☀️Is Low Humidity Causing Your Dry Shinobue Tone??💧😱
Published 16 days ago • 2 min read
Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers
September 29, 2024
Low humidity has a negative effect on bamboo flutes.
Last Sunday, I suddenly couldn't play the shinobue properly. It felt like there were cotton balls inside the instrument, and the tone sounded dry and airy. The instrument wouldn't vibrate as it usually does. I started to wonder, "Is my embouchure off?" "Maybe I'm not using enough diaphragmatic support." "Did I eat something that made my lips swell?" I tried everything, but I still sounded terrible. I became frustrated and depressed.
After agonizing for 48 hours trying to figure out the problem, I finally realized it was caused by the low humidity due to the weather change on Saturday night.
I learned that maintaining humidity levels above 40% is crucial for preserving the quality of bamboo flutes. Insufficient humidity not only affects the shinobue's sound adversely but also increases the risk of cracking.
Cracked shinobue
Sadly, it is quite common to have cracked shinobues. I have several cracked shinobues myself, and I often hear reports from people and my YouTube viewers about it.
Annual average of relative humidity in Tokyo: 70%
Annual Average of relative humidity in Denver, Colorado: 33%
Yesterday, the humidity was 14% in Denver! 😣
Another crucial fact to note is that the majority of Japanese houses do not have central air conditioning!
They use fans and air conditioners in each room.
Even if you live in Louisiana or Mississippi, you need to be mindful of the humidity level in your shinobue room when using air conditioning.
After realizing that the hygrometer by AcuRite I had been using in my shinobue room was off by 7-10%, I promptly switched to a hygrometer by ThermoPro. It clearly showed that my room was at 29% humidity! It took a solid 6 hours of running my humidifier to raise the humidity to 40%, and finally, my shinobues started sounding normal again!
So before you start feeling down about your shinobue playing, just take a moment to check the humidity level in your room. You might be surprised to find that using a humidifier can make a world of difference in achieving a beautiful tone. Keep up the good work!
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Shinobue Wako offers amazing bamboo shinobues with beautiful colors and a bright, rich sound that I'm sure you'll love! I'm currently working out the details with them so that I can bring Shinobue Wako to you. Stay tuned for more updates - exciting things are coming your way!!
Colors Shinobue Wako offers
I sent a message to Mr. Shoji to send us more shinobues!!!!
So, hopefully, we will see more of his glorious shinobues soon!! Be sure to get notified as soon as it happens. Get on my Shoji shinobue notification list here!
Q & A: How hard should I press shinobue to my lower lip?
Answer: I used to press my shinobue pretty hard against my lower lip, but I realized that this could cause a mark on my lip. When I consulted Bunta sensei, he said that he doesn't press the shinobue to his lower lip very hard since this can cause pain, especially when playing for long periods. So now, I press the shinobue to my lower lip just enough to stabilize it, so that it doesn't move around while playing, but not so hard that it feels tight. It's important to experiment with the pressure to find the perfect amount. 😃
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