Of course Eddie, but I hope to improve after more practice. I saw this book in the Library called 'Didgeredoo - A Playing Instruction Manual for the Beginner to the Advanced Player' so of course I had to have a look.
Introduction: Go to your hardware store and get a length of pvc pipe 40mm diameter and cut to exactly 1.185 metres. Heat a small amount of bees wax in a plastic bag in the microwave to soften but not melt it. Roll it into a sausage shape and mould it onto one end of the pipe to make a mouthpiece. This will make a didgeredoo which will produce a D pitch.
It was qute a scene at the hardware store when I said what it was for because all the guys wanted to have a blow. The encounter with the wax was tricky (couldn't find bees wax and tried beauty wax from the chemist which turns out to be quite sticky). The pharmacist was talking to his off-sider about Yothu Yindi (by co-incidence) so naturally I told him why I wanted the wax. I had to promise to bring my didge in on my next visit.
It turns out that you need only a small amount of wax that just makes the end of the pipe less sharp (for comfort) - I found that if you put sausage of wax that reduces the diameter I couldn't get the air to resonate down the tube.
Then you cover your mouth with the end of the tube and blow raspberries down it by allowing the air to vibrate your lips. When you get the resonance you know it all right - it booms out the end and your fillings rattle - its great!
Is anyone up for a Didge Challenge???????
Circular breathing is the major hurdle, but the book says anyone can do it with practice (and it gives instructions). I can already change the pitch and sound but not consistently. It's difficult to maintain a steady pitch/column of air over the length of the basic drone note - that, and running out of air. I'm only practicing in short bursts because I start to get light headed from hyperventilating, and the neighbour's dog goes beserk!
Here's a great example of didge playing on one big daddy of a didge. At the end of this clip he demonstrates the 'vocal' he is using to make the sounds.
YouTube - Baywara Power! A special didgeridoo made by Djalu Gurruwiwi
and the famous Yothu Yindi with 'Tribal Voice'
YouTube - Yothu Yindi- "Tribal Voice"
Their song "Treaty" maybe a bit political for this site, but if you're interested you can Youtube search for it - it's great music.
The members of Yothu Yindi and the all the ones in the clip of Treaty are family and members of a small community from an area in Arnheim Land (north of Australia). The lead singer is Mandawuy Yunupingu who is the headmaster of their small school.
The latest star from the Yothu Yindu's Yunupingu family is Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu who also plays a mean didge, but here is singing with guitar. He's blind and plays a right handed guitar left handed but with the right handed stringing set up and with an index finger only.
YouTube - I Was Born Blind - Gurrumul Yunupingu
Do we have any wannabe didge players to join me??????
One good thing about music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain - Bob Marley
