Whether Shakuhachi and Xiao are related is difficult to verify. The shakuhachi is made of bamboo roots, with no bottom in the middle. The tube body is one chi-eight inch. The mouth of the shakuhachi is cut out in the shape of a half-moon. There are four pressing holes on the front and one on the back.
Material selection
It is necessary to choose thicker, denser bamboo fibers and thicker inner walls. Because osmanthus is more suitable, 90% of the shakuhachi are made of osmanthus (called true bamboo in Japan).
The selection of bamboo materials is also very particular, because the song mouth must be on the bamboo joint, and each hole must be cut at a specific distance from the bamboo joint. Therefore, there are very strict requirements on the pitch of bamboo materials for making shakuhachi. In addition, the general shakuhachi must have roots, and only one or two in a bamboo forest are suitable for making shakuhachi. Therefore, the price of shakuhachi has also increased a lot. For the requirements for the distance between the sections, except that the song mouth must be at the bamboo joint, the other distances are aesthetic requirements and are not required.
Shakuhachi's song mouth is cut outside, while Xiao is inside cut. This is one of the differences between Xiao and Shakuhachi. Please pay attention when purchasing. In the Tang Dynasty, there was no inscribed song mouth. The difference in the cutting method of the song mouth will cause a world of difference in playing skills.
After the bamboo is excavated, it must be stored for more than three years before it can be made into shakuhachi.
After the rough embryo is made, the modern shakuhachi needs to fill the inner wall according to the bamboo material conditions, so as to realize the curve of the inner wall that meets the design requirements. This process is the most difficult part of making shakuhachi. Since the whole process is done by hand, in a small space, it takes a lot of experience to use tools such as a file and sharpener to make a curve that fully conforms to the drawing. A good curve can Make the Shakuhachi sound more perfect. It will blow better too. The commonly used filler material in the world is a mixture of raw lacquer + stone powder. Of course, there are also new ways to use plastic as an inner wall.
appearance
A thin protective layer of old raw lacquer is required. The inner wall needs to be protected with black or vermilion lacquer.