructions rather than being converted automatically into a separate Western musical note.
Similarly, Kara-kara should be represented as a repeated ornament or trill-like articulation rather than a fixed sequence of chromatic pitches.
- European Shakuhachi Society — Glossary
- Tozan Special Fingerings and Ornamentations — Peter Smith (PDF)
- Shakuhachi Texas — Japanese Lesson 7
- International Shakuhachi Society
- European Shakuhachi Society
This document introduces six expressive shakuhachi techniques and the related Kara-kara ornament. Their precise execution and notation may vary between schools, compositions, and teaching lineages.
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