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Shakuhachi musical notation refers to the systems of transcribing playing instructions for
shakuhachiThe is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
music. The shakuhachi in
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
dates back to approximately 700 AD, though similar predecessor
bamboo fluteFlutes made of bamboo are found in many musical traditions.Some bamboo flutes include:Flute Country of Origin Atenteben Bashi Bansuri Chi Dizi Daegeum...
s from
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and
KoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
can be dated to ancient times.
In addition to a strong verbal tradition of passing pieces down from teacher to student, the shakuhachi developed its own style of musical transcription necessary to write down the emphasized aspects of shakuhachi music. In contrast to Western
staff notationMusic notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
, shakuhachi playing instructions commonly emphasize multiple
timbreIn music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
s for a given
pitchPitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
,
microtonalMicrotonal music is music using microtones—intervals of less than an equally spaced semitone. Microtonal music can also refer to music which uses intervals not found in the Western system of 12 equal intervals to the octave.-Terminology:...
slides between
semitoneA semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
s, effects and modifications to a sustained tone, and specialized breathing techniques.
Some shakuhachi music, such as solo
honkyokuHonkyoku are the pieces of shakuhachi or hocchiku music played by mendicant Japanese Zen monks called komusō. Komusō played honkyoku for enlightenment and alms as early as the 13th century. Honkyoku is the practice of suizen...
("original pieces"), is not strictly metered, but offers only suggestions for timing, breathing, and silence between phrases.
Modern shakuhachi music can be, and sometimes is, written using staff notation, especially during collaboration between shakuhachi and Western instruments.
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