So, you think you can play the digeridoo!?
Discussion
Long story short, I need to be able to play the digeridoo by tomorrow afternoon. Now this is no euthemism for something of a completely, fruity/moist/sensuous nature.
4 years ago a good friend of mine was heading home to Oz for Xmas and asked me if I would like anything brought back. Assuming he was just being "nice" I jokingly said "yeah, sure mate, can you pick up a genuine digeridoo?!" He replies "yeah sure bud no worries (literally)".
4 weeks later we meet for a beer and yep he has brought me a digeridoo from Darwin. Beautiful thing and I thought, ahh, wall ornament. Then one poker night session around mine, conversation after the last hand gets onto unusual musical instruments, naturally I run upstairs to the study, pluck "didg" off the wall and bring it down to my friends for assessment. Everyone has a go and one particular friend is a natural and creates that haunting 'wrawlwrawlwilloowww' sound only a digeridoo can produce.
Now to the present:
Earlier today, recounting old drinking stories to new members of my team, the story of the digeridoo comes up, I work with said "natural digeridoo player" who, during conversation, suggests I bring it in to work tomorrow before the England match for a quick blast. Stupidly I now decide to reveal my hidden (non) talent and announce I will play the "didg" and that I have been practising since that poker night and I am "alright at it" - which of course is complete hens teeth cos after that poker night it went back on its stand.
So...can anyone give me any quick pointers on near perfect digeridoo playing??? (I know I have about as much chance of getting a sensible, or for that matter any response on this as I would if I entered a rocking horse in the next grand national but hey this is PH and sometimes, sometimes miracles happen...so...Help!)
By the way the "didg" is sitting next to me and quite frankly freaking me out.
4 years ago a good friend of mine was heading home to Oz for Xmas and asked me if I would like anything brought back. Assuming he was just being "nice" I jokingly said "yeah, sure mate, can you pick up a genuine digeridoo?!" He replies "yeah sure bud no worries (literally)".
4 weeks later we meet for a beer and yep he has brought me a digeridoo from Darwin. Beautiful thing and I thought, ahh, wall ornament. Then one poker night session around mine, conversation after the last hand gets onto unusual musical instruments, naturally I run upstairs to the study, pluck "didg" off the wall and bring it down to my friends for assessment. Everyone has a go and one particular friend is a natural and creates that haunting 'wrawlwrawlwilloowww' sound only a digeridoo can produce.
Now to the present:
Earlier today, recounting old drinking stories to new members of my team, the story of the digeridoo comes up, I work with said "natural digeridoo player" who, during conversation, suggests I bring it in to work tomorrow before the England match for a quick blast. Stupidly I now decide to reveal my hidden (non) talent and announce I will play the "didg" and that I have been practising since that poker night and I am "alright at it" - which of course is complete hens teeth cos after that poker night it went back on its stand.
So...can anyone give me any quick pointers on near perfect digeridoo playing??? (I know I have about as much chance of getting a sensible, or for that matter any response on this as I would if I entered a rocking horse in the next grand national but hey this is PH and sometimes, sometimes miracles happen...so...Help!)
By the way the "didg" is sitting next to me and quite frankly freaking me out.
ked.
v1paul said:
forget to bring it
Tempting but tricky. Reason being is I drive to work, now given the England (we win or die) match tomorrow, we have booked a function room at our local lounge bar for the entire company to watch the match, this encompasses a free bar and buffet...so...a member of the team says, how you gonna get the "didg" to work? I reply that happily I will drive in with "didg" in the boot, will enjoy numerous drinks with fellow work villains and then wife picking up me, "didg" and car at 6:30pm so to coin the phrase "no worries mate!"Therefore forgetting the "instrument of my downfall" will not look to good!
http://www.didges.com.au/play-the-didge.htm
The oral versatility involved will not be lost on the ladies in the room.
The oral versatility involved will not be lost on the ladies in the room.
Romanymagic said:
v1paul said:
forget to bring it
Tempting but tricky. Reason being is I drive to work, now given the England (we win or die) match tomorrow, we have booked a function room at our local lounge bar for the entire company to watch the match, this encompasses a free bar and buffet...so...a member of the team says, how you gonna get the "didg" to work? I reply that happily I will drive in with "didg" in the boot, will enjoy numerous drinks with fellow work villains and then wife picking up me, "didg" and car at 6:30pm so to coin the phrase "no worries mate!"Therefore forgetting the "instrument of my downfall" will not look to good!
you may need to chew it up yourself tonight and take it in to prove it to them
Romanymagic said:
we have booked a function room at our local lounge bar for the entire company to watch the match, this encompasses a free bar and buffet...
Gasp! 
Just blag it - have a go and be crap and admit you intended to be great but it never really happened, charm and wit help here.
TubbyTommy said:
Tell them yopu sprained your lips practising and unfortunately can't play it. Don't forget to say that you were really looking forward to it.
If they look disappointed, sudenly whip out a wobble board and do 'Stairway to Heaven'.
Your sense of rhythm won't be lost on the ladies in the room.
mattley said:
Romanymagic said:
v1paul said:
forget to bring it
Tempting but tricky. Reason being is I drive to work.Get it out of the car then stumble and fall awkwardly onto it smashing it beyond all recognition. Be suitably gutted for extra sympathy points.
Burn your house down making sure the didge goes with it OR get everyone at the function so wasted they wouldnt know if you are good or not.
Actually you CAN learn to play a didge in a few hours. If you jump on a plane to my part of the world I will drive you to a didge shop local to me where they give lessons, I took my old man last time the parents were here and he bought one and took a lesson with half a dozen other tourists. Everyone was playing well after a couple of hours (even those that have never played any instrument at all) and it doesnt take a lot more practise to really be able to make different sounds and effects with it.
The key though is the breathing, you need to be able to keep enough air pressure going with you cheeks while breathing in through your nose other wise you won't be able to play for more than a few seconds at a time. My old man is good at this as he has been playing the saxaphone for years and years...probably why he was single out for praise in the lesson he took.
Personally I like the sound they make and have seen some played at festivals that left the crowd absolutely speechless. Traditionally the different sounds are used as interpretations of things happening in the bush...its like the soundtrack to a dream time painting.
Actually you CAN learn to play a didge in a few hours. If you jump on a plane to my part of the world I will drive you to a didge shop local to me where they give lessons, I took my old man last time the parents were here and he bought one and took a lesson with half a dozen other tourists. Everyone was playing well after a couple of hours (even those that have never played any instrument at all) and it doesnt take a lot more practise to really be able to make different sounds and effects with it.
The key though is the breathing, you need to be able to keep enough air pressure going with you cheeks while breathing in through your nose other wise you won't be able to play for more than a few seconds at a time. My old man is good at this as he has been playing the saxaphone for years and years...probably why he was single out for praise in the lesson he took.
Personally I like the sound they make and have seen some played at festivals that left the crowd absolutely speechless. Traditionally the different sounds are used as interpretations of things happening in the bush...its like the soundtrack to a dream time painting.
Getting a sound out of one is easy - relaxed lips, similar to blowing a raspberry as somebody said, and keep blowing, will get you the basic sound (similar to playing a brass instrument). However, it's playing around with the marmonics/overtones and the circular breathing that are tricky.
Like everything, practice makes perfect and I'm afraid a few hours won't be enough in all likelihood!
Like everything, practice makes perfect and I'm afraid a few hours won't be enough in all likelihood!
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