Digeri-Who?

Slow day at work so I thought I would share another hobby of mine which is playing the digeridoo.

The degeridoo is an Aboriginal Instrument that dates back to being the oldest woodwind instrument on the planet estimated at about 40,000 years old.

These are some of my favorite youtube videos...I would post some of myself but the only video recorder I have is my camera and the sound quality is horrible.

Hopefully you'll enjoy these. These are contemporary playing styles and differ dramatically from the traditional playing styles of the various aboriginal tribes.

YouTube - Ondrej Smeykal Playing a Chad Butler Didgeridoo

YouTube - Jake Duncan In-didj-in-us 2008 Performance

YouTube - Mike Jackson plays "Control Freak" didgeridoo solo

Questions or comments welcome :D

I love Digeridoos!!! they are very hard to play! awesome hobby!

Very cool. :gj: It sounds kind of like beat-boxing. Is the sound made by only blowing or like a kazoo type blowing where you also kind of make the sound but the instrument enhances the sounds coming from your throat?

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Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

Very cool. :gj: It sounds kind of like beat-boxing. Is the sound made by only blowing or like a kazoo type blowing where you also kind of make the sound but the instrument enhances the sounds coming from your throat?

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There are many techniques to get the various different sounds out of the digeridoo. The basic "drone" is produced with loose flapping lips and the digeridoo amplifies the vibration of the lips. The percussion type noises are produce with the tounge while maintaining the drone. If you say Taka-Taka-Takati you'll get an idea of how the tongue effects rhythm.

The cool thing about the digeridoo is that there is no set way to play it aside from the basic drone. Lots of experimentation and practice leads to some cool sounds being produced.

O wow I have been looking for some help repairing a didge lately. My gf brought one home from austraila but cracked it on the way home. There are just some slight cracks up the side but they are enough to let air through and ruin the instruments ability to resonate the vibrations. Anyone know how to work with wood or didge's to repair this? I was thinking about filling with wood putty and then painting on a few coats of primer. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

The best solution would be to use saw dust and wood glue. You make a paste with it and apply it to the crack. You'll want to use an exacto knife or something to make sure the crack is clean and smooth. Apply the paste and then sand it when its dry. The advantage to using this is that the wood/glue paste will expand and contract naturally with the wood.

With that said I used epoxy to seal one of my didj cracks and its worked fine ever since.

Don't you have to learn how to do circular breathing to play those? Like you are simultaneously breathing in and out?

You don't have to know how to circular breath in order to play but its certainly not as fun until you do.

What happens is you puff up your cheeks with air and then use the muscles in your cheeks to push the air out and maintain the drone, at the same time you take a breath in through your nose.

Its one of those things that can be hard to learn but once you finally get the hang of it you think its easy.

That's kick ass!! I love the sound those thingies make, and I admit while I like the more modern beat boxing type, I am rather partial to the traditional. :oops:

What kind of traditional style?

This kind...

YouTube - Didgeridoo - Jeremy Donovan, Aboriginal Artist

Or this kind...

YouTube - Turbo-charged Quincey Matjaki on supersonic F yirdaki

I would love to learn the style played in the 2nd video but its very very hard to learn. Especially without being taught directly from a tribe. I hope to one day be able to travel down to Australia and learn directly from the source.

I like em both! :D

that is so sick! my buddies and i can rock the didge and stuff when we go camping but not like that. weve only been doin it for bout 2 years. some of my friends can circular breath but im not that advanced yet im more of the conga drummer when we play. AWESOME VIDS!

I wish I knew some people that were into it in my area but everytime I mention the digeridoo people look at me like I have 3 heads.

I think I get more you're a weirdo remarks when I mention the didj than when I mention my snake keeping.

check it! haha
http://a321.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...37cf446fd8.jpg

Nice...

Here are mine: PVC, Stringybark, Bloodwood, and my djembe.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...o/100_2323.jpg

That is so cool Rich! How long have you been playing and what got you interested in it?

Those are pretty awesome vids!

Tried to teach myself to play the didj a few years ago, but a fit of coughing that lasted a couple of months put the kobosh on it.

Still love the sound!

~Bruce

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Originally Posted by rabernet

That is so cool Rich! How long have you been playing and what got you interested in it?

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I've been playing for a year or two I can't remember when I bought my first one at the moment.

I think I've always known what kind of sounds a didgeridoo made from when I was a kid, I want to say a Crocodile Dundie movie but I'm not sure.

Fast forward many years later and I see an article on how playing the didgeridoo can help cure sleep apnea. I started looking up videos on youtube and was amazed at how many different sounds and possibilities there were with such a simple instrument.

I'm always looking for a new challenge are something off the beaten path to learn, so this was right up my alley.

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Originally Posted by BrucenBruce

Those are pretty awesome vids!

Tried to teach myself to play the didj a few years ago, but a fit of coughing that lasted a couple of months put the kobosh on it.

Still love the sound!

~Bruce

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Pick it up again! I had a really hard time learning how to circular breath and I nearly gave up on it. After putting down the instrument for a couple months I gave it another go and was able to succeed. Its been quite a rewarding experience, its hard to describe the cool feeling your body gets after playing without stopping for a breath for minutes on end.

On a side note:

I just want to put this information out there because I have a tremendous respect for the aboriginal people that pioneered this instrument. If in fact you do want to learn the didgeridoo find a store that supports the tribes in Australia that make these instruments as their form of income.

Don't buy a cheap one made in Indonesia. These mass-produced operations are causing deforestation as well as taking away much needed money from the tribes.

If you want to give it a go without spending to much money there are many PVC alternatives to train on until you're ready for a Eucalyptus didj. You can even make your own for under $5 using pvc pipes from home depot.

That's just flippin' coooooo.......... that's some serious talent. I love the bloodwood BTW! Absolutely gorgeous!

I like playing, but never got circular breathing down great, still have distinct sounds made when I switch from breathing out with my lungs to using just my mouth.

I wish I didn't live in an apartment, didj playing and practicing isn't exactly neighbor-friendly. One of these days I'll have a house, and I'm going to learn to play well, and then I'm going to learn to play the didj and guitar at the same time. Believe me, it'll be fantastic!

Yea at first my girflriend wanted to kill me; luckily I got better or I think I wouldn't be here today :D

My son and I have several didges that we play and I also play the djembe with another son!!
Too bad Long Island is on the other side of the continent from Oregon :(

Yeah man!!!!


Now we are talkin!!!!

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Originally Posted by starmom

My son and I have several didges that we play and I also play the djembe with another son!!
Too bad Long Island is on the other side of the continent from Oregon :(

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What I would give for some woods and a drum circle :tears: