You will learn the basics of Honkyoku music through two easier Honkyoku. It is very important to start with the simpler phrases to master the more difficult pieces that you will study later on. Some of the basics appear in the song Honshirabe and it is very important to practice each phrase. Robuki practice is also a great warm up before going into the song.

Honshirabe is a simpler and shorter Honkyoku. It is the understanding of oneself. A song that goes deep into onself. It is one of the simpler Honkyoku, but Honkyokus are not easy pieces to play. So I recommend you start with the simpler songs from our first lectures before moving on to these pieces. Some sections with meri and Oumeri are difficult, you might not be able to get it right away, but try through practice to get closest to it as possible. It will take some time, it is also a good idea to come back to it through your practice as the song will make more and more sense each time you go back to it. The same for Tamuke.

Through Honshirabe, you will slowly grasp the Honkyoku phrasing and music. A piece of music that does not have any set tempo. Tamuke is also a simpler Honkyoku with easier lines that will help you to slowly understand this style. These songs should be played hundreds of times if not thousands of times to really grasp the song. Each player will make the song his/her own. After all, Honshirabe is the song of oneself and becomes very personal.

Tamuke has its own difficulty that you will try to master little by little. I recommned learning to write the music as well yourself. Try to rewrite the score yourself. It is a great exercice to memorize the notation and later be able to write you own music in Shakuhachi notation.

Don't expect sudden results, this is a slow process and needs patience and lots of practice. So have fun with it and discover a new world of music through these two songs.