Okami: Waka's Theme FREE Karaoke Track for 8 hon choshi!!!!!!!! EXCLUSIVE Because I Love You All!!!!💕
Published about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers
September 15, 2024
Let's play Waka's Theme from the video game Okami!
I'm super excited because I uploaded a performance video and a fingering tutorial for the song, and they're getting a lot more views than my usual videos. So, I've decided to break it down and give you some phrase-by-phrase advice! AND FREE KARAOKE audio track for 8 hon choshi!!!!!!! Our newsletter Exclusive!! Thank you for watching my videos and supporting my channel!!!!!! 💓
Open the fingering tutorial video and watch the slow-motion part which starts at 1:42.
On the first phrase, 二 四 五 六、４ ３２ 六、, you see that I do yubiuchi for ornamentation. 六 is a common note to do yubiuchi, because the index finger is easy to move quickly.
It's OK to take a breath between 六 and 4 if needed.
To sound authentic, make sure to momentarily stop the airflow between 四 and 五.
Next, you have 五 六 １ 六 四. You have 2 六s, but I only did yubiuchi on the second 六. Too many yubiuchi can sound too busy. And since the second 六 is a longer note, I added the yubiuchi there. Once you start doing yubiuchi frequently, your fingers start doing them without you thinking and planning them.
The next phrase is a very long phrase and if your kan on is not super easy yet, I strongly suggest you take a breath in-between. You'll have a better chance getting a good tone on kan on if your body is filled with fresh breath.
三 四 五 四 五 六 breath ４ ３４ ５ ４ ３ １
I added an ornamentation yubiuchi on 3, but you can omit it if it trips you up.
六 １ ２ ４ ２ is the next phrase. I added an ornamentation yubiuchi on 2.
The next one is a tricky one because of its first note ２メ。
This is how I do this ２メ。I place my fingers as if I'm playing 2, but cover half of the next hole too. Or you can also say, I act like I'm playing 1, but the last hole is only covered half. It's really hard to see in the video that I am covering only half of the hole with my right ring finger, but that's what's happening. You need to know what pitch you need to sound and adjust your right ring finger accordingly to create that exact pitch.
The rest of the song is a repeat until the very end, 六 １ ２ ６, ３ ４ ２、１２１ 六 五 六。
This section is probably the most difficult to play beautifully. It will not sound good unless you use your core muscles (not your mouth) to propel the air. You need to keep your mouth relaxed the whole time.
I hope you enjoyed the in-depth breakdown of this beautiful song!
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
My Go-To brand, Shoji Shinobue is here!
I had a great meeting with Mr. Shoji when I saw him in Japan, who assured me that more Shoji shinobues would be in stock soon. Get on my Shoji shinobue notification list here!
Q & A: Is the Chinese flute, Dizi, different from shinobue? Yes, the Chinese flute, Dizi, is quite different from the shinobue. While I haven't played it before, I've heard that the Dizi has an additional hole where you put a membrane that vibrates to create a unique sound. This makes it quite different from the shinobue, which is more basic, with holes for fingers and mouth only.
💕I'd really appreciate your support so I can continue sharing free shinobue information on YouTube, my website, and in this newsletter! Thank you so much! 💓
