Sonic Calligraphy

At first, it is important to play every sound very carefully, paying attention to attack, pitch, overall dynamics, etc. etc. But once this precision becomes somewhat automatic, it is time to free up the sound. Rather than treating each note as an independent entity, think of each breath as a sweep of notes, a single relaxed gesture -- like a sigh, or a brush stroke in Japanese calligraphy. Eventually you can extend your hearing through time to conceive of the entire piece as a single complex gesture.

Honkyoku playing is not about carefully coloring inside the lines. It is about knowing your musical body and allowing it free expression as you execute traditional patterns. A honkyoku piece is like the kanji prototype for a calligrapher; your playing of it is the sonic calligraphy.