Kan - How to play the higher sound of the shakuhachi Japanese bamboo flute by Josen (Jon Kypros)

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Josen (Jon Kypros), shakuhachi Dai-Shihan 'Grandmaster'

In this video, I demonstrate how to play the often illusive, higher sound of the shakuhachi called Kan. I give close-up views of the lips and the "Hara" or abdomen. The Hara is truly the heart of shakuhachi playing. It works together with the lips to get every sound possible on the shakuhachi. For example, to get Kan we typically generate more power from the Hara and focus it at the lips with a smaller opening. Here, I also give an exercise I came up which I named "Climbing the Ladder of Kan". It's helped many of my students to play Kan and improve.

Intro 00:45
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Closeup view of each note in Otsu and Kan

RO 02:29

TSU 03:08

RE 03:26

CHI 03:38

HA/RI 03:48

I 04:02

Meri notes in Kan 04:14
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Demonstration of power used for Kan - 04:32

The "Hara" or abdonmen 06:01

Hara close-up - 06:24

Exercise "Climbing the Ladder of Kan" - 07:53

Outro - the importance of the Hara, the heart of shakuhachi playing - 10:59