Just wanted to ask this in a thread separate from the one some people find offensive.
I'd like to know about the technique you developed to learn circular breathing.
I can puff up my checks, and blow the stored air out while breathing in, but not with the digi again my mouth. I just can't keep the sound going (trouble vibrating my lips I guess). I can play it pretty well without the circular breathing, but only for about 10 seconds at a time.
FWIW, I was told the circular breathing aspect wasn't a necessary part of the treatment, it is the vibrations from just playing that do the trick, but I can see you'd get more of a workout if you could keep it going.
didgeridoo
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didgeridoo
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Last edited by JeffL on Thu Dec 29, 2011 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Question fo JAMISWOLF
Jeff,
This post is just to let you know I saw your thread. I'll try and put together a good description of the technique I used to learn circular breathing. It's not impossible if I can do it!
My feeling is that the drone component is good for your lungs and the vibration has a massaging action on the throat muscles. But it is the circular breathing that gives your oro-pharnx a workout.
And about the instrument. A medium size Didge works good for learners. Huge ones require tremendous stamina and the tiny ones are limited in sound capabilities. Wood or bamboo Didges require a mouthpiece to be fabricated. Traditionally that's done with beeswax rolled up about pencil size and placed around the mouth of the instrument.
JI think it's important to know and understand a bit about the instrument. It is widely recognised as being the oldest woodwind instrument. Creation myths even include the Didgeridoo and it's traditional use was as a Shamanic trance instrument.
A Story On How The Didgeridoo Came To Be...
Three men were camped out on a cold night in the outback. One of the men told another to put a log on the fire, because the fire was getting low and it was very cold. So, the other man turned and grabbed a log, which was awfully light to the touch, for it was hollow. As he went to drop it into the fire, he noticed the entire length was covered with termites. He did not know what to do, for he could not throw the branch into the fire, because it would kill the termites, and his friends were telling him to do so because it was so cold. So, he carefully removed all the termites from the outside of the log by scooping them into his hand, and he deposited them inside the hollow branch. Then he raised the branch to his lips and blew the termites into the air. The termites blown into the air became the stars, and the first didgeridoo was created.
This post is just to let you know I saw your thread. I'll try and put together a good description of the technique I used to learn circular breathing. It's not impossible if I can do it!
My feeling is that the drone component is good for your lungs and the vibration has a massaging action on the throat muscles. But it is the circular breathing that gives your oro-pharnx a workout.
And about the instrument. A medium size Didge works good for learners. Huge ones require tremendous stamina and the tiny ones are limited in sound capabilities. Wood or bamboo Didges require a mouthpiece to be fabricated. Traditionally that's done with beeswax rolled up about pencil size and placed around the mouth of the instrument.
JI think it's important to know and understand a bit about the instrument. It is widely recognised as being the oldest woodwind instrument. Creation myths even include the Didgeridoo and it's traditional use was as a Shamanic trance instrument.
A Story On How The Didgeridoo Came To Be...
Three men were camped out on a cold night in the outback. One of the men told another to put a log on the fire, because the fire was getting low and it was very cold. So, the other man turned and grabbed a log, which was awfully light to the touch, for it was hollow. As he went to drop it into the fire, he noticed the entire length was covered with termites. He did not know what to do, for he could not throw the branch into the fire, because it would kill the termites, and his friends were telling him to do so because it was so cold. So, he carefully removed all the termites from the outside of the log by scooping them into his hand, and he deposited them inside the hollow branch. Then he raised the branch to his lips and blew the termites into the air. The termites blown into the air became the stars, and the first didgeridoo was created.
Re: Question fo JAMISWOLF
So just a brief run-down. There are two essential components of Didge music.
The first is the DRONE which is made with a buzzing or flapping of the lips...similar to playing a tuba or trombone. The nature of the sound produced depends on the mouthpiece, the player, lip position, lip tightness and force of the air. This is where experimentation comes in.
I found that initially I was blowing too hard and would run out of air very quickly. It isn't necessary to blow too hard. Just hard enough to keep the lips flapping. I personally find that if I keep my lips positioned close to the top edge of the mouthpiece, I can control things nicely. My video says to use the side of the mouth...do whatever works initially and develop technique over time.
Greater pressure against the mouthpiece edge changes the nature of the drone. Also if you have your teeth close together or farther apart can changes the sound.
You can do some interesting things just with the drone. Vocalizations can be used to mimic animal sounds...that sort of thing. But those are more advanced techniques. Initially just work to get a good drone going.
The Squirt
Filling up your mouth with air and then forcing it out is called the "squirt" in Didge jargon. This is done within the drone as a punctuation sound...a counterpoint. So drone away and then add in a squirt now and then. I find faster squirts are easier to do.
If you have trouble incorporating the squirt into the drone and find that you have to leave a little pause...before and/or after the squirt, don't worry about it. It's a common beginner thing so just keep practicing and soon you'll be able to embed the squirts right into the drone. You can experiment with the speed of the squirts to change that sound too. Try and remember to use both the cheeks and the tongue while squirting.
Oh man, I can just imagine what Rocklin is going to do with this.
OK, try and remember that this is very condensed, but is essentially what I did while learning the basics. I am still a very basic Didge player, like a piano student doing "Heart and Soul".
This next part is in preparation to learning circular breathing. You don't really need circular breathing to get started...but I feel it is an important component of the health benefit aspect of Didge playing.
It's not natural to breathe in through the nose while expelling air out the mouth. But that's the core element of the circular breathing technique. The in-breath is done during a quirt and once you get it down, you can take a small breath in with every squirt which is what allows extended Didge playing with no obvious breathing. It might seem magical but it's actually just a technique that can be learned step-by-step.
My first attempts resulted in nada. I just couldn't make my body do it. It truly did seem impossible. But I relaxed and thought and experimented.
Set the instrument aside. This portion of the learning process doesn't require it. Best to do this alone so you don't have the family laughing at you.
Fill your cheeks and mouth with air and keep it there while emptying your lungs through your nose. The idea here is that once your lungs are empty, you only have one option which is to breathe in.
While expelling the air from your mouth...take a small breath through your nose. Do this until it becomes second nature. I worked on it for almost a week. While watching TV or whatever. Out through pursed lips while sipping in a breath through the nose.
That's the core element of circular breathing.
The next step is to incorporate that into the drone/squirt playing you've already learned. One very important thing to remember is that you need to wait till your lungs are at least half-way empty before trying to do a circular breath.
Like when you were incorporating the squirt into the drone, you will most likely have a pause before and after the quirt/breath. But gradually your playing will get smoother and your in-breaths will become more natural.
And like any musical instrument, you have to practice. I keep my Didge ready while watching TV and play it during commercials. So I get 5 minutes of playing and then a period of rest. Watch a couple shows that way and you've accomplished your daily practice.
Feel free to ask any questions, I'm still a beginner but I'll try and find the answer if I don't know.
Cheers,
Jamis
PS: Lots of stuff on the Web...but some of it is guys who are so amazing that it's discouraging. Here's a nice mellow site with some good stuff on circular breathing.
http://www.howtoplaydidgeridoo.com/Circ ... eathe.html
The first is the DRONE which is made with a buzzing or flapping of the lips...similar to playing a tuba or trombone. The nature of the sound produced depends on the mouthpiece, the player, lip position, lip tightness and force of the air. This is where experimentation comes in.
I found that initially I was blowing too hard and would run out of air very quickly. It isn't necessary to blow too hard. Just hard enough to keep the lips flapping. I personally find that if I keep my lips positioned close to the top edge of the mouthpiece, I can control things nicely. My video says to use the side of the mouth...do whatever works initially and develop technique over time.
Greater pressure against the mouthpiece edge changes the nature of the drone. Also if you have your teeth close together or farther apart can changes the sound.
You can do some interesting things just with the drone. Vocalizations can be used to mimic animal sounds...that sort of thing. But those are more advanced techniques. Initially just work to get a good drone going.
The Squirt
Filling up your mouth with air and then forcing it out is called the "squirt" in Didge jargon. This is done within the drone as a punctuation sound...a counterpoint. So drone away and then add in a squirt now and then. I find faster squirts are easier to do.
If you have trouble incorporating the squirt into the drone and find that you have to leave a little pause...before and/or after the squirt, don't worry about it. It's a common beginner thing so just keep practicing and soon you'll be able to embed the squirts right into the drone. You can experiment with the speed of the squirts to change that sound too. Try and remember to use both the cheeks and the tongue while squirting.
Oh man, I can just imagine what Rocklin is going to do with this.
OK, try and remember that this is very condensed, but is essentially what I did while learning the basics. I am still a very basic Didge player, like a piano student doing "Heart and Soul".
This next part is in preparation to learning circular breathing. You don't really need circular breathing to get started...but I feel it is an important component of the health benefit aspect of Didge playing.
It's not natural to breathe in through the nose while expelling air out the mouth. But that's the core element of the circular breathing technique. The in-breath is done during a quirt and once you get it down, you can take a small breath in with every squirt which is what allows extended Didge playing with no obvious breathing. It might seem magical but it's actually just a technique that can be learned step-by-step.
My first attempts resulted in nada. I just couldn't make my body do it. It truly did seem impossible. But I relaxed and thought and experimented.
Set the instrument aside. This portion of the learning process doesn't require it. Best to do this alone so you don't have the family laughing at you.
Fill your cheeks and mouth with air and keep it there while emptying your lungs through your nose. The idea here is that once your lungs are empty, you only have one option which is to breathe in.
While expelling the air from your mouth...take a small breath through your nose. Do this until it becomes second nature. I worked on it for almost a week. While watching TV or whatever. Out through pursed lips while sipping in a breath through the nose.
That's the core element of circular breathing.
The next step is to incorporate that into the drone/squirt playing you've already learned. One very important thing to remember is that you need to wait till your lungs are at least half-way empty before trying to do a circular breath.
Like when you were incorporating the squirt into the drone, you will most likely have a pause before and after the quirt/breath. But gradually your playing will get smoother and your in-breaths will become more natural.
And like any musical instrument, you have to practice. I keep my Didge ready while watching TV and play it during commercials. So I get 5 minutes of playing and then a period of rest. Watch a couple shows that way and you've accomplished your daily practice.
Feel free to ask any questions, I'm still a beginner but I'll try and find the answer if I don't know.
Cheers,
Jamis
PS: Lots of stuff on the Web...but some of it is guys who are so amazing that it's discouraging. Here's a nice mellow site with some good stuff on circular breathing.
http://www.howtoplaydidgeridoo.com/Circ ... eathe.html
Re: didgeridoo
Thanks J -
I change the subject name as you requested, and I make a copy of your instructions for future reference.
My didgeridoo is about a 5 fool long eucalyptus instrument that I bought as a decoration. I started learning to play it when I read about its use in treating apnea. It didn't have a mouth piece, but when I went for a free group intro. lesson at LA Outback, one of the guys put a bee's wax mouthpiece on it for me.
I change the subject name as you requested, and I make a copy of your instructions for future reference.
My didgeridoo is about a 5 fool long eucalyptus instrument that I bought as a decoration. I started learning to play it when I read about its use in treating apnea. It didn't have a mouth piece, but when I went for a free group intro. lesson at LA Outback, one of the guys put a bee's wax mouthpiece on it for me.
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Re: didgeridoo
Sounds like a very cool instrument...I'm envious. LA Outback is who I bought my setup from. They seem like nice people who are committed to the instrument and what it represents.JeffL wrote:Thanks J -
I change the subject name as you requested, and I make a copy of your instructions for future reference.
My didgeridoo is about a 5 fool long eucalyptus instrument that I bought as a decoration. I started learning to play it when I read about its use in treating apnea. It didn't have a mouth piece, but when I went for a free group intro. lesson at LA Outback, one of the guys put a bee's wax mouthpiece on it for me.
Hey, I was thinking about the difficulty you're having. My guess is that the Squirt out through the mouth while in through the nose isn't quite second nature to you. Keep at it and also check out the video I linked too. He has a slightly different step-wise approach. And if you need more beeswax, PM me an address and I can send you some. I bought a couple pounds so I have plenty.
Jamis
Re: didgeridoo
Very interesting topic. I have played the didge for a number of years. I do circle breath but only on a very small scale. I don;t play often enough, i guess to really improve on it.
Interesting is the fact the Kenny G (great sax player) I believe held world record at one time on circle breathing while playing the sax. For well over an hour. I think his record has been broken a couple of years ago.
Interesting is the fact the Kenny G (great sax player) I believe held world record at one time on circle breathing while playing the sax. For well over an hour. I think his record has been broken a couple of years ago.
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Re: didgeridoo
Great topic! Thanks JeffL for starting it and Jamis for all of the information. I hope to get one after the first of the year. You know, we are already all Hose heads we might as well be Didge heads too
John
John
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Re: didgeridoo
Hey thanks for that Pap. I knew that it was a technique used by some of the great horn musicians but I wasn't aware of the details. An hour of constant horn playing...that's some feat.Pap4life wrote: Interesting is the fact the Kenny G (great sax player) I believe held world record at one time on circle breathing while playing the sax. For well over an hour. I think his record has been broken a couple of years ago.
I'm shooting for 5 minutes on the Didge. Not quite there yet.
J
Last edited by jamiswolf on Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: didgeridoo
Kenny G's circular breathing lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkA_pxHaNZQ
The only link I have for buying a didgeridoo is the one I posted above previously for http://www.laoutback.com/. In addition to the ones they import, they make some out of PVC (attractively decorated). I can't remember if they make them in their garage, or have an additional shop in their garage. They have this really cool former actress's house in the Hollywood hills, accessible by narrow, twisty roads.
I didn't know about them when I got mine. I bought mine at the NAMM musical instruments trade show.
The only link I have for buying a didgeridoo is the one I posted above previously for http://www.laoutback.com/. In addition to the ones they import, they make some out of PVC (attractively decorated). I can't remember if they make them in their garage, or have an additional shop in their garage. They have this really cool former actress's house in the Hollywood hills, accessible by narrow, twisty roads.
I didn't know about them when I got mine. I bought mine at the NAMM musical instruments trade show.
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Last edited by JeffL on Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: didgeridoo
Tongue in cheek so to speak. I decided to fiddle with our 4 foot one while reading your post. Looks like it will take a while before I can breath circularly. Then I realized, if I were masked up, all I would have to do is open my mouth to let the extra flow go into the didgeridoo while I was breathing.
EPAP min=6, EPAP max=15, PS min=3, PS max=12, Max Pressure=30, Backup Rate=8 bpm, Flex=0, Rise Time=1,
90% EPAP=7.0, Avg PS=4.0, Avg bpm 18.3, Avg Min vent 9.2 Lpm, Avg CA/OA/H/AHI = 0.1/0.1/2.1/2.3 ... updated 02/17/12
90% EPAP=7.0, Avg PS=4.0, Avg bpm 18.3, Avg Min vent 9.2 Lpm, Avg CA/OA/H/AHI = 0.1/0.1/2.1/2.3 ... updated 02/17/12
Re: didgeridoo
Brilliant!Mr Bill wrote:Tongue in cheek so to speak. I decided to fiddle with our 4 foot one while reading your post. Looks like it will take a while before I can breath circularly. Then I realized, if I were masked up, all I would have to do is open my mouth to let the extra flow go into the didgeridoo while I was breathing.
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