HOW TO PLAY DIDGERIDOO

Advanced techniques

There is an endless number of advanced didgeridoo techniques used by many excellent performers and buskers out there who make incredibly fast and complex didgeridoo rhythms. The range of advanced techniques is really quite limitless depending on the imagination of the player and their willingness to practice and improve their skills.

Saying that though, there are a number of advanced techniques that I have listed below with a very brief description, to give you an idea of how the basics techniques you have learnt on this website can be expanded upon to increase the complexity of your didgeridoo playing. This may help if you have have reached a plateau with your playing skills and need some ideas for more advanced playing.

These advanced techniques are all explored in my How to Play Didgeridoo PRO online tutorial package which provides an additional forty two videos (in the same format as the videos provided on this website) on how to play didgeridoo.

So if you feel like you would like to keep learning how to play didgeridoo and try some other techniques as well as rhythms, check out How to Play Didgeridoo PRO!

Brief description of more advanced playing techniques

Faster circular breathing

Circular breathing can be done much faster in what is typically known as the 'bounce breathing' style. This techniques allows you to breathe very quickly, almost without even needing your cheeks to inflate at all.

It involves retracting the diaphragm to facilitate a very sudden intake of air through the nose as you take the circular breath. The speed at which this happens allows you to circular breathe very rapidly and continuously. Bounce breathing can be incorporated seamlessly and efficiently into complex rhythms and contributes to making rhythms sound much more dynamic and lively.

Breathing in and out

You may not know it but circular breathing isn't just about taking a breath in, but also breathing out! Circular breathing is really about breathing in or out, just like you do when you are speaking, to keep your lungs feeling comfortable while you are playing. Understanding this concept can really help you improve the way you circular breathe and the way you understand how circular breathing and rhythms work together.

See my section on advanced breathing for a bit more information on the above topics.

Overtones

Overtones don't have to be just one prescriptive set of sounds such as those demonstrated in the videos on this website. They can be played together in any number of combinations to increase the range of sounds that can be played.

Pulsing

Pulsing effects can be made to sound much more succinct for accurate placement into didgeridoo rhythms by using the glottis muscle in the back of your throat. Pulsing sounds can also be made using the tongue and this can be combined with circular breathing to help expand the style and speed of rhythms that can be played.

Tonguing

Tonguing is the cornerstone for didgeridoo playing and can be used to make sudden and percussive sounds with more impact by striking the back of the teeth in different ways and with various timing. These techniques can be combined in all manner of variations with bounce breathing to make very intricate and complex rhythms.

Vocal effects

Vocal effects are a great novelty in didgeridoo playing and really help make rhythms sound less one-dimensional. Singing or humming vocal effects make didgeridoo rhythms sounds much more 'layered'. Vocal effects can also be used more explosively and accurately to create great elements of surprise in didgeridoo rhythms.

The horn

As the horn is such a variation from the usual drone sound, it is great to use this technique and expand on it to create a more surprising and lively didgeridoo sound. Horn sounds can be made in combinations, played at different pitches or made with a variety of other lip movements for different effect.

Jaw movements

Jaw movements can be incorporated into didgeridoo playing for a meaty rhythmic effect and also to introduce a variety of unusual sounds that vary from the norm. Experimentation with jaw movements can make for some very interesting sounds. You can also combine jaw movements with bounce breathing to make really punchy rhythms.

Other innovative techniques

As mentioned previously, advanced techniques really rely on the innovation of the didgeridoo player and their list can be endless depending on what the player can think of. By experimenting with your tongue and cheeks and turning the basic techniques upside-down you can make all kinds of unorthodox sounds!

Wobbling

Wobbling is a technique whereby the throat, cheek and tongue muscles move so a simple didgeridoo pulse, sound or breath can be made to have three or four distinct 'wobbling' sounds. The additional sounds created makes your didgeridoo rhythms sound much more complex and intricate. Combining wobbling with bounce breathing helps make your didgeridoo rhythms richer, more layered and will take your didgeridoo playing to a whole new level!

Keep going!

Like I said, it's up to you! Make up your own advanced techniques by building on the techniques already shown on this website. You may be able to come up with advanced techniques previously unknown!

If you need some help and would like to start playing more advanced techniques and rhythms, check out my How to Play Didgeridoo PRO online tutorial package which covers all of the above and more!

 

 

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Tips

Didgeridoo tip There are many more advanced techniques to learn that expand on the basic techniques you have learnt here.

Didgeridoo tip You can come up with advanced techniques yourself depending on your imagination and committment to practice.

Didgeridoo tip Like to see more videos on advaned techniques? Check out How to Play Didgeridoo PRO!