Technique

Playing the didje is really quite easy you just vibrate you lips agianst the mouthpiece of the didje, it may take some time to get a good drone but keep at it. Its the rhythmical breathing that takes the time to master, by using you cheeks in much the same way a piper uses the bag pipes, you will be able to keep a continuous drone going with the release of air from you cheeks whilst still being able to breath in through your nose.

The basics to rhythmical breathing are simple, fill your cheeks with air and puff them right out, keep them puffed out with air and breath in through your nose. Now release the air in your cheeks through the edge of your lips gently deflating your cheeks whilst still breathing in through your nose. When doing this against the didje you vibrate your lips. As the air escapes from your mouth whilst breathing in through your nose your lips will continue to vibrate allowing you to snatch a breath in through you nose and continue the process over and over building it into rhythms, every time you take a breath in through your nose you automatically create a natural rhythm.

How to play the Didje.

To play the Didje you need to make a Raspberry noise using your lips, just blow through your lips gently causing them to vibrate. This it the technique that Didje players use to play the instrument, the vibration in the lips is what causes the amazing sound you hear when the Didje is being blown, this is know as the drone.

When you have practiced this a few times and you can get one continuous drone going try changing the shape of your lips by smiling into the Didje, you will notice the pitch of the drone raises slightly.

To make some of the various other noises a Didje player makes try a few of these and see how much the drone and noise changes to give you various sounds and even animal calls.

Using the tongue, make a drill sound by vibrating your tongue against the inside of your mouth, try this against the Didje whilst playing the drone and see what noise come out.

Kookaburra

Another technique is using the voicebox to make a KA, KA, KA sounds much like a Kookaburra does in the wilds of the Australian outback. Whilst making a drone literally using your voicebox scream Kook, Kook, Kook, Kook, Kook down the Didje whilst droning, its sounds difficult but with practice you'll get it.

Kangaroo

By starting with the tongue against the roof of your mouth whilst droning and gentle flicking it against the back of your teeth and tongue, you'll hear the sound of a Kangaroo hopping, it should make a boing.. boing..boing noise. Using hand actions you can play out the actions of a Kangaroo hopping.

These are a just a few of the sounds you can make playing the Didje, by practice and sometimes sheer luck you'll find new and exciting sounds which make this the most amazing instrument in the world.