The shakuhachi, a Japanese, wind blown instrument made from bamboo, looks amazingly simple in structure yet delivers an array of tones from gentle and ethereal to rough and fierce. This transverse flute is constructed from a length of bamboo taken from the bottom portion of a bamboo stalk, including pan of the root. The name shakuhachi is derived from the length of the stock instrument. Shaku means a traditional unit of measure equivalent to about 30 cm. and hachi corresponds to 8, together meaning 1.8 shaku or about 54 cm. (Players also use different lengths, occasionally to match the range of the other supporting players’ instruments.) The standard shakuhachi bears four holes in the front of the instrument and another in the back for the thumb of the left hand.The shakuhachi’s versatility in producing pitch and tone is in fact, due to its construction. Vertically held, the flute has a mouthpiece on top which is cut obliquely on the side away from the player. By partly covering the finger holes and changing the angle of the lips to the mouthpiece, a player can bring out a wide variety of tone qualities and pitches. The shakuhachi easily produces microtones including tones ranging from "pure" with few overtones to very breathy sounding virtually like white noise. A lot of Western-influenced modern-day compositions have been composed for the shakuhachi because of its wide-ranging pitch and tone quality.
Solo shakuhachi performance was widespread throughout the Tokugawa period (1600-1867). This was considered a golden age in Japanese cultural life. It was an era of peace, wherein the shogun living in Tokyo governed over a united country, while the Kyoto emperor bore only nominal power. After centuries of violent struggles between other factions of patricians and military leaders, Japan embraced peace and flourished under it.
Masakazu Yoshizawa, Japanese flautist and musician image via Wikipedia
But long-lasting peace entailed trouble for members of the samurai class. Samurai warriors relished high status throughout the years of fighting, but afterwards, a lot of samurai of lower rank were let go from their duties, becoming ronin or "masterless samurai.’ The Tokugawa government felt it expedient to maintain the social class system constituted in earlier times: at the top were samurai, succeeded by farmers, craftsmen, and finally, merchants. By issuing orders designed to set up limits between these classes, the government tried to forbid movement between them. For this understanding, even though they were without a means of
backup, ronin weren’t granted to change their class status as samurai, though some handled to do so. Several became teachers or writers, others turned to become farmers, and still others became employed bodyguards for rich merchants. The picture of the proud, haughty, brave samurai, as envisioned in samurai movies, is predominantly established on the ronin of the Tokugawa era, who were in reality, unemployed samurai.
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Some other choice for the ronin was to take religious orders and solicit on the streets and highways of Japan. As a matter of fact, in Tokugawa society, it was regarded more honorable to beg than to "lower" one’s social status by becoming a merchant or farmer. A group of ronin who took religious orders were known as "komuso." Komuso (literally meaning "emptiness monks") were Buddhist priests who roamed the countryside, playing the shakuhachi and begging. The standard komuso get up included a huge, basket-shaped hat made of cane, wherein the wearer could see through but not be seen. It was rumored that the komuso were government undercover agents who are taking advantage of their right to travel all-over the country sporting a costume that concealed their identity.
These samarai-turned-priests created their brand on the shakuhachi repertoire. The main solo or honkyoku repertoire for the instrument, comes from the pieces performed by the komuso. All of these pieces, the most phantasmal and meditative of the present-day shakuhachi repertoire, have a spontaneous rhythm; lacking a regular beat.
For a shakuhachi player, making music is more than show of skill and the production of exquisite sounds. It is a deeper spiritual experience similar to that of meditation or prayer.