I may have a really STUPID AND OBVIOUS question… but I’ll do like an example because I can’t really explain it in English. For example… if someone transcribes a minyo for piano, you just have to transcribe the piece with the do-re-mi instead of the bunka fu. But if you transcribe a piece for another non-Western instrument, would you rather use that notation? For example, when an user in bachido (two years ago) played the ringo bushi with the Turkish saz, the notation changed or it’s just the 5-stuff one?
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It’s best to transcribe into a notation system that the performer understands. You can think of it as translating language. There’s no point in translating something from Japanese to German if the person you’re translating for doesn’t understand German either.
That being said, it’s not reasonable to assume one person can know every notation system in the world so there will have to be some compromises. Since the western musical notation system is used worldwide for instruments like piano, it’s often the best compromise. Then it’s like translating Japanese to English. They might not necessarily be fluent in it but it’s likely that they can translate from English to their own language.
The bunka-fu itself is, in my opinion, a tabulature system, not a form of notation. You may have, just as in western notation, technique and timing indicators, but it’s the same as guitar tabulature, except for the amount of strings.
Think of tabulatures for different instruments as dialects to one big language, since they are just a simpler form of standart notation. You can write a guitar tab, a shamisen tab or a flute tab for one song or you can just write the melody in classical notation and everyone knows what to play, that’s basically the way that orchestras work.
Well, I don’t even know how sighted people intend tablatures… I myself have a different notation, Braille notation, that I even don’t know if this is really the worldwide notation for blind people…
Tabulature indicates where the left fingers should press in terms of location on the fret board, rather than indicating the specific notes, which could sometimes be played on different strings. So a specific tabulature is performance oriented and is only usable for the instrument it was intended for. The advantage is that one doesn’t need to know any abstract notation to begin learning those instruments. It’s very popular for guitar, and obviously shamisen use similar kind as well.
If this is the only way one knows, tabulature can be a way to notate. However, only those who play the instruments would understand. A composer can learn, but if one doesn’t play the instrument, it is still challenging to understand the playing aspect. That’s why sometimes it’s best to work with the instrumentalists, and have them come up with the tabulature for you, if they think it is necessary. That also mean, the instrumentalists you’d work with should have advanced musicianship, who could correctly transcribe your music into appropriate tabulature.
Tabulature is again, mostly understood by those who play that particular instrument. I don’t see any problems if it’s a solo piece. However, if it’s an ensemble piece, it is often very helpful for others to know what everybody plays; a fue player probably don’t know how to read shamisen tabulature, for example. Therefore, a common notation system which most people can read is still desired.
Anyway, it really depends on the players you are writing for. if your players read western notation just fine, you might not need to worry about tabulature.