Bleed Sound

Below is a general introduction to an intriguing aboriginal instrument native to Australia, known most commonly as the didgeridoo. The instrument is little more than a hollow stalk of wood, yet through a combination of vibration and wind manipulation it can produce remarkably rich and unique tones.

The didgeridoo’s sound begins with a low, primal moan called the “drone.” Drone pitch is influenced by a combination of bending the airflow through the mouth and contorting lip position and vibration. Tongue rattles can also add sharp vibratos to the tone and high pitched shouts down the chamber create the didgeridoo’s signature “growls,” producing the feral animal sounds that define it.

Below is a video I made giving a very brief overview of the instrument’s history and composition. Also included are a sound clip and photos of renown musician Xavier Rudd, who made a name for himself with the unparagoned style the instrument helped him to forge. Also included are some short explanations on my behalf for creating some of the sounds heard in the clip; though my abilities are admittedly lacking. Give the instrument a chance and if you like what you hear, pick one up. Designs similar to the bamboo example I play in the video can be picked up for roughly $30 to $40 at most music shops.

If you have any further tips, or corrections to mine, please comment and share them. I know I could use some. (Also, situation forced me to temporarily use a trial version of Adobe Premier for this video, which explains the watermark. Apologies.)

Tags: Didgeridoo, natural instruments, Tribal music, Xavier Rudd

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 24th, 2011 at 12:04 am and is filed under Tabs/Tips/Unique instruments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.