How to build a relationship with your shinobue
As you put your breath into shinobue, ask your shinobue, "Do you like the speed of this breath? How about the angle?" and listen to its answers. Your shinobue will answer it in the tone it produces and the feel you receive from it. If your breath speed is too fast, it will give you a windy tone. If your angle is off, it will give you a half-hearted sound. If you give it no energy, it will give you a frail tone.
Or you may feel like your breath is hitting a wall, and getting any sound is a struggle. So you just blow harder and force the sound to come out.
Shinobue is very, very honest. It won't lie or sugarcoat it. If you force it to make a sound, it will respond by not giving you any sound or giving you a very ugly sound. It is always trying to tell you something. Are you listening to what shinobue is telling you? Or are you too busy doing what YOU THINK you should be doing and not seeking what your shinobue is telling you? And as you do what you think you should be doing, you get busy JUDGING your shinobue's sound instead of LISTENING. It's so easy to get into this type of practicing and playing.
Listen to your shinobue. Your practice time is an intimate time with your shinobue. Have a conversation with your shinobue. Always be loving and kind toward your sh inobue. That's how you build a relationship with your shinobue and learn exactly what to do to bring out the very best sound from it. Try it, and you will start to hear what your shinobue is telling you.
