Kinshu Shakuhachi

I just had a lesson with a new student yesterday who owns a Kinshu shakuhachi, the same maker of the flute in the previous blog. I was not surprised to find that the two flutes played very similarly but not identical. Both were made from relatively light weight bamboo with a generous curve at the root, like the old Yamaguchi Shiro flutes. Both flutes were modern Jiari style with completely fabricated bores but slightly on the wide side. This to me gave them a nice warm resonance without having to push. This solidifies a theory I've always had. Shakuhachi are handmade works of art, even if we tried to make an identical instrument, it would be impossible. The two Kinshu felt as if they were fraternal twins.