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- Choshi (Taizan Ha) -

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This is a Koten piece from the Taizan Ha school . Choshi (Taizan Ha) is also known as: Shirabe (Meian), Honte Choshi.

History (from Tokuyama Takashi)
Serves to help establish pitch and center the musician

Choshi (Taizan Ha) appears on the following albums:

    AlbumShakuhachiKotoShamisen
    Empty Sky - Yearning for the Bell Volume 3  (Listen) Lee, Dr Riley Kelly

      Honte Choshi / Original Searching is the 'main' or 'original' version amount the many short pieces that act as preludes or warm-ups. They are performed to re-establish the relationship between the player and the shakuhachi, that is most conducive to the state of mind necessary in meditation.

    Ethnic Folkways Library - Music of the Shakuhachi  (Listen) Yasuda Shinpu

      This is considered to be especially basic to the Meian Koten Honkyoku. It is also known as Takeshirabe and holds a particularly important place in Shakuhachi music. Cho shi means melody. It is a very simple piece but certainly very profound. Usually a Meian student learns it as his first piece. At group Meian concerts the performers usually play it in unison before the concert begins. This tune is played on a long shakuhachi made of Aizu paulownia wood and it is called the Kotokan. Its length is exactly three shaku and six sun (107 cm.). This shakuhachi is just exactly one-octave lower than a regular shakuhachi and its tone quality is extremely soft.

    Hi Kyoku  (Listen) Tokuyama Takashi

      Expressing the essential spirit of koten honkyoku, Choshi serves to help establish pitch and to center the musician. Man masters say, "If you can but master this simple piece you can understand the essence of koten honkyoku."

    Koten Shakuhachi Gaku Zen Shu - 1  (Listen) Takeuchi Chiko

    Meian Sodatsu Fukeshu Shakuhachi  (Listen)


    Meianji Shoden Shakuhachi Honkyoku Shu 01  (Listen) Yoshimura Soshin Fuan

    Myoan Sanjunana Sei Tanikita Muchiku Shu - 3  (Listen) Tanikita Muchiku Roan

    Offerings  (Listen) Samuelson, Ralph

      In the tradition of the Meian school of shakuhachi, the performer first warms up the bamboo and settles the mind for spiritual practice through the playing of the short introductory prelude piece Choshi (literally, small melody). This piece is characterized by a pure focus on breath.

    Searching - Yearning for the Bell Volume 7  (Listen) Lee, Dr Riley Kelly

      This piece is one of many 'main' or 'original' versions among the many short pieces that act as preludes or warm-ups. The Ch6shi pieces (also called Shirabe, Hon Shirabe, Honte Choshi, etc.) are performed in order to re-establish the relationship between the player and the shakuhachi that is most conducive to the state of mind necessary in meditation. This particular version is longer than most of the Choshi pieces. It is in a two-part form; the first part is the entire piece in other versions of Choshi. The second part is material not found in any other version of the piece.

    Standing Waves (CD)




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