本文翻譯自網頁「shakuhachi tips」（2005. Jul）
http://www.kotodama.net/shakuhachi/tips.html
原作者：柿堺香
英文翻譯: Zachary Braverman
中文翻譯: 麥浪
中文校稿: 琰烺（陳佩筠）
版權所有：國際尺八研修館---柿堺香老師
基礎篇---第28篇：音量的效率
要從尺八吹出理想的聲音是一種挑戰，它就是這樣的一種樂器。不管你吹得多麼好，總還是有進步的空間。有一個重要觀點是---「氣息轉換成聲音的效率」，此事以前我們曾討論過。
如果你叫初學者吹奏一個柔軟的聲音，他們無法吹得比大的聲音還長，這是因為他們降低了音量的同時，也降低了將氣息轉換成聲音的效率。
常常，那些多餘的能量將會被轉換成白噪音，但是當你想無聲地省掉這些多餘的能量時，有一些氣息可能會被浪費掉。
解決的辦法是，去想出一個方法，即使在吹奏低音量時，也能夠維持住良好的氣息和聲音的轉換比例。你必須改善此比例，方能把大音量吹好，而吹奏柔軟音，這也是需要的（例如要吹長樂句時）。
這需要試驗和練習。在上個月的小品中，已概略地提到一種方法---當你能夠吹得像蚊子嗡嗡響的聲音吹得長久時，你會知道，你已經辦到了。
B-28.Efficiency at All Volumes
Shakuhachi is an instrument in which the very production of sound is a challenge, and no matter how good you get there is always room for improvement.One key aspect of this is the efficiency with which breath is converted into sound, which we discussed last month.
If you ask a beginning player to play a soft sound, they won't be able to play it for much longer than a large sound. This is because they lower the volume by also lowering the efficiency with which they convert breath to sound.
Often, the excess energy will be converted into white noise, but even when you learn to dissipate the excess energy soundlessly a lot of breath may still be wasted. The key is to figure out a way to maintain a good breath/sound conversion ratio even at low volumes. You must improve this ratio to become proficient at producing loud notes, but it is also necessary for the softer notes (in order to play long phrases, for example).
This requires experimentation and practice. One method is outlined in last month's tip. You'll know you've got it when you can play as softly as a mosquito's buzzing for a long, longtime.
