Shinobue Posture with Pro's Pictures!
How to hold a shinobue correctly
How you hold the shinobue can really make a difference in your tone!
**Pay attention to where your toes are pointing when you play shinobue.**
Playing a side-blown flute feels awkward at first. Your left arm has to cross in front of your body, and your left hand feels like you are operating it backward. It is much more natural to hold a flute vertically (like a recorder.)
But there is a way to hold shinobue that makes you feel like you are holding a recorder!!
Hold the shinobue like a recorder.
Bring it up like you are carrying it over your left shoulder.
Turn your face to the left.
Bring the shinobue mouth hole to your lips. (Don't bring your lips to shinobue)
That's it! Now, your body and toes are facing about 2 o'clock. This posture allows your left fingers to seal the holes better.
Take a look at the pictures I captured from live concert footage of Mr. Hiroyuki Koinuma. (He is a shinobue player who toured the U.S., Russia, France, Italy, China, and more! And his students are now touring all over the world, including Ms. Tatara Toki!)
His chair is already set crooked at about 1 o'clock angle before he starts playing.
As he sits down to play, he adjusts his chair further so that his body is facing approximately at a 2 o'clock angle.
When he stands up and plays, it is clear to see his right toe and body are facing 2 o'clock, although his face is facing forward to the audience.
The closed finger holes must be fully closed to create a clear and resonant sound with shinobue. Even just a tiny bit of air escaping will make the shinobue sound windy. Now, your left hand can seal those holes a lot more easily.
You can also watch me demonstrate it in this tutorial (this is the very first tutorial I ever posted!)