Adèle & Zalem are a pair didgeridoo players from France with a very modern sound. Drawing inspiration from modern dance music, beatboxing, house and dubstep, this didgeridoo duet has a unique sound that’s will make it so you can’t even believe you are listening to didgeridoo.
In 2013 Adèle & Zalem released their first album Urban Tree.
This album, recorded, mixed and mastered by Thibault Cano-Bruyere, is composed of 9 tracks, with only two didgeridoos (except for the solo tracks ZalemAlone and SolAdèle). There are no added sound effects; these are purely live recordings.
Ondrej Smeykal is from Prague, Czech Republic and is regarded by the global didgeridoo community as one of the best modern players. In this video, Ondrej plays on a didgeridoo made by Chad Butler.
The drone is a simple yet mystical sound, which can be found in many sacred music traditions of the world. From a spiritual perspective the drone is often described as a doorway to for both player and listener to enter the higher levels of consciousness. Music traditions that feature drones can be found in India, Arabia, Persia, China, Tibet, Tuva, Australia, the Americas, the Mediterranean region, Africa and beyond. Drone music can be found in all four major classes of instruments: woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings.
Essentially a drone is a sustained tone based upon one fundamental frequency. This foundational pitch can be thought of as a single note that is extended for a long period of time. Each drone gets its unique sonic character through a combination of overtones, higher frequencies that sound like they are dancing at the top of the sound spectrum.
Traditionally, the geographic range of drone instruments was limited to a small radius from point of origin or active practice. In today’s connected world, most of these instruments can be purchased online and utilized for your own music making and gratification.
Here is an overview of drone music and instruments that are utilized in sacred ceremonies and rituals around the world.
The didgeridoo is a sacred wind instrument given to humanity by the aboriginal Australian people. Its traditional sound is characterized by a drone with slight variation in frequency according to jaw position. The didgeridoo player can have a high level of control of the overtones using tongue, cheeks and throat.
The gong is a metal disc shaped percussion instrument with sound characterized by many harmonic layers happening at the same time. Each gong is pitched at one fundamental frequency and is made with a “secret” combination of metals. Its earliest known use can be traced to China and Southeast Asia, where there are records of its use for meditation and healing. Gongmaster Don Conreaux says the gong is “an engine of power releasing tone resonance and complex harmonics that are transferred to the recipient.”
The singing bowl is a metal or crystal bowl-shaped instrument. Like gongs, the metal versions of these instruments are constructed with a number of different metals and are pitched at one fundamental frequency. Unlike gongs however, these instruments are predominantly played with friction to sustain a drone (gongs can also be played with friction but it is less common to see this). Crystal singing bowls are constructed with the precision of machines and can be fine-tuned to an exact pitch and can resonate much louder than metal bowls. Due to this precision and material, crystal singing bowls have less overtone richness compared to metal bowls, however crystal bowls are typically louder than metal bowls.
Tamboura (also tanpura) is a string instrument tuned to a specific tonality and traditionally used to accompany the voice or a melodic instrument in the Indian Classical Music system. With overtones constantly shifting, the tamboura creates a mystical sounding drone over which all melodic and harmonic content is tuned to. Traditionally tuning (in the 7-note diatonic scale system) is 5 8 8 1 (where 1 is the fundamental, 5 is the fifth tone in the scale and 8 is the octave above the fundamental). Today the tamboura is one of the most recognizable sounds in drone music worldwide.
Shruti Box is a free-reed instrument, essentially a vibrating reed (like that of a harmonica) controlled by a hand pump. Like the tamboura, the drone is rich in character and is often found in many traditional Indian music forms.
Harmonium is a variation of the shruti box which features a piano-style keyboard. Each harmonium key is assigned to its own reed (or pair of reeds). This instrument is traditionally used to accompany Sanskrit mantra (chant) for the style of music known as kirtan or songs known as bhajans.
Drums are found in all cultures in some form or another and it is their ability to play tones rhythmically that gives pulse to music. The head of a drum is a vibrating membrane, and thus it drones at one consistent pitch as it is hit repeatedly. When a drum like a Native American frame drum is used shamanically, certain rhythms can entrance those who receive them.
Drone Flutes are usually constructed of two pipes, one a normal flute with 6-10 finger holes and the other a drone pipe with no finger holes. The sound of drone flutes is really special because with one instrument there is a wide range of melodic and harmonic possibilities.
Jaw Harp is a folk instrument found in many parts of the world which features a vibrating tongue and uses the player’s mouth as a resonator. This versatile instrument can be found in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials.
There are so many other droning instruments that are outside the scope of this brief introduction. Reed instruments such as the Nadaswaram and Shennai (from south and north India) are often played by 4 or 5 players at a time to sustain a drone in place of the tamboura while a soloist plays melodically. Bagpipes have many droning tones to support a melodic element.
Lastly, the human voice is one of the most complex drones in existence. Most well known , Tuvan Throat Singing, Harmonic Overtone Singing. Those of us who have ever studied yoga, meditation, or other practices from India are familiar with perhaps the most well-known drone sound: OM. Try chanting OM at a single pitch for the full duration of your breath and you will feel what it is to practice the drone.
The didgeridoo is what first got us interested in drone music but now we know there is so much more. We hope you find the sound that speaks to you and share the gift of the drone with the world!
People come to the didgeridoo for many reasons, most of which I see connected to healing. Players benefit from the many therapeutic benefits of the instrument: deeper breathing, expanded lung capacity, greater sense of rhythm. Listeners have access to a whole dimension of sound that is not often provided in our modern world.
In obstructive sleep apnea air is obstructed where the base of tongue meets the soft palate during sleep. Image by Habib M’henni
“I’ve had breathing problems during sleep for at least a year and a half, maybe much longer: snoring, gasping for breath when I was sleeping. At best it was a loud snore. I have now been playing didgeridoo for sleep apnea for about two months and I’ve been practicing four or five times a week for about thirty minutes a day. This past weekend I was at my friend’s house and he said that throughout the night my breathing was just beautiful. He was so thrilled to hear such a difference, just quiet constant breathing. I’m very proud of that. Using the didgeridoo as a natural sleep apnea therapy has led to a big change in my life.” – Paul Auerbach, educator
Is There Evidence That Playing Didgeridoo For Sleep Apnea Can Help People?
In 2005 The British Medical Journal reported on a successful study conducted at the University of Zurich in which researchers hypothesized that regular didgeridoo playing could be an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. The sleeping disorder is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, often leading to daytime restlessness.
A participant playing didgeridoo in the sleep apnea study. Image: BMJ.
Participants, mostly men aged around 50 and experiencing high amounts of daytime sleepiness, were to learn to play the didgeridoo by taking periodic lessons and practicing at least 20 minutes per day, 5 days a week for four months. All participants used identical acrylic didgeridoos (as seen in the first photo). In this natural sleep apnea therapy, participants were given four lessons as follows (quoted directly from the study):
1. Participants learned the lip technique to produce and hold the keynote for 20-30 seconds
2. The instructor explained the concept and technique of circular breathing. Circular breathing is a technique that enables the wind instrumentalist to maintain a sound for long periods of time by inhaling through the nose while maintaining airflow through the instrument, using the cheeks as bellows
3. The didgeridoo instructor taught the participants his technique to further optimize the complex interaction between the lips, the vocal tract, and circular breathing so that the vibrations in the upper airway are more readily transmitted to the lower airways
4. The instructor and the participants repeated the basics of didgeridoo playing and made corrections when necessary
A Natural Sleep Apnea Therapy
What were the results of the didgeridoo for sleep apnea study?
Participants were tested at the beginning and end of the study for four different quality-of-sleep and daytime sleepiness indicators and were then compared to a control group that was not allowed to play the didgeridoo. For each indicator, the group that practiced the didgeridoo made significant improvements compared to the group that did not.
The most significant indicator used in the study is the Epworth scale, a measurement of daytime sleepiness (the higher one measures on the scale, the more daytime sleepiness the person experiences). The figure below shows that those who practiced the didgeridoo saw their level of daytime sleepiness decrease, while those in the control group saw various changes, including testing better, the same and far worse.
Results from participants in the didgeridoo sleep apnea study, plotted on the Epworth Scale (a self-reporting metric). Image: BMJ.
The didgeridoo for sleep apnea study was hailed as a success but only through continued research will we know the true effects of playing the didgeridoo to treat sleep apnea. It is unclear the level to which the participants mastered circular breathing, a technique which often challenges newer didge players. Enhanced results could potentially be found in longer experiment periods (greater than four months) and more in-depth and frequent didge lessons.
What is the best way to start playing didgeridoo for sleep apnea?
After seeing positive results working with over 50 people with sleep apnea, I decided to create a method book and video that anyone could use to learn to play didgeridoo, right in their own home. Thus, Didge For Sleep was created. Didge For Sleep is a DVD and Handbook (also available online) designed specifically to teach the didgeridoo to people with sleep apnea, snoring and other related conditions. Focusing particularly on strengthening the muscles of the throat and tongue and the entire respiratory system, this course starts with the absolute basics of breathing and gradually increases in difficulty up through some fun intermediate level rhythms.
Want to learn to play didgeridoo directly with a teacher? Check out our current course offerings.
The Didge For Sleep Introductory Package includes a 90-minute tutorial DVD, 37-Chapter Handbook, Travel Didgeridoo, and access to our online video library (over 10 hours of tutorials) and member discussion forum.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with a number of didgeridoo players around the world who are seeking to improve their playing, learn to circular breathe, add new rhythms, and be able to share music with friends, family and other musicians. Each one was hitting a wall in some way. I had to ask myself, why am I seeing the same pattern with all these players?
What I found is that each person had gotten to a certain point with their playing and is now stuck, not knowing how to incorporate new rhythms, new sounds, master circular breathing or achieve the goals they set for themselves. What I heard from nearly every person is that he or she does not have enough support.
Without a teacher or community from whom to learn many people are turning to the internet for tutorial videos or are trying to figure it out on their own. After now seeing hundreds of didgeridoo players I can confidently say that everyone hits obstacles. In fact, trying to do it all alone is a greater expenditure than actually paying for classes or lessons, as players spend countless practice sessions in frustration over how to figure out their instrument.
A teacher can open your playing up to infinite possibility. I got serious about studying piano four years ago and I did not know how or what to practice. I tried checking out some videos and it led to a very slow rate of progression. So I decided to seek out a teacher, Alex Pryrodny, a pianist I already knew whose playing I greatly admired. We began with basic exercises and simple pieces, building blocks essential for my growth as a player. After learning each exercise he always has another one, and each piece mastered lends itself to the next, more challenging and equally rewarding. Now I can play four of Bach’s Inventions for piano and have written a number of original piano compositions.
One of the greatest aspects of studying with a music teacher is learning how to continually be inspired. After each lesson with my piano teacher I come away with a renewed sense of possibility and inspiration. If I sit down at the piano the week after a lesson and play, there are so many fresh ideas to work on and it all seems so natural. However, when I practice after not having a lesson for a month or more, I work through some music but then quickly run out of ideas. It’s like I don’t really know where to take my playing any more. The teacher is able to see the student exactly where he or she is at give the most effective guidance.
Don’t have a teacher? Find a supportive community or another player who is at a higher level than you. This is the #1 way to improve yourself as a player.
It is said you can tell a musician by the way he or she walks. To successful musicians, music is a lifestyle. These 10 lifestyle habits are some of the keys shared by the great ones.
***Product links in this article are affiliate links. You pay the same price and a percentage goes to Didge Project to help us further our mission of providing quality tips and tutorials for musicians.
1. Exercise daily
Keeping your body in shape is the key to a creative mind. Some of the most successful musicians attribute their musicality to their health. Many find running, going to the gym, yoga and sports to be a wonderful complement to their careers in music. Make sure that the exercise you choose will not have any negative effects on your instrument of choice (i.e. making your hands or throat sore).
2. Eat Healthy
In Three Wishes: An Intimite Look At Jazz Greats, legends of the 1960’s jazz scene (including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and many more) were asked “what are your highest values?” The most common reply: “health is wealth.” A proper diet will support a clear mind and a responsive body. To make sure you are working at your full potential, be sure that you are eating a balanced diet rich with whole foods. Try to limit processed foods where you can. Most importantly, test what works for you. For some people, no added sugar is a mantra. For others, being salt free is the way. Try omitting certain things from your diet for a day or two and see what works for you.
3. Practice daily
This one is obvious to any musician who has achieved a high level of playing. Even 15 minutes of practice time on a busy day can be extremely valuable. Go for quality over quantity and make sure you have a clear head when you go into your practice space.
4. Seek out a teacher
While it may be tempting to learn everything you can from YouTube tutorials, invaluable knowledge comes from study with an experienced teacher. Find a teacher whose playing you admire and who you find a good rapport with. It is guaranteed that a good teacher can give you materials that will push your playing continuously to a higher level and faster than you can do on your own.
5. Develop your sense of rhythm
As Victor Wooten says in his book TheMusic Lesson the key is to find the groove. Mr. Wooten is one of the finest bassists in the world and he cites this as one of his greatest lessons. By learning to stay with the groove and not falter because of playing the wrong note, he learned to keep the band moving along instead of having to stop every time a blunder was heard. Keeping the band together is an invaluable skill and developing your sense of rhythm will do this. Playing with a metronome can also work wonders.
6. Work on a solo performance piece
Virtuoso singer Bobby McFerrin says that an essential way to develop your musicality is to pick a difficult piece and learn it really well. This will add to your repertoire and give you many skills that you can apply to improvisation.
7. Learn the rudiments
Scales, arpeggios, paradiddles, vocal scans and other fundamental exercises are important to musicians of all levels. Each instrument has its own essential exercises and it is recommended that you learn these. Once you’ve mastered all your major and minor scales and arpeggios, which may take a serious amount of time, you will be well equipped to handle music given to you by composers. Once you’ve spent enough time with these exercises you can stop practicing them because you will have ingrained them in your musical vocabulary.
8. Study musical style
Most musicians do not limit themselves to study of a certain style. It is important to listen to and study music from many cultures and create a synthesis within your playing. Ray Charles saw himself as a fusion of traditional gospel and contemporary Rhythm and Blues. Each musician is a product of everything they ever listen to and practice. What are your influences? Where could you expand your stylistic knowledge?
9. Apply knowledge from other instruments
If you are a trumpet player its good to listen to and try to learn something played by a violin player. If you are a pianist, learn a piece from the guitar canon. This will help you see music from a broader perspective.
10. If you are an instrumentalist, sing! If you are a singer, play an instrument!
Make sure to sing everything you play. This is how you can develop your ear and hear things before you play them. Many successful improvisers have a vast catalog of licks and phrases which they can recall from memory on the spot. This is a skill developed through singing and repetition. Most western composers and singer/songwriters play piano or guitar. These chordal instruments provide a platform for understanding musical structure. Using your voice and playing a chordal instruments are some of the most invaluable musical development tools, no matter what your instrument.
I have been asked by Didge Project to expand upon the list of the best didgeridoo players that we all should know about, so here are a few names to add to the list! Feel free to contact Didge Project and add more!
Most people who play music are interested in collaborating with others, either starting a band or just jamming for fun. Yet for some it can be challenging to make that musical connection with another musician. Here are a few keys that will help you fit in to any musical collaboration.
Don’t lose the groove One of the most important things in music is repetition. To establish a repeated structure for a piece gives everyone a framework within which to play. Take for example a structure of four bars that repeats and has added emphasis on the downbeat (beat 1). When I’m improvising over these four bars I play musical ideas that stray from the exact notes and rhythms of the repeated pattern. To show everyone that I know where I am I make sure to play a note on the downbeat with strong emphasis, just like everyone else. In this way I have plenty of space to improvise yet stay within the given form.
If I make a mistake in my playing, no matter how out of time or out of tune, or if I get lost, I make sure that I find my place in the structure and hit that strong downbeat. This approach can turn mistakes into musical ideas. If a mistake is made, repeat that same mistake and incorporate it into the piece.
Syncopate your rhythms One of the best ways to add depth and excitement to a piece is to add syncopation, or the addition of beats between the strong beats. Try counting a piece as 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 (repeating). Use a metronome to keep steady tempo. Now add the upbeats in between by saying 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and (repeating)… Once you can do this then be selective. Try 1, 2 and 3, 4, 1, 2and 3, 4… Here’s another: 1, 2, 3 and 4 and 1, 2, 3 and 4 and… Learning to syncopate will give you a lot of new musical ideas.
Give each other space Working with other musicians is all about understanding each other. One of the best ways to achieve understanding is to listen to each other and one of the best ways to do that is to give each other space to play. Try taking an 8-count (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) but only playing beats 1 and 2. Essentially you will be counting in your head on beats 3-8. An easy way to practice this is to count out loud with your voice (repeat 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and clap only on beats 1 and 2. Try it! Now do a variation of this by playing different beats within the cycle. Try playing beats 1, 6 and 8. Again, count out loud with your voice (repeat 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and clap on beats 1, 6 and 8. Playing with space will give your fellow musicians an opportunity to fill in the space with their musical ideas.
Play in tune Depending on your instrument playing in tune may be a great challenge or hardly an issue at all. That being said, you should always be aware of your intonation and try to tune yourself to the other musicians as closely as possible. When it comes to harmonizing and playing in unison, intonation is key. A great way to practice intonation is to play with an externally generated drone, such as an electronic tanpura (I use iTabla Pro) or sing while playing a pitched instrument like guitar or piano. This will help you to develop your ear and find ways to adjust your pitch to meet other musicians, even if they are slightly out of tune. For a challenge, check out these ear training exercises.
Thank you for joining me on this musical journey. I wish you fruitful collaborations ahead!
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument made from hollow wood. The first didgeridoos, played by aboriginal peoples in northern Australia an estimated 40,000 years ago, were made from fallen eucalyptus branches that had been naturally hollowed out by termites. It is also known that the mayan people of Central America had a similar instrument made of yucca or agave and today referred to as “la trompeta maya” (the mayan trumpet).
Modern didgeridoos are commonly made from eucalyptus, bamboo, and agave. In theory, any enclosed column of air, such as a PVC pipe can be made into a didgeridoo by blowing through it.
The didgeridoo is both a pitched instrument and a percussion instrument. Each didge has one fundamental tone as well as a series of overtones that can be altered by the lips of the player. The didge can also played rhythmically, serving as both a bass and a time keeping instrument.
Check out aboriginal didgeridoo master David Blanasi showing how to make didgeridoos in this video:
Modern didgeridoos are used in many world music applications including beatboxing, dance music and meditation. Check out our list of Didgeridoo Players You Should Know.
For a thorough history of the didgeridoo, visit ididjaustralia’s Didgeridoo History.
Welcome to your first lesson on how to play didgeridoo. In this video class you will learn some basic breathing techniques, how to use the different parts of your body required for playing, and some simple practices that you...
Circular breathing is a wind instrument technique that allows the player to sustain a tone for an extended period of time. This is accomplished by storing air in the mouth (inflating the cheeks) and using this reservoir of air...
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This past winter I decided to record a series of new didgeridoo tutorials to update our community on the practices that I have found most beneficial in didgeridoo playing. Among these are vocalization techniques, how to play with a...
Lip stretching is the fundamental warm-up for didgeridoo playing and it’s all about preparation. So before you touch the didge, before you buzz your lips, do these lip stretches. Also if someone comes to me and says they...
We celebrated the arrival of 2022 with Didge Project's AJ Block for a live question and answer session on all things related to the didgeridoo. Participants asked questions and AJ answered them and did a lot of live didgeridoo...
