Straight out of Australia, the didgeridoo is a one-of-a-kind instrument that, traditionally, is a long hollowed-out tree branch that's blown through using a similar technique to a trumpet or trombone to produce a deep drawn out, hypnotic drone.
Aboriginal Music
The sound of the didgeridoo perfectly describes the immense Australian landscape - which makes sense, because much Aboriginal music is designed to do exactly that. Essentially an oral history that tells stories of Dreamtime that explain how the land, the people and nature itself came to be, Aboriginal music isn't just ceremonial or about passing on spiritual knowledge, it's actually pretty practical. Song Lines in particular, made of vocals and beats backed up by the didgeridoo, are like musical maps of the landscape that describe physical routes that can literally be followed - much like a tuneful set of directions.
The Didgeridoo & Other Music
In popular western music, you're pretty unlikely to come across a didgeridoo. This is probably because any 'didge' is only able to produce one note, and it's this fixed pitch which jars with the variable pitch of most tuned instruments (unless you're looking at an instrument like the bagpipes). But this is just a western problem. If you're making music with a bass line that sticks to a fixed pitch, you can definitely use the didgeridoo to add some flavour - think Trance music, New Age or Ambient music.
The Didgeridoo Playing Technique: Circular Breathing
Anyone who's ever heard a didgeridoo being played will have noticed that the droning sound can be stretched on to near-infinity. To achieve this, didge players use circular breathing: the same technique used by brass musicians and bagpipe players. The process involves inhaling air and holding it in your mouth before pushing it through the didgeridoo with your cheeks. Because your cheeks are doing the work, you can pull in more air at the same time to keep a continuous note going. The technique takes some practice and is pretty tough to master.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Didgeridoo
What makes a good didgeridoo and how much do they cost?
Since the didgeridoo is simply a hollow tube, making one isn't all that complex. The value tends to lie in the material the instrument has been made from and how it's decorated. You can easily pick up a budget model for around £20 to £30, while more expensive models can cost over a hundred pounds.
How does a didgeridoo work?
The didgeridoo is played by vibrating your lips against the mouthpiece, but without using your voice in any way. The result is a deep hum-like sound, and the longer your didge, the lower the pitch of the sound it produces. If you want to produce an endless, unbroken note, then you'll need to learn a special circular breathing technique.
What kind of sound do didgeridoos make?
A didgeridoo makes a deep and often growling drone-like sound in a pitch that's specific to that didgeridoo. You can control the often resonant sound with your oral cavity, lips and tongue to vary the timbre. While a continuous droning is the best known didgeridoo sound, you can also produce rhythmic patterns using rhythmic blowing techniques.
Does playing the didgeridoo help with snoring?
Besides being a beautiful musical instrument, some sources claim that the didgeridoo can help cure snoring problems. Whether it does or not, one thing is definitely true: regularly playing the didgeridoo helps train and strengthen throat muscles, which in turn, can help reduce snoring.
