How to take apart a shakuhachi
The best method to take apart a Shakuhachi
Author Archive for: MWD
Entries by MWD
Thoughts on Hocchiku and blowing zen
In some of the discussions about shakuhachi/hochiku/hoki, etc., there seems to be some confusion between music making and spiritual practice/blowing Zen (suizen). Nothing new here, as this confusion has been in Japan and elsewhere long […]
What sort of flute do you need in order to play Watazumi Dokyoku?
Someone recently was quoted as saying, “you can’t play Watazumi dokyoku songs properly without a very good flute,” and that “flutes that other people have aren’t up to the task.” It was pointed out that […]
Relating to the Crane Pieces
There are many Crane pieces. Some of their names are Tsuru no Sugomori, Sukaku, Koden Sugomori and Sokaku Reibo. Koden means “old transmission”; the word in itself has nothing to do with the Crane part […]
How to produce ‘kan’ (upper octave)
Upper octave needs more ‘energy’ than lower octave. That is, the air has to go through the flute faster. You can do this two ways. One is by blowing ‘harder’, that is, by pushing more […]
Interesting historical questions around the Shakuhachi
The most important change that occurred to the shakuhachi after the instrument was imported into Japan from China was not the change of bamboo, but rather the reduction of finger holes from six to five, […]
New Living Magazine
This interview took place in July 2000 at the time of release of the “Sanctuary” CD. First, I really enjoyed your new CD and wish you much success with it. What inspired you to take […]
On the Couch with Riley Lee. July 2019
Who is Riley Lee?Well, once he was a small and very lucky boy, who was allowed / encouraged by his parents to become anything he wanted to become – but only if he tried to […]
Dumbo Feather Magazine. 2013
Riley Lee is a grandmaster Interview by Berry Liberman Zen and the art of Shakuhachi seem an impossible path for a Chinese-American boy born in Texas in 1951, who grew up loving Led Zeppelin and […]
Riley Lee and Enigma Quartet
Five Elements Five Elements will take you on kaleidoscopic journey through the Australian landscape that traverses universal concepts linking humanity to our natural environment and spiritual core through music. Drawing inspiration from the belief in […]
