ABOUT
Hello!
Hi, I'm Shuko. Thank you for finding your way to my little corner of the internet — all the way from wherever in the world you are.
I live in Japan, and my musical partner is the Roland Aerophone AE-20, a digital wind instrument.
Taking up a brand-new instrument as an adult brings so much excitement — and, honestly, some walls to climb, too.
This blog is my diary of that journey: the practice, the discoveries, and everything I learn along the way.
What You'll Find Here
- What the Aerophone can do
The AE-20's features and the fun of shaping your own sounds with the Aerophone Pro Editor app - Playing without pain
Posture and body care — essential for enjoying this instrument for years to come - Courage to start
A gentle push for anyone wondering "Am I too old to start?" or "Will it be too loud for my home?" - An honest record of progress
Not just the wins — the trial and error and the failures, too
The Aerophone makes it easy to produce a sound, but beginners run into their own set of walls: how to hold it, embouchure, sore fingers.
I've struggled with neck, shoulder, and finger pain myself, and came close to giving up more than once.
There was so little information out there when I needed it — that's exactly why I started this blog: so that people with the same struggles can keep playing and keep enjoying it.
Never played the saxophone? No problem.
Everything here is written from a beginner's point of view, in plain language.
Hobbies
- Music
Aerophone, piano, drums, and music theory (solfège). I'm a beginner at all of them, but I love every minute of making music.
(The guitar and I are currently... taking a break from each other!) - Everything else
Baking bread, golf, and building this blog.
Time spent fully absorbed in something is my best way to recharge.
Songs I've Learned So Far
I started the Aerophone in June 2022.
Here are the songs I've learned to play all the way through, and what each one taught me.
| When | Song | What I worked on |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2022 | Saxophone method book | Learning the fingering and basic operation |
| Dec 2022 | Yesterday Once More | Playing a full song from start to finish |
| Jun 2023 | Let It Go | Adding expression |
| Sep 2023 | Beauty and the Beast | Key changes within a song |
| Nov 2023 | Roman Hikoh (Kome Kome Club) | Grace notes |
| Apr 2024 | Someday My Prince Will Come | Swing |
| Aug 2024 | The Girl from Ipanema | Swing (about 60% there!) |
| Nov 2024 | Hakujitsu (King Gnu) | Shuffle and complex rhythms |
| May 2025 | Homura (from "Demon Slayer") | Playing with the clarinet sound |
| Aug 2025 | Lemon (Kenshi Yonezu) | Thinking about articulation |
| Nov 2025 | Itoshi no Ellie (Southern All Stars) | From the Song & Guide Book |
My Goal
Saxophone players may already know the Aerophone, but for everyone else, it's still an instrument most people have never seen or even heard of.
Once upon a time, the digital piano was a curiosity too — and now it's in homes everywhere. My dream is for the digital wind instrument to become just as familiar, to everyone.
I hope this blog can be a small bridge toward that future — from Japan to wherever in the world you are.
Thank you for reading!