If you have lots of questions, my shakuhachi guides cover a broad range of topics. The most popular guides are, Shakuhachi buying guide, and, How to care for shakuhachi. For videos on how to play see the shakuhachi lessons page.
‘How-to’ Shakuhachi Guides
- Shakuhachi Buyers Guide – avoid common mistakes
- Shakuhachi Bindings, Care, and Cracks – cracks in bamboo, bindings, how bindings are applied, how to store shakuhachi, and how to keep them clean
- Sizing Shakuhachi – How to know what sizes of shakuhachi you can hope to play
- How to Hold Shakuhachi with Small Hands
- Shakuhachi Meditation: The Path of Suizen
General Guides
- The Soul of Shakuhachi – What are shakuhachi? What’s their essence or what sets them apart from other flutes?
- Japanese Madaké Bamboo for Shakuhachi: A trip into the Grove – All about Japanese Madaké bamboo.
- Types of Shakuhachi; Jinashi and Jimori vs. Jiari Jinuri and cast-bores
- Shakuhachi Bore Sizes: Wide, Medium, and Narrow – A Ratio of Volume to Length
- Traditional Tapered Shakuhachi Bores vs. Cylindrical PVC and Wood
- No ‘Best’ Shakuhachi – An essay about how there’s no such thing as the ‘best’ shakuhachi.
- Shakuhachi Size Guide: Understanding Shaku Lengths – The shaku lengths sizes explained; 1.8, 1.9, 2.0 and so on.
- Understanding Shakuhachi Pitch and Tuning – 440Hz, 432Hz, and What They Really Mean
- Shakuhachi Meri Note Pitch
An essay on the topic of Meri note pitch for shakuhachi - RSI Musician’s Injuries: My Journey Overcoming Debilitating Pain and Nerve Damage
An essay on my experiences with RSI ‘repetitive strain injuries’. - Honkyoku: The Most Revered Shakuhachi Pieces
- Fudaiji Temple Honkyoku: The Seien Ryu and Its Legacy in Myoan Taizan Ryu (普大寺 西園流•明暗 対山派)
- Japanese Shakuhachi Terms: A Glossary
