Taniguchi & Gould, How to Play the Classical Shakuhachi

This is the first in a series of instructional books designed to teach intermediate and advanced players the finer points of shakuhachi honkyoku. Taniguchi's attention to detail and nuance is enhanced by numerous illustrations, charts and notation all hand-drawn by the author.

The manual is divided into three parts. Section 1 is a reference section isolating each tone used in honkyoku music. The meri-kari system is explained, showing each note in its kari, chu-meri, meri and dai-meri position. Important sequential patterns of notes and tones of equal pitch and their various notation symbols are compared. Also included in this section are basic fingering charts along with explanations. Section 2 covers Nayashi techniques as well as basic strategies for practical training. The notation for Edo no Komori Uta is provided as a study piece. Section 3 contains the music scores for the Classical Shakuhachi honkyoku pieces Honshirabe, Tamuke and Shika no Tohne.

Yoshinobu Taniguchi is one of the foremost living masters of shakuhachi in Japan today. In addition to having studied under three great pillars of shakuhachi -Aoki Reibo, Yamaguchi Goro and Yokoyama Katsuya - he has also mastered the playing styles and repertoire of many other shakuhachi sects. Mr. Taniguchi is a recipient of the transmission of Koden Honkyoku through Watazumido Shuso and Yokoyama Katsuya.

He has received several honors for his work in Japan including acknowledgement as top performer at the Osaka Geijutsu Sai. He was also given the honorary title of Sen Shin Kotsu Dai Shihan at the young age of 32, a title usually reserved for senior "ambassadors" of shakuhachi.

Mr. Taniguchi was Visiting Professor of Shakuhachi at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio where he taught in 1982 when he wrote this informative playing guide for his students. He presently resides in Mineyama-cho, a small city near the Sea of Japan outside of Kyoto.

Michael Chikuzen Gould studied shakuhachi in Japan from 1983-1996 under Mr. Yoshinobu Taniguchi and Mr. Katsu Yokoyama, where he eventually earned his Shihan and Dai Shihan certificates. Since moving back to the US in 1996, he has been a faculty member in the Dept. of Asian Studies at Wittenberg Univ., Springfield, Ohio, and Shakuhachi instructor at The Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ml and Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.

Learn more about Yoshinobu Taniguchi
How to Play the Shakuhachi
How to Play Classical Shakuhachi
Recordings
Chikuzen Shakuhachi Series Sheet Music & CDs
DVD Video
Sumi-e Paintings
Recorded Music by Michael Gould