A shakuhachi (Japanese: 尺八; pronounced [ɕakɯhat͡ɕi]) is a Japanese long flute made of bamboo. The flute, now called the shakuhachi, was created in Japan during the 16th century and is known as the fuke shakuhachi (普化尺八). Earlier, a bamboo flute called the kodai shakuhachi (古代尺八, ancient shakuhachi) or gagaku shakuhachi (雅楽尺八) was introduced from China during the Nara period but disappeared by the 10th century. After many years without use, the hitoyogiri shakuhachi (一節切尺八) appeared in the 15th century. In the 16th century, the fuke shakuhachi was developed in Japan. During the 18th century, in the Edo period, the fuke shakuhachi became popular, while the hitoyogiri shakuhachi eventually disappeared. The fuke shakuhachi is longer and thicker than the kodai shakuhachi and has one fewer finger hole. It is also longer and thicker than the hitoyogiri shakuhachi, making it better in sound volume, range, scale, and tone quality. Today, the term "shakuhachi" usually refers only to the fuke shakuhachi, and many people believe it is an instrument unique to Japan.

Traditionally, the shakuhachi is made of bamboo, but modern versions are also made from materials like ABS plastic, ebonite, anodized aluminum, and hardwoods. It was used by monks of the Fuke Zen sect of Buddhism for suizen, a type of meditation involving controlled breathing.

The shakuhachi is tuned to the minor pentatonic scale.

Etymology

The name shakuhachi means "1.8 shaku," which describes its size. It is made up of two words:

• Shaku (尺) is an old unit of length equal to 30.3 centimeters (0.99 feet) and is divided into ten smaller parts.
• Hachi (八) means "eight," referring to eight sun, or tenths, of a shaku.

Together, shaku-hachi means "one shaku and eight sun," which equals 54.54 centimeters (21.47 inches), the standard length of a shakuhachi. Other shakuhachi can vary in length from about 1.1 shaku to 3.6 shaku. Even though their sizes differ, they are all still called shakuhachi.

Overview

Shakuhachi are musical instruments made from the root part of madake (Phyllostachys bambusoides) bamboo. They are very flexible and can be used to play many different types of music, including traditional Zen music, music with other instruments like the koto, biwa, and shamisen, folk music, jazz, and modern pieces. Skilled players can produce almost any note they want and change the sound in many ways.

The shakuhachi’s ability to create subtle or dramatic changes in tone is a key feature. By adjusting finger positions, how the mouth is shaped (embouchure), and the amount of meri (lowering the pitch) or kari (raising the pitch), players can make the same note sound different. Covering holes partially or changing the angle of the breath can also change the pitch slightly or greatly. Traditional Honkyoku pieces use these techniques to add depth and detail to the music.

Unlike a recorder, which has a narrow airway called a fipple that limits pitch control, the shakuhachi is played by blowing across an edge called utaguchi (meaning "the mouth that sings"). This allows players to control the pitch more precisely. The utaguchi is a natural diagonal cut in the bamboo where the mouthpiece is located.

Different schools of shakuhachi, such as Kinko Ryu, Myoan, and Tozan Ryu, have unique designs for their mouthpieces. These designs often include inlaid parts, which historically helped repair the instrument if the blowing edge wore down.

The five finger holes on the shakuhachi are tuned to a minor pentatonic scale with no half-tones. Players can bend pitches up or down using meri and kari techniques, along with adjusting their embouchure and finger positions. Other methods, like shading (partially covering holes), can also lower pitches. Because the same note can be played in many ways with different sounds, musicians use specific names for each variation. The shakuhachi can play two full octaves (called otsu and kan) and part of a third octave (dai-kan). Experienced players can reach notes as high as E7 (2637.02 Hz) on a 1.8 shakuhachi. Changes in pitch are achieved by adjusting breath, finger positions, and embouchure.

In traditional music, players use quick finger movements to hit holes (called oshi or osu) for articulation instead of tonguing, as seen in many Western instruments. Each note has specific fingerings for repetition.

A 1.8 shakuhachi produces D4 (293.66 Hz) as its lowest note when all holes are covered and blown normally. A longer 2.4 shakuhachi has a lower fundamental note of A3 (220 Hz). As the flute gets longer, the finger holes are spaced farther apart, requiring more flexible techniques. Very long flutes are often custom-made. Some traditional Honkyoku pieces, especially from the Nezasaha (Kimpu-ryū) school, are played on these longer instruments.

Making a high-quality shakuhachi requires skill, time, and careful selection of bamboo. Craftsmen spend years finding the right bamboo, curing it in controlled conditions, and shaping the bore using Ji paste (a mix of tonoko powder, seshime, and urushi lacquer). A new or used bamboo shakuhachi can cost between $1,000 and $8,000. Rare or historically significant instruments may cost more than $20,000. Plastic or PVC shakuhachi are lighter, more durable, and cheaper (under $100), but most players prefer bamboo for its sound, appearance, and tradition. Wood shakuhachi are also available and cost less than bamboo but more than synthetic ones.

History

The shakuhachi flute came from a Chinese bamboo flute. This flute arrived in Japan from China during the 7th or 8th century. This type of bamboo flute, also called kodai shakuhachi or gagaku shakuhachi, was used to play gagaku music. However, it was no longer used by the 10th century. Eight kodai shakuhachi flutes remain in the Shōsō-in Treasure Repository. There are no written musical scores for the kodai shakuhachi, so details about how it was played or its musical scale are unknown. These flutes were about 40 cm (16 inches) long, had finger holes 2 cm (0.79 inches) in diameter, and had 6 finger holes—5 on the front and 1 on the back.

In the 15th century, a new type of flute called hitoyogiri shakuhachi appeared. It had a single bamboo joint in the middle of the tube. This flute became popular in the 17th century but was later replaced by the fuke shakuhachi. By the 19th century, the hitoyogiri shakuhachi was no longer used. These flutes were about 33.6 cm (13.2 inches) long, had an outer diameter of 3 cm (1.2 inches), and had 5 finger holes—4 on the front and 1 on the back.

The flute now known as the shakuhachi was developed in Japan during the 16th century. It is called the fuke shakuhachi. This type of shakuhachi is longer and thicker than older versions. It produces better sound, has a larger range, and a more complete musical scale than older flutes. It is made from the base of the bamboo, has an average length of 54.5 cm (21.5 inches), and has 5 finger holes—4 on the front and 1 on the back.

During the medieval period, shakuhachi flutes were especially important to the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhist monks, known as komusō. These monks used the shakuhachi as a spiritual tool. Their songs, called honkyoku, were played in time with the players’ breathing and were considered a form of meditation.

At this time, travel in Japan was limited by the shogunate, but the Fuke sect asked for and received permission from the shōgun to move freely. This was because their spiritual practice required them to travel, play the shakuhachi, and beg for food. One famous song reflects this tradition: "One two three, pass the alms bowl." The Fuke sect was given the right to play the shakuhachi exclusively. In return, some monks were required to act as spies for the shogunate. The shōgun also sent spies disguised as Fuke monks. This was easier because the Fuke wore wicker baskets over their heads, a symbol of their spiritual detachment from the world.

Because of these events, some honkyoku pieces, such as "Distant Call of the Deer," became famous as tests. If a person could play these difficult songs, they were considered a real Fuke monk. If not, they might be suspected of being a spy and could face danger in certain areas.

With the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the shogunate was abolished, and the Fuke sect was also ended to remove the shōgun’s remaining supporters. Playing the shakuhachi was banned for a few years. Other musical traditions were not greatly affected because similar instruments could play the same pentatonic tunes. However, the honkyoku repertoire was only known to the Fuke sect and was passed down through practice. Much of this music and many documents were lost.

When the Meiji government later allowed the shakuhachi to be played again, it was only as an accompaniment to instruments like the koto and shamisen. It was not until later that honkyoku pieces were allowed to be performed publicly as solo music.

Traditionally, the shakuhachi was played almost only by men in Japan. However, this is changing. Many teachers of traditional shakuhachi music now say most of their students are women. In 2004, the Big Apple Shakuhachi Festival in New York City hosted the first concert of international women shakuhachi masters. This festival was organized by Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin, the first full-time shakuhachi master to teach in the Western hemisphere. Nyogetsu holds two Dai Shihan (Grand Master) licenses and has run KiSuiAn, the largest and most active shakuhachi Dojo outside Japan, since 1975.

The shakuhachi has become more popular internationally in recent years. The first non-Japanese person to become a shakuhachi master was Riley Lee, an American-Australian. Lee helped organize the World Shakuhachi Festival in Sydney, Australia, from July 5–8, 2008, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Riley Lee played the shakuhachi in Dawn Mantras, a piece composed by Ross Edwards specifically for a performance on the sails of the Sydney Opera House at sunrise on January 1, 2000. This event was televised internationally.

Acoustics

The shakuhachi produces a set of musical tones that includes the main note and additional tones called even and odd harmonics, along with some noise from blowing. Five tone holes allow musicians to play the notes D, F, G, A, C, and D. Techniques such as cross (or fork) fingerings, partially covering tone holes, and using meri/kari blowing can cause the pitch to rise slightly, a phenomenon known as intonation anomaly. The second and third harmonics are especially important in creating the shakuhachi's unique sound. Although the shape of the shakuhachi is simple, the way it produces sound is complex. Sound comes out of multiple holes, and the natural uneven shape of the bamboo causes different sound patterns in different directions. These patterns depend on the pitch being played and the technique used.

Notable players

The International Shakuhachi Society keeps a list of well-known professional, amateur, and teaching shakuhachi players.

Recordings

The main types of shakuhachi music are:

• Honkyoku: Traditional music played alone.
• Sankyoku: Music played by a group with the koto (a stringed instrument) and the shamisen (a three-stringed instrument).
• Shinkyoku: New music written for the shakuhachi and koto, often created after the Meiji period and influenced by Western music styles.

Recordings exist in all these categories. However, many more albums are listed in categories that are not traditional. As of 2018, shakuhachi players continue to release records in both traditional and modern styles.

The first shakuhachi recording in the United States was made in the late 1960s. Gorō Yamaguchi recorded an album called A Bell Ringing in the Empty Sky for Nonesuch Explorer Records on LP. This album was praised by Rolling Stone when it was released. One piece on the album, "Sokaku Reibo" (also known as "Tsuru No Sugomori," meaning "Crane's Nesting"), was later included on NASA's Golden Record, which traveled aboard the Voyager spacecraft.

In the film industry

Shakuhachi are commonly used in modern movie scores, such as those created by James Horner. Some movies where the shakuhachi is often heard include The Karate Kid parts II and III by Bill Conti, Legends of the Fall and Braveheart by James Horner, Jurassic Park and its sequels by John Williams and Don Davis, and The Last Samurai by Hans Zimmer and Memoirs of a Geisha by John Williams.

Toru Takemitsu, a well-known Japanese composer, wrote many pieces for shakuhachi and orchestra. Some of his famous works include Celeste, Autumn, and November Steps.

Western contemporary music

• Jim Franklyn, an Australian expert in shakuhachi music and a composer, has created several pieces for solo shakuhachi, including works that use electronic elements.
• John Palmer, a British composer, included many unusual playing methods in his 1999 piece Koan, which features shakuhachi and an ensemble.
• In Carlo Forlivesi’s piece Ugetsu (雨月), for shakuhachi and guitar, the musicians used challenging new techniques that pushed both instruments to their limits. The goal was to make the shakuhachi and guitar perform equally well, even though they are very different in sound and culture, to create richer music.
• Elizabeth Brown, an American composer and performer, plays shakuhachi and writes pieces that use Japanese traditions but also include modern musical styles, such as different melodies and harmonies.
• James Nyoraku Schlefer, a musician born in New York, plays, teaches, and composes music for shakuhachi.
• Composer Carson Kievman has used shakuhachi in many works, including Ladies Voices (1976) and Feudal Japan from the opera Passion Love Gravity (2020–21).
• Roger Waters, a progressive rock songwriter, played shakuhachi on the song Me or Him from his 1987 album Radio KAOS.
• Brian Ritchie, a member of the band Violent Femmes, formed a jazz group called The N.Y.C. Shakuhachi Club in 2002. The group plays jazz versions of traditional American folk and blues songs, with Ritchie’s shakuhachi playing as a central feature. Their first album was released in 2004.
• Welsh composer Karl Jenkins included important shakuhachi solos in his 2005 Requiem, especially in the parts where the music uses short poems about death called haikus.
• Zac Zinger, an American musician and composer, is known for his skill with shakuhachi. He uses it in his progressive-jazz album Fulfillment, as well as in the score for Just Cause 4 and a promotional album for Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty from Magic: The Gathering.
• The 2003 rap rock song Nobody’s Listening from Linkin Park’s album Meteora includes shakuhachi flute.
• Shabaka Hutchings, a British jazz musician, played shakuhachi on the André 3000 album New Blue Sun.

Synthesized/sampledshakuhachi

The shakuhachi's sound is sometimes used in electronica, pop, and rock music. This happened more often after the 1980s, when the instrument was included as a pre-set option on many synthesizers and keyboards. The General MIDI standard gives the shakuhachi the program number 78. A well-known pop song from the 1980s that uses the shakuhachi's sound is "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. The sound was also used in the commercial for the short-lived Coca-Cola Telecommunications.