The same physics applies inside your mouth. You need space to resonate sound. That's why great singers like Beyonce open their mouths big, especially for the high notes. MORE SPACE = MORE SOUND

When he corrected my posture, it CHANGED me. Suddenly, I was able to play the note I had not been able to play consistently before. I know for sure that my playing will never be the same!! This slight adjustment in posture can change your playing forever, too!!!

Bunta sensei says great power resides in "Tanden".

If I asked anyone how to play the shinobue (or any flute, for that matter), they would say, "You blow air into the mouth hole." Oh, OK. Got it. Let's blow air.

But that's where things start to go wrong because...

Learning how to get your lower lip out of the way can drastically improve your tone.

What we "think" we are doing and what we are actually doing can be vastly different. That's why dance studios have mirrors everywhere. Using a mirror can be a game changer for shinobue learners, too.

Don’t waste your money or air. Learn how to stop running out of breath.

Many shinobue manuals say to “Smile”. But the smiley position gives you a bad tone and even causes pain in your face. Why do they tell you to smile, then, and what’s the alternative?

From day 1, my teacher, Bunta Satoh sensei, said, "Your breath is too fast. Make it slow." But every time I thought I was making my breath slow, shinobue gave me a weak, frail and windy breath with no resonance.