Learn the art of letting go with shinobue

Learning to let go

Last week, we talked about how tension in your body can sabotage even your best intentions to create a beautiful tone.

For example, the more you try to perfect your embouchure, the more tense your lips might become.

A common example is playing kan on. Even players who start out completely relaxed often begin to feel tightness around their mouth the moment they try to reach those higher notes.

If tightening up the mouth is the only way you can produce a kan on sound at first, I say, go ahead and tense up.

At least you are making a kan on sound.

It’s just like learning to ride a bicycle:

In the beginning, you are afraid you will fall and the only way you can keep going is to hold on to the handle bars super tight and tense up the whole body.

Then, with practice, you discover which muscles you actually need for balance—and WHICH ONES YOU CAN LET GO.

Eventually, you might even be riding with both hands off the handlebars, completely relaxed and in control.

This is because you learned to balance using your CORE muscles.

Shinobue is exactly the same.

The more you learn to let go of unnecessary tension, the more natural and effortless your sound will become.

Letting go your mouth tension might feel like riding a bicycle without holding on to the handle bars tightly. You might think you will lose control.

But it is absolutely possible.

How to identify unnecessary tension

Often times, it's difficult to identify the tension.

For example, you might be tensing your mouth to play the shinobue but you don't even realize it's unnecessary tension because you "think" that's what's needed to play the shinobue...

Until you see many professional shinobue players playing shinobue with their mouths totally relaxed!! 🤯

When I started to study with Bunta sensei, I was always shocked how relaxed his mouth was, because I was playing shinobue with a smiley position.​

But it IS possible to play shinobue with a relaxed mouth.

I also studied with another amazing shinobue player, Yoshihiro Karino sensei, who also had a very relaxed embouchure.

I said to him "Your embouchure looks like you are not doing anything!", and he said "Of course, I'm doing something!!"

Yes, they are doing something amazing, for sure, but they are doing it efficiently. They are not doing anything unnecessary.

So it is important to learn to identify and release the tension even if tensing up is the only way you can produce kan on right now.

A wonderful Australian (Western) flute player and teacher, Jane Cavanah, had a fantastic tip on learning how to release tension in her newsletter a couple weeks ago, so I would like to share it with you.

🎵 Release tension to get more air in

1. Choose an easy melody or scale that you know from memory. And be ready to play it through 8 times!

2. Play it through so you're familiar with it.

3. Now actively relax your shoulders as you play it again – let your shoulders and elbows feel like they're floating.
   ​Every time you breathe in, keep your shoulders relaxed.

4. Next, relax your face, soften your mouth and cheeks a little, and play through again.
   ​Every time you breathe in, keep your face relaxed.

5. Now, relax your eyes as you play it through.
   ​Every time you breathe in, keep your eyes relaxed.

6. And now, as you play, relax your jaw.
   ​Every time you breathe in, keep your jaw relaxed.

7. And this time as you play through, relax your neck.
   ​Every time you breathe in, keep your neck relaxed.

8. This time, relax your chest and belly.
   ​Every time you breathe in, keep your chest and belly relaxed.

9. And for the last time, this is a BIGGIE! Relax your throat. Think “open”, and "ahhhhh".
   ​Every time you breathe in, keep your throat relaxed.

​What I love about Jane's method is that you PAY ATTENTION to your body.

It's so easy to get so caught up in playing and abandon your feeling.

The first step to releasing tension is taking the time to notice your tension and honestly ask yourself, "How can I get rid of this tension and still play the shinobue?"

I am a firm believer in seeking what I want.

Even if you can't release the tension right away, if you keep on seeking to release it, I know you will be playing shinobue without tension in time.

Then your tone will sound freer and you will tire less!