May 2000

Types of Blowing

Have you ever heard of “outside blowing” and “inside blowing”? These are two main ways of blowing the shakuhachi. The difference is the way the air splits as it hits the utaguchi, or blowing edge. As you know, the air stream splits at the blowing edge, some going down into the flute and some going up above it. It is this split which creates the sound. However, the split is not 50/50. It is more like 80/20, with either about 80% of the air going down into the flute or about 20%, depending on the person. If about 80% of your air stream goes down into the flute, you are an “inside blower”. If about 80% goes up above the flute, you are an “outside blower”.

If you don’t know which you are, there is a simple way to find out. Light a candle, then play Ro with the end of your shakuhachi next to the flame. If it goes out you re an “inside blower”, but if it doesn’t flicker, you are an “outside blower”.

The difference between inside and outside blowing has nothing to do with meri and kari. Meri-ing does not make you more of an inside blower. Also, about 90% of players seem to be outside blowers, although that does not mean this is better in any way. There are also plenty of inside blowers who are pros.

The difference also has nothing to do with a player’s skill, or how loud they can blow. I’m not sure if there are advantages or disadvantages to either way of playing.


On a different note, there is another way of classifying players: “meri blowers” and “kari blowers”. If you play in a slightly kari position, then you are a “kari blower”, if in a slightly meri position, then you are a “meri blower.” When you are playing solo, it doesn’t particularly matter if you are a kari or a meri blower, as long as you are consistent.

However, there is one advantage to kari blowing which makes me recommend it, especially for those who play koten honkyoku. when you play everything very slightly kari, then you have more room to meri. Since most people have trouble getting their meri’s down far enough, this extra room can be very useful. Moreover, when playing koten honkyoku, one often comes across ni-dan meri’s, or two-step meri’s. This is the technique where a meri note is meri’d even further. Playing two-step meri’s well is one of the hardest techniques in koten honkyoku, but it is also one of the most crucial to making these pieces come alive. So, when you play everything very slightly kari, these two-step meri’s become easier to perform well, which is why I recommend kari blowing.

Note that the above pertains to solo playing. When you are playing with other instruments (shakuhachi, koto, etc.), then you must obviously play exactly on pitch. On most flutes, this means that kari blowing will result in your being off tune with the other instruments. However, some shakuhachi play perfectly in tune with kari blowing. If yours does not, a flute can often be adjusted so that it blows kari. In other words, it can be adjusted so that kari blowing results in a perfect pitch. If you are going to be playing with other instruments a lot, but also want a flute conducive to two-step meri’s, you might want to think about getting your shakuhachi adjusted in this way.