Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers
April 13, 2025
If you are reading this newsletter, you likely care more about improving your shinobue skills than the average viewer of my YouTube channel.
You mean a lot to me so I want to share this important information with you.
My YouTube Channel Direction
Since I began uploading content regularly to my channel, I've gained valuable insights about YouTube. Unfortunately, I've come to realize that it isn't an ideal platform for sharing the more technical aspects of playing the shinobue.
Why?
I understand that these topics are valuable; however, they don't receive many views. Most of the average viewers on my channel are either beginners or more casual shinobue learners, if they play shinobue at all. They typically don't care about the highly technical aspects of shinobue that you might appreciate. You belong to a rare group of enthusiasts.
And when videos underperform, it can negatively impact my channel's visibility since the algorithm tends to stop recommending my content. This is detrimental to my mission of sharing shinobue with the world.
Analytics
Looking at my channel's analytics, the tutorials that get the most views are the ones that are geared toward beginners, like these.
13K views
3.5K views
4.9K views
My tutorial "A Life Sent On" has many views and it's not for beginners, but the views mostly come from Japanese viewers, according to the analytics. And most of these viewers are not subscribing to the channel. They watch that specific video but are not interested in joining our "community", which is primarily for English speakers.
When I do covers of popular songs from anime and video games, they do very well. Some of my relaxation videos are very popular too.
But when I upload more technical topics, like diaphragmatic breathing, in a lecture-type style, they do not perform well.
So I decided to use YouTube as an INTRODUCTION point to attract people who might be interested in shinobue.
What does this mean to you?
For people who wish to move beyond the beginner stage what does this mean?
It means you should look beyond my YouTube videos and explore further.
I hope you will still enjoy and learn from my YouTube videos, since I do many types of videos, but in terms of tutorials, you will need to dig down a bit deeper to go beyond the beginner's stage.
One way to go beyond the beginner stage is to read this weekly newsletter.
I dig in much deeper here on this newsletter, because I know people who read this really care about shinobue. I appreciate you very much.
While I greatly appreciate my YouTube viewers, too, I understand that not all of them will remain in our community.
I'm also working hard to create an online course and community where I can share important techniques to help you improve without being restricted by the YouTube algorithm.
What is stopping me?
What I am struggling with is TIME. I upload YouTube videos twice a week (still need to inform more people about shinobue). I also write a newsletter once a week, teach privately, practice, and perform...
I have a lot on my plate.
But if you want to get better at shinobue and explore more of this amazing culture, you will need more than what I can offer you via YouTube.
So please continue to support my effort on my channel to help me create a shinobue movement world wide, because that means more information and products will easily become available to you.
You can also help this movement by posting your own shinobue videos!!
But please know that I am working hard to offer more advanced content elsewhere.
I'm looking for volunteers and hiring video editors, as well as website and YouTube maintainers, so that I have time to work on providing online courses, more shinobue sheet music etc for people who are ready to go further in their shinobue journey!
If you're interested in being part of the shinobue movement, please let me know!
Diaphragmatic breathing
This is a topic I don't cover enough on YouTube because it's too technical for most beginners. Most people are primarily interested in fingering and embouchure because that's what are most visible.
However, if you want to progress beyond the beginner stage, you must confront diaphragmatic breathing.
What is it?
Per Cleveland Clinic's article (which I trust wholeheartedly since they helped me so much with my health when I lived in Ohio for 20 years).
|
|
"The diaphragm is the most efficient muscle for breathing. It’s a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of your lungs. Your abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give you more power to empty your lungs." |
"The most efficient muscle for breathing"
"Give you more power to empty your lungs"
That’s why people who use their diaphragm to push air into the shinobue sound way better than the average player! If you're not using those important muscles to breathe, you're really missing out. Remember, your breath is what makes the shinobue sound happen.
If your breath is weak, your sound is weak. If your breath is shaky, your sound gets shaky. And if your breath stops, your sound stops too.
Cleveland Clinic also notes (with my comments in bold):
"What is diaphragmatic breathing?
Diaphragmatic breathing helps you use your diaphragm correctly while breathing to:
- Strengthen the diaphragm. (more you use it, stronger it gets)
- Decrease the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate. (Breath efficiency)
- Decrease oxygen demand. (Longer phases become easier)
- Use less effort and energy to breathe. (Playing shinobue becomes easier!)
During diaphragmatic breathing, you consciously use your diaphragm to take deep breaths.
When you breathe normally, you don’t use your lungs to their full capacity. (This means if you breathe normally and play shinobue, you are not using diaphragmatic breathing).
Diaphragmatic breathing allows you to use your lungs at 100% capacity to increase lung efficiency." (Are you using 100% of what you have?)
Diaphragmatic breathing offers several benefits. Using diaphragmatic breathing while playing shinobue can enhance your performance and significantly improve your overall quality of life!
"What are the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing?
Diaphragmatic breathing offers several benefits to your body including:
- Helping you relax.
- Improving muscle function during exercises and preventing strain.
- Increasing how much oxygen is in your blood.
- Making it easier for your body to release gas waste from your lungs.
- Reducing blood pressure.
- Reducing heart rate.
What conditions does diaphragmatic breathing help improve?
Diaphragmatic breathing can help several conditions that cause symptoms that affect how you breathe including:
In order to use diaphragmatic breathing for shinobue, YOU MUST FIRST KNOW HOW TO DO IT WITHOUT THE SHINOBUE.
Follow these exercises from Cleveland Clinic:
"How do I do diaphragmatic breathing exercises?
When you first learn the diaphragmatic breathing technique, it may be easier for you to follow the instructions lying down.
- Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed, with your knees bent and your head supported. You can use a pillow under your knees to support your legs.
- Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out, causing your hand to rise. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.
- Tighten your stomach muscles, so that your stomach moves in, causing your hand to lower as you exhale through pursed lips (see "Pursed Lip Breathing Technique"). The hand on your upper chest should remain as still as possible.
Diaphragmatic breathing technique (sitting)
As you gain more practice, you can try the diaphragmatic breathing technique while sitting in a chair.
To perform this exercise while sitting in a chair:
- Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed.
- Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out against your hand. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.
- Tighten your stomach muscles, so that your stomach moves back in, as you exhale through pursed lips. The hand on your upper chest must remain as still as possible."
Now, stand up and do the same exact thing.
Once you are accustomed to breathing this way, practice the following exercise.
- Stand with the correct shinobue posture using this video.
2. Take the diaphragmatic breathing.
3. Play one note and pay attention to what is happening with your diaphragm.
A lot of shinobue playing is about observing yourself and paying attention to what shinobue tells you.
It's like meditation. A zen moment to connect with yourself and nature.
Your tone might become more steady and solid immediately. Or it may take longer for you to hear any difference.
Learn to hear the subtle difference in tone. Just having the right pitch is not enough. You need to create a beautiful tone to go beyond the average beginner stage.
I hope this article has helped you delve deeper into one of the most important aspects of improving your shinobue sound.
Tatara Toki sensei interview, Part 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Filmed last year in Tokyo, Tatara sensei talks about how to use the breath! See, I'm not kidding when I say breath is so important (not just fingers and mouth)!
Xenoblade fans! I created a short, bringing back one of my favorite videos, Satorl Marsh (Night). This song has magical power!!
This "Always with Me - Spirited Away (Studio Ghibli)" cover is going up and up! Maybe it will reach 1,000!!
Looking for Shoji shinobues?
Shoji shinobue notification list sign up here.
