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HOW TO PLAY DIDGERIDOO
Introduction to the cheeks-in drone
Now that you can make a clear and consistent drone with your cheeks puffed out, it’s important to know that the same thing can be done with your cheeks pulled in tight.
Your lips still vibrate the same, but when your cheeks are pulled in, a sharper drone sound is created. This is caused by the reduction in the volume of air in your mouth cavity and your lips tightening as your cheeks close.
The cheeks-in drone will be the overriding type of drone that you will adopt when playing didgeridoo. This drone creates a sharper, clearer and overall more colourful drone.
The cheeks-out drone on the other hand, creates a more bass-like, duller drone. The cheeks-out drone is still important though and most often used when doing basic circular breathing and when creating bassy effects.
While the didgeridoo can be played with cheeks puffed out (left), pulled in tight (right), or anywhere in between, a lot of the playing focus is on tight cheeks because of the clearer sound it produces.
Just remember that the cheeks-in drone will create brighter, sharper sounds than the cheeks-out drone. You should concentrate on perfecting this drone to lay the foundation for clear and colourful playing later on.
How to do the cheeks-in drone
STEP 1
Place the didgeridoo to your lips and pull your cheeks in as if you are mouthing the sound ‘ee’ (but not saying it). Keep your cheeks tightly bunched together, and make the hole between your lips as small as possible. Blow into the didgeridoo, keeping your lips relaxed enough so they start to vibrate and make the drone sound.
STEP 2
Make a constant, even drone for as long as you can with one breath. Try to get as sharp a sound as possible by keeping your cheeks tightly pulled in and making the hole between your lips as small as possible. Your cheeks should be pulled in tight, but your lips should still be loose enough to vibrate.
STEP 3
Drone as you move from the cheeks-out position to the cheeks-in position. First, make a drone with your cheeks out. Then, slowly pull your cheeks in as you continue the drone. The pitch of the drone should go from low to high as you pull your cheeks in.
STEP 4
Now alternate between the cheeks-out and cheeks-in position as you drone. Do this with one exhalation, maintaining the drone at all times. As your cheeks move in and out, make sure to keep the tension of your lips within a range that allows them to continue vibrating.
Tips
Make sure you pull your cheeks in as tight as possible without losing the drone.
If you are having trouble getting your lips to start vibrating, remember to start by lightly tapping the back of your lips with your tongue, as if you are spitting out a watermelon seed.
You will most likely lose the drone when you move from the cheeks-out position to the cheeks-in position. This is because the tension of your lips becomes too tight as you pull your cheeks in. Keep your lips loose as you pull your cheeks in so they continue to vibrate.
When there is less air in your mouth cavity and your lips are tight, you should hear a sharper, brighter drone sound.
When there is more air in your cheeks and your lips are loose, you should hear a lower, muffled drone sound.
The didgeridoo is played with cheeks in, out or anywhere in between, depending on the sound effect you are looking for.
Concentrate on playing the didgeridoo with your cheeks in - you will get the most reward because of the clear, vibrant sound this creates.
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Tips
If you are having trouble getting your lips to start vibrating, remember to lightly tap the back of your lips with your tongue, as if you are spitting out a watermelon seed.
If you lose the drone as soon as you pull your cheeks in, it is because your lips suddenly stretch and become too tight, and they stop vibrating with each other. Try to keep the same tension between your lips as you pull your cheeks in.
You may be having trouble getting clear variation in sound when you pull your cheeks in. If this is the case, you need to concentrate on pulling your cheeks in very tight, so there is hardly any space left in your mouth cavity.
When you pull your cheeks in, the movement is similar to spitting water out of full cheeks. And in terms of keeping the same tension between your lips, it would be like trying to maintain the same stream of water from your lips as you push the water out.