Atelier Chikudo
Japanese Shakuhachi making workshop
Welcome in my workshop
My favorite place in the world !
Nested in a wooded valley just two kilometers from the historical center of Figeac; here is the place where I build my Shakuhachi accompanied by the sound of water flowing in the stream by the workshop.
All from wood, the workshop is a warm tiny space of intimacy well suited for concentration. I would be glad to welcome you for a visit or an initiation to the Shakuhachi playing.
The specificity of my work as a flute maker is the use of natural bore.
While wooden flutes have controlled regular bore profiles, the Bamboo, naturally hollow, is inconstant by nature :
Each piece of bamboo has its own unique characteristics (diameter, length, wall thickness, conical ratio…)
It is then my duty to adapt my work to the plant and not the opposite.
Every single piece of bamboo is carefully selected in order to reach the best acoustical result from it.
Thus, every flute is unique.
When the bamboo has good natural caracteristics, it may become a ji-nashi flute;
When I feel that the bore needs to be completely designed to achieve a better instrument, it would then become a ji-ari shakuhachi.
I used to work with different French bamboo species in the past but as my requirements has evolved, I now only work with Japanese Madake.
I harvest myself in Japan all of those bamboos from local groves and cure them with the traditional methods at home in France.
Harvesting is very exciting and tiring !
