4/3/24, 11:13 AM Didgeridoo Lesson 1 | What is a didgeridoo and how to play it?

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Free circular breathing

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Didgeridoo Lesson 1 | What is a

didgeridoo and how to play it?
 Gauthier Aubé(https://www.wakademy.online/en/blog/author/gauthier/)
 03/10/2021(https://www.wakademy.online/en/blog/2021/03/10/)
No (https://www.wakademy.online/en/blog/didgeridoo-
 Comme beginner/didgeridoo-lesson-1-what-is-a-didgeridoo-and-how-to-play-
nts it/#respond)

     

In this video, I’m going to explain you what is didgeridoo, where does it come from and
how we can play it.

You will see that we can use different parts of our body to play the didgeridoo:

the lips of course, to produce the sound.

the tongue, to do some sounds variations.
the cheeks for circular breathing and dynamics.

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4/3/24, 11:13 AM Didgeridoo Lesson 1 | What is a didgeridoo and how to play it? - Wakademy

the voice, for hight contrast… But the most interesting is to combine all of them
together!

Didgeridoo Lesson 1 | What is a didgeridoo and how to play it ?

A didgeridoo is a musical instrument that comes from the Australian

Aborigines. It is considered as the oldest wind instrument in the world.

Uh sorry? A what…?!
As a didgeridoo player, I am often faced with this kind of reaction. So we learn to speak
slowly and articulate carefully: a did-ge-ri-doo. At this point, faces start to lighten up, but
they still remain doubtful. It is true that the didgeridoo has not (yet!) reached the
worldwide reputation of the violin or the guitar. Yet, this simple “piece of wood” that
comes from the Australian Aborigines has many things to say. So what does it look like?
What is it ? And how does one play it? For those of you, who have so many important
questions, he are finally some answers to enlighten you.

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4/3/24, 11:13 AM Didgeridoo Lesson 1 | What is a didgeridoo and how to play it? - Wakademy

No more no less than a wooden tube

Initially, a didgeridoo is an eucalyptus trunk naturally dug by termites. However, a
didgeridoo is a tube and only a tube! As long as the piece of wood measures between
1m20 and 1m80, any tube will do: a PVC vacuum hose (favor a new vacuum cleaner!) or
an assembly of toilet paper rolls… A tube … I tell you, nothing more ! Well … of course all
these ‘instruments’ will sound more or less good, as you can imagine … And it’s no
coincidence if some people have specialized themselves in Didgeridoo manufacturing:
creating a good instrument requires real expertise. So for didgeridoo manufacturers who
work with eucalyptus, the issue is to choose the right eucalyptus trunks to make the best
instrument with the less changes possibles … We therefore let nature shape our
instrument, and our mission is to make music with it. What a beautiful perspective, is not
it ?

A musical instrument
Yes, but not quite like the others ! Indeed, the didgeridoo has the particularity of only
letting out a single note. Didgeridoos in E, in C, in D therefore exist. Thus, unlike the violin,
for example, where the musician varies his notes, the didgeridoo player only uses a single
note to extract the natural harmonics, which makes it very similar to jaw harp and
overtone singing.
Let’s say it again : didgeridoo is a mono-tone instrument … But it will reveal many
surprises to who will take the time to listen.

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4/3/24, 11:13 AM Didgeridoo Lesson 1 | What is a didgeridoo and how to play it? - Wakademy

My last video clip “L’exil”

Conclusion : an extraordinary instrument

Its history, its manufacturing and its technique makes didgeridoo to be a fascinating
instrument with unbeatable originality! That is what attracted me when I started playing.
At that time, I was looking to learn to play an original instrument and I was not
disappointed!

And you ? Why are you interested in didgeridoo? What attracts you in this instrument? Or
why do you play it? Share your experiences!

     

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