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For thousands of years
the didgeridoo has been a traditional instrument of the Aboriginal people of
Northern Australia. Historically, the Aboriginal people made their didgeridoos
from limbs of a species of eucalyptus tree susceptible to termites which
naturally hollow out the limbs leaving a hollow core. Most although not all
Aborigine didgeridoos today are made by mechanically boring tree limbs with a
drill. These are generally highly decorated and are intended primarily for
collectors.
The didgeridoo produces a
deep droning sound that once heard is hard to forget. The patterned base drone
of the didgeridoo is produced by a technique known as circular breathing. The
didgeridoo does not simply use the breath but becomes an extension of the
breath and thereby an extension of the person playing the instrument.
Our "didge" is handmade
made by Los Angeles artist Richard Upper. He designs and makes his instruments
to produce optimal sound quality. As traditional materials such as wood or
bamboo tend to crack and split over time, Richard uses PVC as his base
material. A proprietary combination of cutting, gluing and clamping steps
yields a tapered instrument that produces a full set of harmonic
overtones. Each "didge" is sanded, painted and fitted with a traditional
beeswax mouthpiece shaped for comfort. The tapered didge is 47" long and gives
a deeply resonant F tone. Each didge is signed by the artist. Note that due to
a slight irregularity in taper caused by the hand-making process, no two
didgeridoos are alike or have exactly the same tonal quality.
Each didgeridoo comes
with instructions on how to play the instrument.
Playing the didge is a
great way to relax, come down from a stressful day or just simply express your
own inner voice. And you don't have to go to Australia to get one!
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