The Digeridoo: What do you know?

Subject: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: harpgirl
Date: 18 May 00 - 11:45 AM

...our own Dr. Sound (aka Dr. Boom) makes and plays this wonderful instrument. He makes them in true keys and they are great to play with. I know little about them, however. I would like to know more. Couldn't find any threads about them...harpgirl

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: MMario
Date: 18 May 00 - 12:00 PM

There is a great weatlth of information out on the web.

try to start

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: BlueJay
Date: 18 May 00 - 12:42 PM

All I know, is that you don't want to sit directly in front of 2 didjeridoo players and attempt to play the mandolin. I lasted awhile but finally had to either move or go deaf. BlueJay

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From:
Date: 18 May 00 - 05:29 PM

Harpgirl, the little I know is

Australian in origin, but there are parallels in many other cultures.
I recall hearing a horn (REAL organic one) which was used in a re-creation event in Scotland. It was on the radio and I missed the specifics, but I think it was like a Ram's horn or something like it. The sound from it was EXTREMELY close to what the Digeridoo sounds like.

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: Max
Date: 18 May 00 - 05:40 PM

There is a Digeradoo workshop at the Spring Gulch Festival this year. I think I might be going to it. I'll let you know what I learn. David Grisman is doing a Mandolin workshop! Can't wait for that...

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: alison
Date: 18 May 00 - 08:24 PM

you can play PVC pipe instead.. much cheaper to learn on... just dip one end in beeswax a few times to make it more comfortable against your lips... and start blowing raspberries....

if you get 2 bits of pipe, one sligthly smaller you can make a "slide" and have a tunable didge..."didgeribone"...

then all you have to do is master circular breathing... I saw a "teach yourself didgeridoo" book online the other day possibly at "hobgoblin"...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: alison
Date: 18 May 00 - 08:38 PM

Here it is didgeridoo book at Hobgoblin...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: Baba
Date: 18 May 00 - 09:36 PM

I have heard the didgeridoo played with live traditional irish music in Sydney Australia - the rhythms produced by the player Alan Dargin complimented and LIFTED the music to a higher level, I thought. In fact, he was playing a long glass didgeridoo at one stage - fascinating - which produced an amazing sound, almost like techno music, with its driving, rhythmic beats. This fellow has extraordinary diaphragm control and a talent for circular breathing ... so folks at home, don't try blowing through those glass test tubes just yet ...

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: alison
Date: 18 May 00 - 09:45 PM

Baba... you still in Sydney? so am I.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From:
Date: 18 May 00 - 09:50 PM

Nova Scotia Band - MacCrimmon's Revenge features a Didgeridoo in it. They have also included a Cello and a "Celtic Belly Dance" act once in a while. Normally, they have bagpipes, bodhran, whistles, percussion, and such "Celtic" instrumentation. But the music they do, coms from all around the world.

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: dirgequeen
Date: 18 May 00 - 10:03 PM

Was at a spring festival the end of April & it was my 1st intro...from afar it reminded me of an Alpine horn. The closer i got, the more my chest rumbled. It was wonderful & the guy taught me to play. Now the kids & I must sit around the table some rainy day & practice circular breathing with a straw in a glass of water. Its such a wonderful rythym instrument!

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: Baba
Date: 18 May 00 - 11:12 PM

Yes, Alison, still in Sydney. If you are interested, there is a Fleadh Ceoil next weekend 26th, 27th and 28th of May at The Harp Bar on the Princes Highway, Tempe. There will be a ceili on the Friday evening and a session on Saturday evening, I think. I will be the one in the middle of the dance floor in a haze of polka-dancing induced euphoria.

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: Callie
Date: 19 May 00 - 01:38 AM

There was an Indigenous music congress held in Sydney recently. One of the topics discussed was the use of didgeridu as a means of evoking "authentic" indigenous Australian sounds.

There is a big push by indigenous musicians/organisations to make people aware that it is a traditional instrument which is tied up with considerable cultural significance. Didge playing is part of a particular cultural practice, and is not separate from specific rituals etc. besides this, didge is not played in all parts of Australia. It is quite inappropriate for East coasters to play it, for instance. It is also not acceptable for women to play it.

How do you reconcile these issues - to respect the significance of the instrument and the culture it is tied to - with the musical freedom to explore different traditions?

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: GUEST,Alex
Date: 20 May 00 - 01:59 AM

I was running the sound board at a show which featured many musicians (I recorded Art Thieme's "Handful of Songs" on "The Older I get, The Better I Was" there), when a fellah came up and told me that he would be on next and would be playing the digeridoo. Never having had the experience of trying to do sound for the instrument, I asked, "How do you mike a digeridoo?" "Well," he says,(apparently having spent some time in Oz) "you get a five foot piece of PVC pipe . . ." "No! No!" says I, "What I mean is where do I place a microphone for a digeridoo?"

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: Jeri
Date: 20 May 00 - 09:16 AM

The mic goes where the sound comes out? The south end.

I bought one of these suckers, and although I'm rather good at making noise on it, can't really play it. You have to stick your face in the business end and blow raspberries - not the little pursed-lips variety, but full-fledged, lip flapping ones, and sort of smile at the same time to get the tension you need. You can move your tongue around inside your mouth to get different sounds. One thing that I can't do, which seems absolutely necessary to playing a didge is circular breathing. Sure, I know the mechanics of it, but I haven't developed the coordination.

Re the cultural ties of the didgeridoo - unless we grew up in a singing/playing culture, just about all the traditional music we play or sing has been taken out of context. We keep the music alive, but it's important to remember it's more than music - it's a piece of someone else's soul. It may be just a song, tune or instrument to us, but to some, it's part of who they are and what they believe.

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 May 00 - 11:40 AM

...that last remark touched me Jeri...when Barry plays the didge it takes me way back and across many oceans...he seems to be part of an ancient lineage of pastoral musicians....his didges are bamboo...as are his pipes....interesting thread everyone...thanks!

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 12:33 PM

Got mine last night. The only thing I know how to do is scare formerly very friendly dog to death. When I pick it up she runs to her farthest hiding place in the house. Tht's either under the computer desk or in a narrow space at the back of the bedroom between a bureau and the bed (so narrow that bureau can only be opened from on top of the bed).

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: Wendy_
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 12:39 PM

This thread ran a few weeks ago:
Didgeridoo Breathing Techniques .

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: mousethief
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 12:47 PM

It's the circular breathing that's definitely the hard part. Heard a Didgeridoo-fronted band at the Seattle Folklife Festival once. Really funky.

Alex

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: harpgirl
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 01:00 PM

Who made yours, Bruce? What is it made out of? Barry is so good on his...anyone who visits Florida should get in touch with Dr. Sound for a lesson. He cooks for dance weekends, as well. Next one is NC, I think...

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 01:02 PM

The one thing I do know about digeridoos is that it is an instrument that women are not allowed to play!

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: RichM
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 01:12 PM

Any instrument, regardless of its tradition, is fair game for musicians! So ladies, take a deep breath--and blow!

Rich

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 02:09 PM

It was made in Australia, and my girlfriend ordered it for me there. That's all I know about it, except it's about 4 feet long, slightly bent and about 3 1/2 inches OD. the booklet that came with it tells you a lot about practicing circular breathing with a straw, then try it with said instrument (musical?). The are usually highly decorated (and mine is) so they make nice wall hangings. I haven't selected the place on my walls to hang it yet.

Subject: RE: The Digeridoo: What do you know?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 06:31 PM

Our local sixth form college has classes in digeridoo playing