September 1997

Mouth Shape for Meri

Meris are key to shakuhachi playing. This is the second month I will talk about tips for playing them more successfully. Last month I talked about how to open up holes for meri. This month I will discuss the relationship between mouth shape meri and the utaguchi (blowing edge).

The most fundamental principle for lowering pitch is to decrease the distance between your mouth and the utaguchi. It doesn't matter how you accomplish this, but it should be efficient. Here are some of the ways available.

  1. The most basic way is to lower your chin, changing the angle between your mouth and the utaguchi and decreasing the distance. However, if you lower the shakuhachi at the same time as you lower your chin, the angle won't change very much and the sound won't change efficiently.
  2. You can also decrease the distance to the utaguchi without changing the angle of the flute by pushing the flute inward toward your chin. However, this isn't effective unless you blow without excess tension around your mouth during regular, non-meri notes, and the muscles are soft.
  3. Blow against the side of the utaguchi.The utaguchi is shaped like a "U", so you can blow against the side rather than the center, which is farther away from your lips. The way to accomplish this is by lowering the flute not straight down but diagonally downwards. This technique is very useful.
  4. Thrust your lips outward a little so that they are closer to the utaguchi. This technique also requires that your mouth during regular, non-meri notes, be free of excess tension.
  5. Change the position of your tongue to alter the flow of the air. This can lower the pitch without moving either your head or the flute.

Use all five of the techniques described above to make efficient, effective meris. This means lowering the pitch sufficiently without excess movement or effort. You should be able to play a pitch of Tsu using a fingering of Chi.