The Japanese bamboo flute Shakuhachi 尺八 is a spiritual musical instrument to train breathing and concentration. The flute has a wonderful sound that speaks directly to the heart.
It was played by Zen Buddhist monks as meditation training: the Suizen (blowing zen) meditation.
Zen spirituality and nature are the core of inspiration of the “honkyoku”, the solo pieces of the traditional repertoire.
Since the 20th century, the repertoire of the shakuhachi has been expanding to include different styles of music. The interest in this instrument is increasing outside of Japan.
The traditional music for shakuhachi has its own notation in Japanese. Different styles may have different notations.
A short introduction (The basics) by Jon Kypros you will find here.
Video’s:
links to YouTube:
Shakuhachi (Teruhisa Fukuda) – Flûte de Bambou part 1
Shakuhachi (Teruhisa Fukuda) – Flûte de Bambou part 3
For more information about buying a shakuhachi, sheet music, CD’s, tutorials, etc.
see: Tai Hei Shakuhachi