Reworking my practice

I am making some changes to my technical practice. I am developing shakuhachi as art practice, but as beginner, I need to put good time into learning the technical skills. Add in the fact that I am doing this without a teacher (such is my karma for now), and I will just have to do my best to improve, without developing too many bad habits*.

*specifically, I know my embrochure needs some work, as does my tongue placement on octave changes.

For the next couple of weeks, this is what I have...

Ro

Ostsu fingering per long tones X2

Meri / Kari / Yuri exercises

Finger dexterity drill

Kimigayo
Sakura
God Save the Queen
We wish you a merry Christmas
Improv.

In two weeks I get an early Christmas present: A shakuhachi Yuu and an instructional book/CD. The Yu will let me play along with a lot of tracks that I have notation for but can't manage to play along, since my main flute is in 'B'. As well the instructional book has quite a few songs that I will then be able to learn. I look forward to start work on my first honkyoku in the new year.