The shakuhachi is an end blown flute. That is you cover one of the open ends with your chin and blow across one edge that has been "notched". There are four holes on the front and a thumb hole on the back. An astonishing variety of tones and music can be achieved with this simple instrument. The basic scale is pentatonic but with practice it is possible to produce a full chromatic scale.

We make two types of shakuhachi. The student model is made from bamboo that is cut from the bamboo stalk close to the ground where it is thicker than the bamboo that I use to make transverse (side blown) flutes. It is very suitable to learning to play this wonderful flute.

The second kind is made from the root section of the bamboo stalk (technically called a culm). The tone of this style of shakuhachi is really incredible. We call this our master's model.

In Japan the flute has had a long association with Zen Buddhism. The idea is to use the flute in meditation to achieve total spontaneity, a release from normal conscious thought. When played in a natural setting it sounds very much like it belongs there. This is not true with most instruments. Imagine playing, say, a trumpet by a quietly babbling brook!