Re: Re: Didjeridus


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Posted by Eve on February 27, 2001 at 21:31:09:

In Reply to: Re: Didjeridus posted by Rick Denney on February 27, 2001 at 11:59:22:

Good description, Rick.

Toungueing AND (occasional) harmonics other than the fundamental are used.

Tongueing is used to assist (along with the circular breathing "cycle") to create the sence of pulse.

Harmonics (usually 1st or 2nd) (if I'm calling the fundamental 0) are used usually as a "toot" punctuation.

The common "trick" with didgeridu buskers around the Circular Quay area (Sydney, Australia) is to immitate the (very-nearby) ferry toots, a great crowd pleaser. But I have heard "toots" of harmonics in more "legitimate/pure" didgeridu performance, but I'm no musicologist :-(

Traditionally beeswax is used (at a consistency of, say, plasticine) to form one's "rim" at the mouthpiece end.

A piece of plastic (PCV) pipe (the ones for containing electrical conduit cables) works fine (unless you're an absolute purist)... because the essence of the sound is the technique. A plastic pipe fitting flush inside another plastic pipe is the essence of all the didge-bones (slide didgeridus). Mostly their ability to change length is used (from my listening experience) to change key (i.e. adjust the fundamental) and to play sort of introductory glissandi (e.g. just a semitone below the tonic fundamental) here and there for interest. Nobody seems to be exploiting the slide... I mean, why would you? The "drone" mesmerising quality, along with the multiphonics used for chords, and to imitate speech, tell stories, and imitate animal sounds, are the essence. A slide-didge never has seven "postions".

Charlie McMahon, a well-known Aussie didgeridu player markets (sells) his own range of didge-bones...(two plastic tubes... the outer tube has a slight bell flare, not curved, but more like a plastic funnel)

I once (with a friend) amused (or is that confused) the assistant in a hardware store -- by requesting he cut specified lengths of PVC pipe, which we then tried... then we were saying "can you just nip off another couple of inches" and we tried again...

tuning :-)

Eve "trombones are better if sliding's what you're into" Flatt


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