Forums > Other Toys > The Official HOP didjeridu thread.

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onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
didj didjeridu didgeridu didjeridoo didgeridoo didjeridou didgeridou



that should cover most of the possibilities for the search engine smile



--------------------------------



I did a search for didj posts, and there wasn't that much, so I thought HOP could do with a thread for didj info and questions.



I'll kick it off with this: -




Non-Https Image Link




An innovative travel didj produced by German company 'Schlagwerk'.



For UK residents, 'Knock on Wood' a shop in Leeds that specialises in world instruments, and the place I bought my first commercial didj; stock these travel didj's- their didj page is here: -



https://www.knockonwood.co.uk/instruments_results.asp?CategoryID=25



They look like a good idea, obviously it's working on the bore being tripled over, thus overcoming one of the difficulties of transporting a traditional didj, namely, it's length.



Has anyone here seen one of these didj's, or played one; if so, what are they like?



(incidently, for any beginners wanting to try didjerdu out, but don't want to pay £50-£150 for a commercial model- 35-40 mm diameter plastic drainage pipe, available from most DIY shops, will work fine. Just cut it to an appropriate length, maybe from your feet to your chest, or feet to the top of your head, then put a bit of masking tape on the blowing end to protect your lips).

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
More for beginners-



A didj is a very primitive instrument, generally categorised as being in the 'trumpet' class, due to the fact that the sound is produced by lip vibration.



It's basically a hollow tube, with no additional mechanism. For the aborigines of Australia, it was usually a natural log hollowed by termites; nowadays, didjs can be made from logs, bamboo or metal/plastic tubing.



Unlike most other instruments,it's primarily based on a single note, the variety being in the range of tone variation and percussive possibilities.



Again, almost unique, is the fact that the technique of 'circular breathing'(a constant out-breathe, that is maintained by cheek pressure only, on the phase of the cycle where air is being taken into the lungs), is a fundamental aspect of playing.



While most people can produce a sound from a didj in a period ranging from a few minutes to a week, and soon learn how to vary that tone; the learning of the 'circular breathing' is more likely to take several months. However, once aquired, it becomes second nature.



The didj is an intuitive instrument, its lack of note changes and fingering mean that one can concentrate purely on expression through tone variation (altering the shape of the mouth, position of tongue, using vocalisation) and rhythm (using the diapthragm and varying the circular breathing).



It thus involves a lot of control over some aspects of the body that can have a profound effect on the mind (diapthragm, breathing rate, mental focus), perhaps helping to explain why so many regard it as a very spiritual instrument.



There are many myths associated with learning to play the didj- perhaps the most common being that taking 'acid' can assist with acquiring the technique of circular breathing.



This is not true (though maybe one under the influence of mind altering drugs could be under the impression that they have cracked the technique)- the 'secret' to learning circular breathing, as in so many things, is primarily in regular consistent practice, patience and trying out different approaches.

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Wonder how many HoP readers play the didg? wave



Not sure of the relevance of Didg with poi or fire-spinning, though? Except for Aussie fire-spinners and maybe the odd Canadian?!? And even then, how many play it?

Maybe we can start up contact didg? wink Or the Official HoP Trombone Thread? Bet you there is tons more that play the Djembe?

CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
I don't! smile

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mechBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,207 posts
Location: "In your ear", United Kingdom


Posted:
i know bovril has one he made out in oz, and i bought one out in oz

what i found was that the smaller and shorter they are, the harder to get the resinace sound going down it....

thus making it more like a bad rasberry than deep diji sound

Step (el-nombrie)


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
I play didj and djembe...

my circular breathing is still pretty fragile though, or rather my air conservation is not so great and I need a forgiving didg to go very long, but at least I can (finally!).

I'm going to keep my eyes open for one of those travelling didjes and give it a try if I happen across one.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


darkpoetBRONZE Member
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA


Posted:
yeah...so how do you go about this circular breathing...cause ive tried and tried but never have i been able to..

Jesus saves sinners and redeems them for cash and
prizes

Co-Founder of Keepers of Light

Educate yourself about the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


ado-pGOLD Member
Pirate Ninja
3,882 posts
Location: Galway/Ireland


Posted:
Circular Breathing

Love is the law.


AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
we have discussed didjs before - I havent done a search though... redface

just a reminder about the cultural implications of women playing the didj, in some areas its ok, in others its taboo....

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
I thought it was always taboo for women? Traditionally! frown

AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
As far as I'm concerned - it's taboo

and would never attempt to play a man's instrument

but I know others who have a different perspective - perhaps they will share here their thoughts... smile

onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
For circular breathing the link ado-p provided is a good one.



My tip is to learn it without a didj first, as follows.





Fill up your cheeks with air, puff them out so you look like a hamster at breakfast time.



Hold the palm of your hand a couple of inches in front of your lips.





A. Whilst keeping the air in your cheeks, snort some quick blasts of air into your lungs via the nose only.



Rest, then refill the cheeks with air.



B. Slightly open the lips, allowing a little air to come out, so you can feel it on your palm.





Next stage is to do A and B simultaneously.



So, fill cheeks with air, position hand, then, simultaneously snort in a quick breathe of air (into the lungs via the nose) whilst allowing a little to escape from slightly opened lips.



Practice until the air going into your nose and the air coming out of your lips is definitly occuring at the same time.





Give it a fair amount of time, it may take several weeks before you get proficient.





Then learn to do it in rhythmic bursts.





Then, between bursts, you can slot in normal out breathes.





At this point you can keep up a constant flow of air from your lips, whilst taking in shots of air into your lungs- this can be kept going indefinitely and can then be applied to an instrument.



Incidently, the skill can be applied to other instruments- didj's are probably the easiest as they use such a loose embrouchure; next would be brass (trumpet, cornet etc).



Reed instruments are a bit trickier, and flutes are really difficult- the lip positions for the embrouchure is so critical that it's hard to sustain during circular breathing.

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
I've played didj a few times (not very well biggrin ), and I'm aware it's seen as a 'man's instrument' - but I disagree with the concept of male/female instruments (at least, to the extreme that one gender should not be allowed to play an instrument).

I realise that it is a traditional belief, but many things that are traditional aren't good.

Anyways, check out this site for great homemade didj's https://www.customrust.co.nz/

Also the amazing didj-bass ubblol

Getting to the other side smile


arashiPooh-Bah
2,364 posts
Location: austin,tx


Posted:
wow a folded didj. cool.
onewheeldave i always have the feeling you and i are old friends.
ever see a didj that was like a slide flute, tube in a tube? waaAAAAaaay cool sound. WEEEEEeeeeeeooow.
i can circular breathe, and make pretty noises, but i have folded up septum so it's really hard to get bug nasal gulps of air. so i just play the drums and dance biggrin

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.


AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
Written by:

I realise that it is a traditional belief, but many things that are traditional aren't good




I totally agree smile
There's a whole lot of outdated ways of thinking out there.

but,

soapbox

if a custodian of the culture says directly to me that as a woman I can not play the didj, I believe I should respect that cultural tradition. Especially when I live in a country that pretty much denied the original people their traditional way of life.

It's the least I can do to listen and learn.

Off soapbox biggrin

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Hey Ade!
Have you read "The Didjeridu: From Arnhem Land to Internet" Edited by Karl Neuenfeldt? Gives some interesting insite into the whole gender issue.
Cheers!

AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
I haven't read it, I just might have to...

cheers for the reference beerchug

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
No worries!
Cheers!

KnoxiousGOLD Member
.
420 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
My mate Si used to do fireshows twirling and playing the didge at the same time...he did pretty good too!
He is now THE most phenomenal didj player under the sun....was workign for Cirque for a short time there too! Bambam, Bec, ElkeValura or Arsn will surely testify to that!
His site is www.didgesi.com (sorry...posting as a quick reply) it's a bit out of date but hey...
That travelling didge looks coooool smile

arsnHow do you change this thing???
1,903 posts
Location: Behind the couch...


Posted:
biggrin"Testify to Si" biggrin

I can't hear you... I have a banana in my ear.

"You mean I'll have to use my brain?... but I use staff!!!" ~ ben-ja-men


stickmanWorld Champ Procrastinator
580 posts
Location: ||...lost...||


Posted:
wow thats really impressive.. playing for Cirque! now that would be an honor redface
i have a didge too, bought in alice springs, but dont play it often enough.. i like to tell myself things like its because the neighbors might complain, although they havent, or i need more inspiration.. what really helps tho is playing to a jembe.. or just a steady beat of somekind.. im always going back to the same rhythm and melody..

anyone in holland thats interested in teaming up?

Konstilovable smart-ass
785 posts
Location: vineyards, Vienna, Austria


Posted:
*smacks stickman with the baseball bat of inspiring motivation*

"is optimism in austria just a lack of information?"
-Alfred Dorfer


stickmanWorld Champ Procrastinator
580 posts
Location: ||...lost...||


Posted:
thanks man, i needed that, *gets up to play didge for the next 5 hours* now if you could do me another favor, itd me much appreciated.. leave cold yet historical vienna for a bit and come up here and play some jembe with me...

animatEdBRONZE Member
1 + 1 = 3
3,540 posts
Location: Bristol UK


Posted:
*BUMP*

Right, where was I? Oh yes, Didge. I bought one of these recently, thanks to the wonders of impulse buying.

Now I need to learn to play the thing.

That link for circular breathing above doesn't work anymore, so does anybody have any tips or other links?

Empty your mind. Be formless, Shapeless, like Water.
Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.


Suibomaddict
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
You can try this:

https://www.google.com/search?q="circular+breathing"+didgeridoo

Definition of poi- A Hawaiian food made from the tuber of the taro that is cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented.

Ahnold discussing poi - "It is naht a toober!"


onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
One thing you'll need with circualar breathing is patience- another is consistent regular (ideally daily) practice. Try and put in 5-10 minutes every day.



On the good side, once you've cracked it, circular breathing becomes instinctive and easy.



If you do a google search you'll get loads of advice, much of which will involve using water- personally, I leant it without having to use water, and below is a copy-and-paste of my tips from the other page (you'll notice that I learnt to circualr breathe initially without the didj).



Try all the different techniques, find out which you like; most of all, persist- give yourself several months to achieve your goal of circualr breathing, just be happy if it happens earlier (it took me months). It's a bit like learning to juggle five balls- everyone can learn it, but there;s no getting around the fact that it's going to take time and consistent regular practice.



Written by: onewheeldave



My tip is to learn it without a didj first, as follows.





Fill up your cheeks with air, puff them out so you look like a hamster at breakfast time.



Hold the palm of your hand a couple of inches in front of your lips.





A. Whilst keeping the air in your cheeks, snort some quick blasts of air into your lungs via the nose only.



Rest, then refill the cheeks with air.



B. Slightly open the lips, allowing a little air to come out, so you can feel it on your palm.





Next stage is to do A and B simultaneously.



So, fill cheeks with air, position hand, then, simultaneously snort in a quick breathe of air (into the lungs via the nose) whilst allowing a little to escape from slightly opened lips.



Practice until the air going into your nose and the air coming out of your lips is definitly occuring at the same time.





Give it a fair amount of time, it may take several weeks before you get proficient.





Then learn to do it in rhythmic bursts.





Then, between bursts, you can slot in normal out breathes.





At this point you can keep up a constant flow of air from your lips, whilst taking in shots of air into your lungs- this can be kept going indefinitely and can then be applied to an instrument.



Incidently, the skill can be applied to other instruments- didj's are probably the easiest as they use such a loose embrouchure; next would be brass (trumpet, cornet etc).



Reed instruments are a bit trickier, and flutes are really difficult- the lip positions for the embrouchure is so critical that it's hard to sustain during circular breathing.






"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
Didgeridoos are the best ever. I made a PVC one in June and I learned how to play it in no time. I got a new agave one yesterday, it's wonderous. I learned the basics of cicular breathing on my french horn, and I just had to fine tune it on the didge.

I really like the unreasonably big and long ones. They can be super difficult to circular breath with, but I can usually manage it. I just can't get enough of the low ones, they sound so cool.

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


animatEdBRONZE Member
1 + 1 = 3
3,540 posts
Location: Bristol UK


Posted:
After listening to a tutorial CD, I'm just starting to understand how to do the circular breathing. Now I just need to keep the drone going without a pause as I change from breathing in to blowing back out again... That's gonna take a while...

Also, On DidgeSi's website mentioned earlier, he makes a really cool noise with the didge, kinda high pitched and quick. (can't think how else to desribe it at the moment) Does anyone know how it's done?

Empty your mind. Be formless, Shapeless, like Water.
Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.


onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
Was it a kind of high-pitched 'poop-poop' sound?

If so, then it sounds like it's the one which involves jumping up to the next octave.

The didj is classed in the musical world as a 'trumpet'- it's basically a big wooden trumpet with a large mouthpiece- like an ordinary trumpet the mechanism for producing the sound is 'buzzing' (vibrating) the lips.

On a trumpet, if you tighten the lips and blow harder, you jump into the higher octaves of the instrument. On a simple keyless brass instrument like the bugle, its entire range of notes (about 8?) is produced soley by altering the embrouchure (lip tension and breath control) to get different octaves.

A didj is more limited- with practice you'll get the second octave, and this is what produces that quick 'poop' sound.

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


animatEdBRONZE Member
1 + 1 = 3
3,540 posts
Location: Bristol UK


Posted:
em... not sure if we're thinking of the same sound here...

Nice song by DidgeSi

It's the quick 'whoop' type sound made in this song.

Empty your mind. Be formless, Shapeless, like Water.
Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.


JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
I'm fairly certain that's a vocal. Just experiment with talking into it while playing and you can get that sort of sound.

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


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