Learning To Play
The Didjeridu
(Internet Version)
By James A. Hall
This booklet is dedicated
to my daughter Trisha,
who is my joy, my source of wonder
and my most appreciative audience.
Learning To Play The Didjeridu - Copyright © 1996 by James A. Hall
Please feel free to make copies of this booklet for yourself , friends or students.
Hall Crystal Flutes, Inc. 17220 Sargent Road SW,
Rochester, Washington 98579.
Customer Service (800) 231-2499 Phone: (360) 273-6216; Fax: (360) 273-6217
Email:webmaster@hallflutes.com
Congratulations on the purchase of your Hall Didjeridu. In addition to being a beautiful piece of limited edition art, the Hall Didjeridu was designed for ease of playing and superior tone quality.
Hall Didjeridus are made from Pyrex® glass1 . This is the same glass that is used for lasers, chemical apparatus, and heat resistant kitchen-ware. Many of the advantages of using Pyrex® glass are obvious. One advantage is that it has very hard, smooth walls which allow the didjeridu to produce a tone while using less air. Softer materials actually absorb some of the sound produced. With glass, more of the sound is bounced off of the walls to make a brighter, more 'alive' and brilliant tone. Another factor is that the weight of the instrument is reduced; the Hall Didjeridu weighs less than two pounds. The reduced mass improves the tone quality and decreases the amount of energy needed to play. A third factor is that the mouth piece can be shaped directly out of the glass as a integral part of the didjeridu. The traditional method is to use bee's wax shaped to form a lip plate on the didjeridu. The main problem with bee's wax is that the lip plate becomes unstable in warm weather or during sustained playing periods. With glass, the mouth hole will always be perfectly shaped, and the clean, smooth surface provides an excellent seal for playing.
The didjeridu (sometimes
spelled as didgeridoo) originated in Northern Australia and to this day is still hand crafted by
the indigenous Australian people. There are as many names for the didjeridu as there are Australian
languages, currently 265 not counting English2 . One of the
most common aboriginal names is “ya-daki”. Traditional aboriginal Didjeridus or yadaki
are made from the trunks of eucalyptus trees that have been hollowed out by termites. The hollow
trees are cut down and then cut into various lengths usually ranging from 4 to 5 feet. The trunk is
then debarked and the mouth hole smoothed. If the mouth hole is uneven or too large, then
bee’s wax is shaped over the end to make the mouthpiece. Traditional didjeridus are either
decorated with earth pigments or left undecorated.
About the Artwork on Your Hall Didjeridu
The traditional form of painting for the aboriginal people is dot painting. The aboriginal style is unmistakable. It consists of a solid color background with solid lines outlining the main elements of the picture. Then, using the end of a stick, a decorative layer of colored dots is placed on top of the lines and throughout the background.
Another common element of aboriginal art is that it is usually painted from a flat perspective as if looking down on the subject. This is very similar to a modern topographic map. In fact, most aboriginal paintings represent maps of either physical locations or of Dreamings, and the symbols used have definite meaning to the artist.
Early aboriginal paintings were painted with different colored clays or earth pigments, and colors were limited to what could be found. With the introduction of acrylic paints, most aboriginal artists have added more colors to their art but are still using the traditional method of painting with dots of color applied with a small stick.
The original for the limited edition art work on your Hall Didjeridu was painted in the traditional style using sticks and acrylic paints. Although great care was exercised to follow the elements and style of aboriginal art, the painting is completely original, and no aboriginal works were copied. The original art work was then silk screened using special ceramic inks. Each print is uniquely numbered and bears the signature of the artist. The silk screened print is then applied to the didjeridu and fired in a kiln at 1,075oF to permanently fuse the decoration to the glass.
Only 750 prints of the first edition entitled “Water Dreaming” will be printed.
The didjeridu is held cradled in the palm of the right hand (or left hand if you are left handed). The hand is held palm up with the index finger pointing toward the base of the didjeridu. The thumb and last three fingers wrap around the didjeridu grasping it at mid center (at the second band of decoration) so that the weight of the didjeridu is perfectly balanced. This allows the didjeridu to be lightly placed to the lips without the weight of the didjeridu affecting lip movements. The didjeridu should be balanced so that when it is pulled away from the lips, it will stay in its position with only light contact of the finger tips of the left hand.
The Hall Didjeridu uses a slightly oval mouth hole to fit the shape of the lips better. When playing, keep the logo side of the didjeridu straight up. This will keep the oval mouth hole in proper alignment for playing and insure a consistent blowing surface.
You may find that it is more comfortable to play the didjeridu in a sitting position. The didjeridu is held in the same manner as it is in the standing position. For the best sound, you should hold the end of the didjeridu at least 12” above the floor or the tone of the didjeridu will sound muffled, especially if you are playing in a carpeted room.
The indigenous Australians were hunters and gatherers and needed to keep moving to maintain an adequate food supply. In the evenings sitting around the cooking fire, out came the didjeridus and click sticks. The ground made an excellent chair and bare feet made an ideal support to keep the sound of the instrument from muffling against the ground. I really enjoy playing outside, and I find this position very comfortable. All you need is a didjeridu and a soft spot of grass. Just as a point of caution, don’t balance the didjeridu on the tip of your shoes as it does not support the didjeridu as well as bare feet.
Use of a Resonator When Practicing
As the sound leaves the didjeridu,
it is already four feet away and is focused away from the player. This is great if playing for an
audience. The sound the audience will hear is much richer than the sound that makes its way back to
the player. One way to get more feedback from your instrument is to point the end of the didjeridu
towards a wall a few feet away. The reflected sound will give a better tonal picture of your
playing.
Another way to increase the feedback is to place the end of the didjeridu in a plastic bucket. The sound will be amplified and will be reflected back to the player. This is very useful when you are learning to blend your voice with the sound of the didjeridu. A variation of this is to lay the bucket on its side with the open end facing you about a foot away from the end of the didjeridu.
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