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How to Play the Didgeridoo

By Caitlin McGuire

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 21Aug2009
Word count: 507
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The didgeridoo is one of the most exotic and interesting woodwind instruments being used today. The native population of Australia, the Aboriginals, developed it, but no one knows how old it is. The Aboriginals believed that the didgeridoo was an important part of the creation of the world.

Traditionally, the Aboriginals made didgeridoos from hollowed out eucalyptus or bamboo stalks. You can find didgeridoos in a number of materials in today's market, from Agave cactus stalks and any number of woods, as well as from plastic, fiberglass and other man-made materials.

The first step in playing the didgeridoo is to stretch your mouth by opening wide and moving your jaw. Place your lips around the mouthpiece, creating an airlock. The didgeridoo is similar to a tuba in this respect.

Blow gently, using your diaphragm to make your lips vibrate. Using a soft breath will let you maintain the noise for as long as possible on a single breath. Change the pressure of your lips until you create the proper noise. The noise you create is called the drone. Sustaining the drone is necessary for the creation of any further sound. With enough practice, you will be able to create a nice, full tone.

Circular breathing is one of the most difficult parts of playing the didgeridoo, because it is so different than natural breathing patterns. By learning to circular breathe, you make sure there is air in your lungs at all times. Blow out air through your mouth by squeezing your cheeks, and breathe in short breaths through your nose. You should be breathing out air tightening the muscles in your cheeks, while breathing in the normal way.

After mastering the drone, you can move on to sound effects, like birdcalls, grunts, shouts and animal noises. However, this is a complicated process, because most beginners will be tempted to use their lips. It's important to never move your lips while playing the didgeridoo, because the lips need to vibrate around the mouthpiece at all times.

Consequently, sound effects are created without the aid of the lips.

These intonations are made by shaping the sounds without actually speaking them. Using the shape of your mouth and the location of your tongue will allow you to imitate the kookaburra and the dingo, as well as many other sounds.

To create the most well known sound on the didgeridoo, which sounds like "Ooo, eee," you'll need to focus on your tongue. Place the tip of the tongue at the top of your front teeth, and slide tip backwards over your palette. This changes the shape of your mouth, which will change the noise the didgeridoo creates. Sliding your tongue forward will again change the tonal quality. These sounds will make the sound of your didgeridoo complex and interesting.

Don't be frustrated if you can't make the sound you want as quickly as you like. It takes practice, like any other instrument. The more you play and the more experience you have with modulating your mouth shape, the better you'll sound.

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