Shakuhachi honkyoku: Motivic analysis of Sokaku Reibo

Honkyoku is a repertoire of original pieces played on the Japanese bamboo flute, shakuhachi. In this study, I analyze the melodic and rhythmic content of one honkyoku piece, Sokaku Reibo (巣鶴鈴慕, “The Nesting of Cranes”). Whereas previous analyses of shakuhachi honkyoku have relied on the frameworks of octave-species scales as well as trichords spanning a perfect fourth, I favor a bottom-up approach. Although three transpositions of the miyakobushi trichord (m2+M3=P4)² account for a portion of what is heard in Sokaku Reibo, several frequently occurring tones and intervals are left unaccounted for. I will show how analysis of these smaller elements, in addition to analysis of pitch and rhythm cells, is relevant to the greater structure of the piece.