So guys I have a stalk of Bamboo coming in so I can make myself a Shakuhachi as well which I’ve wanted to learn along with the Shamisen. I’ll let you all know how it turns out…
My question is does anyone have a good resource for learning Shakuhachi, I’ve found a couple sites on google but nothing that was super helpful!
Ask Kyle about his father´s book, I think it is a very good one! 
I will have to do that, or maybe he’ll see this thread and let me know… If I remember from one of the videos its called “Blowing Zen” or something isn’t it?
Carl’s book is awesome! Anne just bought it and is really looking forward to going over all the great material that lies within!
Good stuff, Chris! Where are you getting the bamboo from?
Yeah, definitely check out Blowing Zen. Like Shamisen of Japan, I believe it was (or was one of) the first English instructional manual on how to make a bamboo (and PVC!) shakuhachi. Plus, there’s a picture of me in there when I was 1~3 years old! 
We actually still have some cured bamboo from Sado island. At some point, we’ve gotta turn them into shakuhachi. When that happens, we’ll definitely make a video for it.
I’ve been trying to get him to start a Bachido-like online community for shakuhachi players, but he’s more of a hermit type these days. 
Oh, here’s the official place to get the book. http://toneway.com/products/blowing-zen
I remember watching a tv show where they interviewed a person that worked at a company where they are making a new kind of bamboo that takes much less time to get ready and is environment friendly. They had made a bicycle from bamboo for example. You can also make clothes from bamboo. And I’m talking fabric, not pipes around your hips
Might be worth checking out if you need some bamboo. It was in USA.
Thanks for the reply Kyle! I’ll definitely be ordering the book, I have a few people around that would be interested in learning the Shakuhachi as well so I figured I could make some and maybe at one of the art fairs out here sell them sometime
I am getting the Bamboo from Frank’s Cane and Rush Supply
For those that may want to look into it as well the website is
http://www.franksupply.com/
P.S. - I’ll be on the lookout for your picture in the book! Maybe I’ll start a Bachido like site for the Shakuhachi…once I’m out of school and can actually have some time to do web coding again.
Hi Chris,
I highly recommend Carl’s book as well.
Before you cut into that bamboo, though, you should try to make some PVC shakuhachi, because you WILL make mistakes, and it’s better to make them on cheap plastic than expensive bamboo.
This link has some simple instructions :
http://www.fides.dti.ne.jp/~sogawa/englishpagepvc.html
You can find all the materials at the hardware store. One tube of grey ABS electrical conduit (I think they come in about 12-foot lengths) and a package of joints will probably cost less than ten bucks, and you can make several shakuhachi with it. The PVC shakuhachi sound surprisingly good, can take a beating, and are waterproof (so don’t crack like bamboo), but more importantly, you can apply what you learn making these to making the bamboo shakuhachi. Making a bamboo shakuhachi that plays in tune is really difficult, because unlike the PVC tube, the bore is not perfect.
Here are a few links that will really help you out. The first is an archive of a site that is no longer active, but is a fantastic resource:
http://shakuhachiforum.com/viewforum.php?id=10
The second is still active, so you can ask questions here, and maybe get answers from other members of the forum.
http://www.shakuhachiforum.eu/f11-The-Workshop.htm