💋 Shinobue embouchure 2: Your mouth does NOT blow the air. 🫢

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...

You shouldn't blow air like you have been blowing air all your life if you want to create a great tone with shinobue.

Let's go back to our faucet analogy from last week's newsletter. Our embouchure DIRECTS the air down to utakuchi (mouth hole of the shinobue), just like a faucet directs the water down to the sink. Without a faucet, the water would be spraying all over the kitchen.

Notice that the faucet does NOT squeeze the water out. The water comes from a source far away. It is the same with shinobue. Our embouchure's purpose is ONLY to direct the air. We should not blow the air at the mouth. OUR CORE MUSCLES contracts and pump the air up to the mouth. OUR MOUTH JUST WAITS for the air to come from the source.

This is the reason why all the great shinobue players' mouths and faces are relaxed!!!

Mr. Yasukazu Kano (Right), I am sorry, but I don't know who the person on the left is, but he has a very relaxed face, too.

Relaxing the mouth (especially when playing kan on) is something shinobue learners need to work on for a long time, so don't worry if you can't do it right away. But always keep it in the back of your mind as you practice!