November 1998

What Is Your Pitch?

Last month I talked about the importance of using the same pitch you will play during a performance to synch up with other instruments.

Everything is easier if you are playing along with an instrument that can adjust its pitch, but often this isn't the case. For example,two or sometimes even three shakuhachis will perform together. At times like this, you will often be asked "What's your pitch?"

What this means is "What pitch is your shakuhachi at when it's completely warmed up?" Another way of phrasing this is referring to a shakuhachi's "base pitch". Even adjusting pitch by 1 Hz while playing is very difficult.

Many shakuhachis today are pitched to A=442 Hz, although there are many exceptions. It doesn't matter whether any given shakuhachi is 442, 441, or 440 Hz, as long as they match if playing together. (A is Chi on a 1.8 flute. Ro=D, Tsu=F, Re=G, Chi=A, Ri=C. Tsu-meri=D#, Tsu-chu-meri=E, Re-meri=F#, U/Chi-meri=G#, Ri-meri=A#, and Ri-chu-meri=B.)

So, you should know what your shakuhachi's base pitch is. For this you need a tuner. They can be purchased for relatively cheaply these days (less than 10,000 yen or about $90).

Shakuhachis which differ by as much as 3 Hz will never be able to play well together. This is something to remember when purchasing a flute. It doesn't matter if you do not intend to play with other instruments (especially shakuhachis), as then the flute only needs to be tuned well to itself. If you want to be able to play with other shakuhachis, though, this is something to remember.

Also, the playing style of the maker may not match your own. So, for instance, even if a maker says he made a shakuhachi at 442 Hz, it may not be 442 when you play it. Therefore, you have to play it for yourself.

Good shakuhachi performances are born out of good pitch. Acquiring good pitch on a shakuhachi is incredibly difficult, but also rewarding. Someone who has not put in the effort to improve their pitch will never be able to play well.