An exercise to improve without your didgeridoo

Hi everyone!
In this video I show you an exercise to practise without your didgeridoo. You can do it anytime and (almost) anywhere!

Thanks to my friend William Thoren, who made me truly realise how effective this exercise is when he told me about it a few months ago when we met up in Lyon.

What is the exercise?

Well, like all the most effective exercises, it’s also one of the simplest. You just have to learn to play without your didgeridoo! That is, to make your lips vibrate without the instrument. It may sound simple, but don’t be fooled: it takes a bit of time to really get it and become stable. Especially when you start adding circular breathing…

So make your lips vibrate and try to get as close as possible to the sound of a didgeridoo. The goal is to produce a sound as close as possible to the one we know. And that’s when you realise that a didgeridoo really is just an amplifier, nothing more, nothing less!

Tip #1: Squeeze your lips!

I’ll say it again and again: keep squeezing the corners of your lips. It’s one of the keys to a stable, well-grounded sound. And it’s also the big strength of this exercise, because it will force you to squeeze the corners of your lips more and more. So stay alert on this point.

Tip #2: Make the inner part of your lips vibrate

Here again, at the risk of repeating myself, make the inner part of your lips vibrate. It’s the thinnest and most delicate part, the one that will give you a precise sound. Try to become aware of this and you’ll soon hear your lips make a didgeridoo sound…. without a didgeridoo.

In conclusion: practise everywhere, all the time!

With an exercise like this one, you have no more excuses. You can do it really often: at the wheel of your car, in the shower, out for a walk, in the street… Ok, fine… but the whole thing is to own it and keep your dignity!

I hope this helps you progress and better understand how to ground your sound. It’s the key that will let your playing develop.