I don’t sell bamboo blanks for shakuhachi. However, there is inexpensive non-root bamboo to be found at nurseries and
online bamboo warehouses. Tonkin seems to be a good non-root bamboo
for shakuhachi.

Frank’s Cane and Rush Supply sells average quality Chinese root bamboo
at a low price. Sometimes a decent piece can be found in a batch.

Rootend bamboo can also be ordered from “James” in China.
They are more expensive than Frank’s but James provides more attention
to detail. As a result, there is a higher yield of quality pieces.

James’s Bamboo Website: http://www.madake99.blogspot.com/
James’s email : zhangjian720@hotmail.com

Mejiro in Japan sells even higher grade Japanese madake for a higher price.

Sometimes makers are willing to sell bamboo, but rarely their best pieces.

One of the best ways to obtain excellent quality bamboo other than
harvesting yourself is to form relationships with people experienced
in shakuhachi who live near the source.

————————————————————————-

Dennis writes:
…..” I purchased some bamboo blanks from Frank’s at your suggestion, because I figured it made sense to go as cheap as possible until I feel more comfortable about approaching a piece of bamboo. Since they preserve the root ball and don’t pay much attention to anything else its a good place to start. Last night I carved up my second attempt at a flute, a 60.8 cm bass flute. I followed your guide on jinashi construction, which was extremely helpful. But I also have been soaking up everything I can find online. For hole placement I used the calculator at http://jeremy.org/music/shakutool.cgi. The flute is relatively in tune for the lower octave, and I’m currently working on the upper octave. The lowest Ro is still quite flat though. I’ve widened the bore at the base a little but am loath to go too far. Should I just grind it out until I get the right pitch or is there something else I should pay attention to? There are still traces of the internal root nodes, maybe I should work to get rid of those more completely?”

If ro otsu (lower octave) is the only note flat there are a few ways to sharpen the pitch – all with their unique consequences. Widening the bottom end like you are doing will work. Cutting a sliver from the bottom end. Also, adding a dab of paste and the half-way point in the bore. Sometimes a combination of these will work. If these fixes do not work it suggests the pitch is way off. Then it is likely to be a major bore profile problem.

It is much easier to begin hole drilling after ro otsu and kan are on pitch. That suggests the bore profile is balanced so problems are less likely to lie ahead.

If the flute plays progressively flatter as you descend the scale towards ro otsu, you may have experienced a common tuning method error explained below:

A common tuning error found on shakuhachi by new makers is a flute that plays progressively flatter when descending the scale. In other words, in otsu, if (I) is considered on pitch, (RI) might play 2 cents flatter than it should be, (CHI), 4 cents flatter than it should be, (RE), 6 cents flat, (TSU), 8 cents flat and (RO),10 cents flat.

One cause of this tuning error is drilling and tuning holes one at a time. For example, lets say a 1.8 without holes plays (RO) directly on D. Then, the first hole is drilled (closest to the root) and tuned exactly on F. Then the second hole is drilled and tuned exactly on G. And so on.

This method might appear to produce a well tuned flute. However, what happens is that (RO) will flatten slightly when the first hole is drilled. When the second hole is drilled (TSU) will flatten slightly and (RO) will flatten even further. The teeter-totter effect continues with each hole drilled until the last hole drilled (I) is the only note on pitch.

One way around this is to be aware of the degree of pitch change that will likely occur and cheat in that direction. For example, if (RO) plays about 10 cents sharp without holes, you’ll know that it will likely play closer to pitch when all holes are drilled. Keeping that in mind, each hole drilled should be progressively closer to the mark. By drilling all holes before undercutting and fine tuning, it’s more likely that the tuning will fall into place. Larger holes increases the tuning discrepancy. Smaller holes minimizes it.

Get ‘em here.

Here is one way to entertain the question.

There are very few culms in any grove which will make good shakuhachi. So, it takes an experienced eye to know how to look for the right grove and the right culm.

Since Japanese madake is more prized in the shakuahchi world, it attracts harvesters with the most shakuhachi experience. Bamboo from experienced harvesters yields a good percentage of high quality shakuhachi.

Generally, Chinese madake is less prized. So, it does not attract as many experienced harvesters. Bamboo from less experienced harvesters yields a lower percentage of high quality shakuhachi. Although they are less in mumber, the winners can be equal in quality to the best Japanese madake shakuhachi.

Are there groves of Chinese madake which rival the best Japanese groves for shakuhachi? I don’t know. I would like to think so but I can’t say for sure.

It’s a difficult question to answer. Even if it were true I think we know which grove would turn out more high quality shakuhachi.

JERK

Brian Tairaku Ritchie – Shakuhachi (Taimu “Frankenschwantz”)
John Sparrow – Cajon
Dave Gelting – Bass

2011

Ken LaCosse – Video

Aazar Queen – Vocals
Stacy King – Vocals
Ken LaCosse – Vocals, instruments

© Ken LaCosse 2011

She escaped from a tomb
Took her chances, read the room
Stole a car, made it go
In black leather stilettos

(chorus)
She laid rubber in boots of black leather
On all them thieves through all kinds of weather
Lived on valor and blueberry honey
Walked on wire and made her own money

Ditched her wheels in the sand
Dug her heels in sharkys land
Busted teeth, bloody toes
In black leather stilettos

CHORUS

Diamond dreams, she twirls
Gold, Mikimoto Pearls
In the stars, strikes a pose
In black leather Stilettos

CHORUS
CHORUS
CHORUS
CHORUS

She escaped from a tomb
Took her chances, read the room
Stole a car, made it go
In black leather

STAN covers a tune from the brilliant songwriter Warren Zevon.

Ken LaCosse – Intruments, vocals.
Paul Rowland – Vocals.

Mujitsu Productions 2011

STAN – Red

© Ken LaCosse 2011

How to make art:

Work playfully and trust your innate sense of the poetry of your medium.

STAN – New Dawn Fades

Ken LaCosse – Vocals, instruments.
Aazar Queen – Vocals

Dedicated to Horst Xenmeister.
Ken LaCosse – Guitars, vocals, shakuhachi, beats, koassilator.
Paul Rowland – Vocals.
Aazar Queen – Vocals
SP☮T – Shakuhachi

© Ken LaCosse 2011