Hocchiku

Hocchiku (Bamboo of the Dharma)

Hocchiku (also, hochiku or hotchiku) [lit. bamboo of the Dharma] refers to the Japanese end-blown flute similar to the shakuhachi. This term was made popular by the eccentric zen priest, Watazumi Doso. Kokuu Nishimura, another master of Watazumi Doso's generation, referred to his flutes as Kyotaku. Unlike the shakhachi, the hocchiku's inside (bore) is less refined and the mouthpiece is usually not inlaid with an insert. The membranes at the nodes insde a hocchiku bore are generally left more intact than those of a shakuhachi. Together, these characteristics make for a visibly and audibly raw and organic instrument. Hocchiku are sometimes referred to as jinashi nobekan, meaning "one piece flute made without ji (a paste used in bore construction of shakuhachi)." Hocchiku are not cut in two pieces for crafting or storage, unlike the standard shakuhachi.

Like the shakuhachi, hocchiku have four finger holes down the front and one hole on back for the thumb of the upper hand. The instrument is capable of a range of at least 2 octaves, and more if well crafted in the hands of an experienced player. Hocchiku can be fashioned to any length, suitable bamboo permitting, with longer instruments having their frequency range shifted proportionally lower. Hocchiku are typically, though not always, longer than shakuhachi. They are almost always thicker and heavier.

The techniques for playing hocchiku are similar to the shakuhachi techniques, although the sound resulting from hocchiku is more fragile and possible less well tuned to musical scales than the refined shakuhachi. The angle of the utaguchi, or blowing edge, of a hocchiku is closer perpendicular to the bore axis than that of a shakuhachi. This property, along with the unlacquered bore, results in a rough and breathy timbre. Because of its extremely natural construction, the hocchiku is commonly used for suizen (blowing zen meditation) and for playing traditional honkyoku. Since hocchiku are not generally tuned to a standard musical scale, they do not commonly accompany other instruments.

To hear Alcvin play Honshirabe on a 2.9 hocchiku click here.