Freesound Forums

As you might have learned from a previous post, I am currently working on the sound crew for Texas Shakespeare Festival. We are working with a director who is wonderfully artistic, but also wonderous vague. She has given us ambiguous directions, which is great from a designer's point of view, but I fear she may want specific results.

She spoke of a wooden instrument that is struck which is used during Buddhist prayer sessions. If I had the name of this instrument, it would be exceedingly easier to extricate this effect from existing samples found elsewhere (or here.) If someone had this sound... lying around... that would be even better. The programs are already printed, so it's not possible to include your name therein, but you would have my gratitude and the service of my microphone and all my audio skillz. (Yes, spelled with a Z. It's for emphasis.)

Thank you, all.
-- L

Uhm, I may be of help if you could be a bit more precise. You see, there is no general instrument that is played during Buddhist prayer in every country and culture. Basically, it depends on the locality, i.e. what is used is different all around the world. Maybe you can indicate which Buddhist culture you are refering to. If it's south-east Asian, I may be able to tell you which one. If it is (say) Tibetan, Japanese or Korean, I'm afraid I can't help you.

You seem to have the same trouble as myself, LG. I'm quite aware there is no one standard instrument. The director, however, may not be. We were unable to communicate clearly, and whether by language barrier or cultural standard, I know not. She may simply not know. Thus it is with art. :wink:

Ok, I see... so, the request of your director is to find something that is made of wood and is used somewhere around the globe during some kind of Buddhist procedure, and which produces sound...

Well, ok, I'll just try to delve into the literature to find some suggestions.

That's basically it. The director has been very, very vague. She presented the sound crew with a CD this morning and told us that was the music she wanted, which sorta nixxed the idea of having a sound designer, but what have you. She didn't, however, have the sound effects. Also, we're looking for the sound made in Beijing Opera when characters are walking or fighting.

This production is going to be very strange, indeed.

You shouldn't have to do too much literary looking, 'cause that's my job. :? Thank you kindly for your willingness to help, however, and if you have a lot of free time for research on such things, I certainly wouldn't reject your help. If you're in the area of East Texas, and wish to see a show, let me know, and I'll hook you up with a comp ticket to one of TSF's many productions. They're wonderful.

Thanks!

What you are looking for might be a moktak (the Korean name) or muyu (the Chinese name):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muyu
http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2003/winter/dharma_dict_winter03.htm

Yup, 833-45 was faster than me but that is the one that I was thinking about as well. It can also be seen in the movie Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring by Kim Ki-duk (2003). I just had forgotten the name and it is difficult to find something when you don't remember the name... :wink:

Anyway, good luck with the performance!

PS: I live in Europe, and although I would love to watch it, I think that is slightly impossible...

833-45 is now my hero, and my favorite number. Rock on with your bad self.

LG-- Hey, you never know. You could be abducted by aliens and returned to Earth in East Texas. Though, if you were, you'd have not only my comp tickets, but my sincere condolences for having landed in such a place.

You could be abducted by aliens and returned to Earth in East Texas.

No, impossible. We are instructed not to land there...