10 Master Tone Dragon Head Flute, Classical Style 7-Hole 3-Hon Choshi, Metal Insert, Negishi Shinobue Studio, Interlocking Flute

This instrument is made to the same specifications as the Shishida and Maruyama shinobue.

Recommended for Morioka Sansa Odori dance.
Sanra no fue is the original name.
It is slightly thicker, so the finger holes are slightly larger. Recommended for men.

What is metal-reinforced?
Metal is inserted into the head joint (around the mouthpiece). This is a specification found in instruments like Ryūteki and Nōkan. It is suitable for seasons when the daytime temperature is 20 degrees Celsius or higher. The sound is sharp and resonates well. It can be a bit piercing to the ears. When played with taiko drums, depending on the conditions, the drum sound may be louder up close, but the flute sound will be louder from a distance. At night, under the right conditions, the sound can travel hundreds of meters. (The thicker the flute, the better the tone and resonance.)

This instrument excels in producing high notes and very high notes.

Even when played by women, it does not fall short of men's shinobue in terms of volume and tone quality.
It has the best resonance among Japanese transverse flutes.

Difference from Wagaku (traditional Japanese flutes)
With Wagaku, only the very high notes resonate, but with Ryūshubi, both high notes and very high notes resonate. It also has better volume and resonance.

Material: Domestic Hachiku bamboo

Thickness: Approximately 23mm around the mouthpiece

Length: Approximately 50.3cm

Mouthpiece size: Approximately 15mm

Resonance rating (out of 5): 4.7

Ease of playing rating (out of 5): 3.9

Thickness: Slightly thick.

Bamboo hardness rating (out of 5): 2

Pitch: Approximately less than four hon (a unit of pitch).

Pitch range: From low notes to the 5th octave high note.

What is Ryūshubi? A flute that came from China during the early to mid-Edo period. It is called Ryūshubi because it has a dragon decoration on the head joint and a resonance hole between the mouthpiece and finger holes. (Mentioned in Chinese Tang Dynasty literature.)

This is a flute made by improving a phantom Ryūshubi, originally crafted by a Kyoto flute maker in the mid-Edo period, to suit modern festival music. The resonance is three-dimensional like a Nōkan, the blowing feel is firm yet soft and easy to play (similar to a shinobue), and the tone is refreshing.

Difference from Shinobue: The biggest difference is in volume and tone quality. It has nearly double the volume of a shinobue, and the high notes and very high notes resonate three-dimensionally. However, while there are many shinobue makers, there are few who make bamboo flutes (like those made from hachiku or hachiku bamboo with nodes). One reason is the difficulty of production and the scarcity of materials.

Having researched physics for many years, I am able to select materials that are relatively easy to play and have good resonance.

Please understand that this is a handmade item using natural materials. Also, please note that price reductions are not possible.