Intro:
I ask the question: 'Why are Ro (traditionally the Root Tonic 1st) and Re (traditionally the 4th)
both Tonic Notes: which appears to be a primary foundation in Honkyoku Shakuhachi flute music?
I understand that in listening to long tones with sustain and echo
that the Ro (1st) and Chi (5th) do not sound as good as the Ro (1st) and Re (4th),
but that is a subjective experience. An ambient keyboard musician
first made me aware of this, and so playing Shakuhachi Honkyoku,
I assumed the Japanese masters heard it as we did.
However I am contemplating it, since it is so foundational of an assumption
that in Shakuhachi music it is accepted as a traditional basis.
1. Why 12 Tones?
Because twelve is divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6!
The lowest number divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 5 is 60 and
having 60 notes per octave is too many for practicality.
12 is the lowest number divisible by 2, 3, and 4;
with divisibility by 6 as a bonus.
In the Equal Temperament of Western Music there are 4 notes that are harmonically in tune,
the rest being somewhat out of tune:
These in tune notes are the 2nd (Tsu chu meri), 4th (Re), 5th (Chi), and m7th (Ri).
Rock, Reggae, Jazz, and many other related musical styles
rely on these in tune notes as a primary focus.
The 5th is only 2 cents off in Equal Temperament
since the Just Intonation harmonic is 3/2 or 702 cents.
The 4th is only 2 cents off in Equal Temperament
since the Just Intonation harmonic is 4/3 or 498 cents.
2. Reflections based upon Raga music.
Indications that Ro and Re are one of several options for a harmonic basis
can be seen in Raga Music.
There is the convention in Raga that the Tanpura drone most often follows
a 4 note motif of one of the following:
= Pa, Sa, Sa, Sa: 5th, 1st, 1st, 1st (a) This is primary in Raga.
= Ma, Sa, Sa, Sa: 4th, 1st, 1st, 1st (b) This is primary in Honkyoku.
= Ni Komal, Sa, Sa, Sa: m7th, 1st, 1st, 1st
= Sa, Sa, Sa, Sa: 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st
Thus Raga employs the in tune notes in the Western 'Twelve Tone Equal Temperament' (12TET) tuning
because it is also a 12 tone system in its modern form.
The ancient nature of Raga is a Just Intonation system based on playing to the drone,
but has been heavily influenced by 12TET in recent times (the last thousand years of so).
The 2nd and the m7th would Not be good choices for a Second Tonic
since they would Not divide the octave in a way that allows
both sides of the division (both Tonics) to have a prominent place.
The Bansuri by nature has the Re fingering
(bottom holes open and top holes closed) as its tonic (1st)
and so raga note Pa (the 5th) brings us to the
fingering position of Shakuhachi Ro Kan
which is all holes closed on the flute tube.
Therefore if we play on the Shakuhachi with two options:
1. Otsu Ro, Re, and Ro Kan (1st, 4th, 8th )
2. Otsu Ro, Chi, and Ro Kan (1st, 5th, 8th )
Then listening to these we hear that in
'1.' there is a natural flow which emphasizes the Octave,
while in '2.' the Chi has such presence
that if overrides the coming of the Octave
and the Chi (5th) lingers in the mind rather than the Ro Kan (octave).
3. Harmonic Intervals
Let us consider the harmonic intervals in order to understand what I subjectively say we hear.
Playing the Ro (root) to the Re (4th) has an interval matching the harmonic 4/3 ratio,
then moving from the Re (4th) to the Ro Kan (Octave) has the interval of the harmonic ratio 3/2,
which is a stronger interval, a stronger harmonic ratio
(a lower order and therefore having more overtone harmonics).
When playing from Ro (root) to Chi (5th) that is the stronger 3/2 harmonic ratio
followed by Chi (5th) to Ro Kan (Octave) which is the weaker harmonic of 4/3;
and therefore the weaker interval does not move to the Octave with the strength
that the Ro Otsu (root) moves to the Chi (5th)!
This diminishes the flow going into Ro Kan (the second Octave),
because the Chi (5th lingers in the memory as stronger.
Ro Otsu, Re Otsu, Ro Kan, Re Kan, Ro Dai Kan
(1st, 4th, Octave, octave + 4th, second octave) is a natural seamless progression
which progresses at each step. In other words,
one can play a riff from Ro Otsu and then play a similar riff from Ro Kan
(or from Re Otsu and then Re Kan);
which seems like natural musical thing to do.
4. The Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths is a prominent concept in western music and music theory.
The fifth being the lowest ratio (3/2) defines the progression of western scales
and the number of sharps and flats that they have. The circle of fifths has been used as
a progression to change keys in some western music.
The Circle of fifths flows from Ro Otsu (1st) to the Chi (5th)
to the Tsu Chu Meri Otsu (9th, second octave 2nd)
to Ri (Ha) Otsu (13th, second octave 7th).
It would be difficult to play a riff from Ro Otsu and
then play it from Tsu Chu Meri!
The volume and tone of shakuhachi notes
would make the same riff sound very different.
However if we move by the 4th to Re and then the 5th to Ro Kan
we can play the same riff from both Ro Otsu and Ro Kan
or Re Otsu and Re Kan.
Summary and more Thoughts:
Now that we have both a subjective listening experience and a reasoning objective explanation,
let us circle back to having two Tonic notes.
The concept of a Second Tonic is very evident in many older Shakuhachi Honkyoku pieces
and I encourage you to consider this when listening and/or playing Honkyoku music.
Others have noted a dual tonic in this music, so this is not new information.
The concept of a Second Tonic is also very evident in many older Shakuhachi flutes themselves.
Modern Shakuhachi flutes (mostly tuned to western 12 TET)
emphasize the Ro as a loud and bold note.
Older shakuhachi usually have Re as loud or louder than Ro.
Sometimes the Ro is tuned low requiring it to be played kari to bring it up to pitch,
but this allows one to bend down below Ro easier.
Again there is a subjective quality to these thoughts about flutes,
but playing many old flutes, I find that Re is a prominent tonic.
The Indian Bansuri and Chinese Xiao flutes use the Re position as their tonic,
and Japan was along the silk road and so in ancient times there was
cultural exchange. The shakuhachi originated in China, but Japan refined it
into its form where the roots of the bamboo play a role in tapering the bore
and made it into a unique and extremely versatile instrument.
There is something very profound in a natural harmonic way about a vertical tube
of bamboo and the nature of the sound it produces.
Shakuhachi Honkyoku music, with deep historic roots in many obscure sources
(Buddhist chanting, indigenous folk music, musics which traveled the silk road, ...), and
which was refined by Japanese aesthetics, should teach all musicians nuances
which enrich one's musical palette.
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