Welcome to Cloud Hands Music. Here you will find a wide variety of bamboo flutes — both shakuhachi and transverse — made by Peter Ross and by several well-known Japanese master craftsmen. Alongside the instruments are recordings of traditional Japanese and world music played on the shakuhachi and bamboo flute. Inside these pages are descriptions and photographs of the various flute models, the history of the shakuhachi, pricing and ordering information, and a calendar of concerts and music festivals.
What You'll Find Here
The shakuhachi is one of the most expressive wind instruments in the world. A single note, shaped by breath and the smallest movement of the head, can travel from a whisper to a roar. Whether you are a curious listener, a beginning student, or a seasoned player searching for your next flute, Cloud Hands Music is a place to learn, to listen, and to find an instrument worthy of a lifetime of practice.
- About the shakuhachi & the maker — what the instrument is, where it came from, and the story of maker and performer Peter Ross.
- Flutes — natural-bore and ginashikan shakuhachi, the Arabian shakuhachi, hardwood models, and transverse bamboo flutes.
- Music — meditative recordings of shakuhachi and world music, suitable for listening, massage, tai chi and yoga.
- News & Calendar — workshops, fresh arrivals from Japan, and concert and festival dates.
- Order — how to enquire about and purchase a flute or recording.
The Spirit of the Instrument
The natural sound of wind and water, of the earth that nourished the bamboo, of the spark that enlivens them — this is the spirit in the note of the shakuhachi. For the Zen priests who practised it, the act of playing was itself a meditation, a way of listening more closely to a single sound than to any melody. That contemplative spirit runs through every instrument and every recording offered here. For background on the instrument's place in Japanese culture, see The Metropolitan Museum of Art's history of the shakuhachi.
Begin Your Visit
Explore the flutes crafted by Peter Ross, read the history of the shakuhachi, or listen for the haunting tone that has drawn players to this instrument for centuries. Enjoy your visit.