If you play the didgeridoo, you have definitely already heard this word: backpressure. Maybe you even chose your instrument based on this criterion. At first glance, it seems to explain (very simply) a lot of things on its own:
- high backpressure = an easy-to-play didgeridoo
- low backpressure = a difficult didgeridoo, one that uses a lot of air
But… isn’t this apparent simplicity a bit too simplistic?
In this article, I’d like to add a bit of nuance, and above all ask a fundamental question: what if, by focusing on backpressure, we end up missing what really matters?
Let’s dive in!
Backpressure, or your didgeridoo’s air consumption
Backpressure is the resistance of the air column when you blow into your didgeridoo.
The higher this resistance, the more you feel the instrument “pushes back” against you. The result:
- you use less air
- the volume is higher
- the instrument feels “easy to play”
And that’s exactly why so many players look for high backpressure. You simply seem to get less out of breath with that kind of instrument!
But be careful: this search comes at a cost… And to understand this “problem,” we first need to distinguish between the two main didgeridoo shapes.
Two major didgeridoo families
1. Conical didgeridoos
Yoon on a conical didgeridoo with a powerful style!
These are the most common instruments in the world today (with the exception of France). Their air column starts at around 30 mm (note: I’m not talking about the mouthpiece here, but the starting diameter of the didgeridoo once the mouthpiece is removed), and their bells are often wide and flared (a bit like a trumpet). This creates very specific characteristics:
- naturally high backpressure, therefore low air consumption
- a powerful sound
- present low frequencies
- an immediate feeling of ease
These instruments are perfect for dynamic playing based on tongue work. They are often used by street musicians because they naturally sound loud without amplification. In short: they’re powerful!
But this power comes with trade-offs (as you might expect!):
- the sound can sometimes lack clarity
- because of their strong low end, the overall spectrum can feel unbalanced
- the instrument is “specialized” for certain tongue-based styles, but often sounds less good for other techniques, such as cheek techniques for example
- when amplified, this kind of didgeridoo can quickly become overwhelming: the lows eat up everything
2. Cylindrical didgeridoos
The ork army, which I can only play on an open didgeridoo
The air column of this type of didgeridoo starts around 50 mm, and their bells are often less conical, giving the instrument a more cylindrical overall shape. As for their characteristics, they are basically the opposite of conical didgeridoos:
- a softer, more melodic sound
- more readable harmonics
- perfect for “cheek” techniques (wobbles, for example)
But be careful: this shape also has a cost! These instruments are often considered “difficult” because they have little backpressure and therefore, as you’ve now understood, higher air consumption.
The trap: believing one shape is better than another (yes, I fell for it too!)
It may sound obvious, but let’s remember that there is no:
- perfect didgeridoo
- shape that is superior to another
- magic criterion to rely on exclusively
There are instruments suited to different intentions. It’s basic, but it’s worth repeating!
Personally, for a long time I had no affinity with conical shapes. I was drawn only to cylindrical, open didgeridoos. But the more I discover traditional playing (yidaki), the more I become aware of the strengths of conical shapes.
Little by little, I realize just how much each shape tells its own story.
And that’s where this omnipresent notion of backpressure becomes disturbing: it pushes all the other criteria aside.
Backpressure: the criterion that crushes all the others
When you choose a didgeridoo only for its backpressure, you risk:
- prioritizing immediate comfort (low air consumption)
- seeking quick volume (possibly at the expense of quality)
- sacrificing other aspects like finesse, dynamics, or harmonics… on the altar of comfort!
In short, you focus on the instrument. Obsessed as we are with backpressure, we end up believing that it’s the didgeridoo that “holds the air” for us.
And that is precisely our mistake!
Your body is your instrument
If you should remember just one idea from this article, let it be this:
Everything starts from your body. Not from the didgeridoo.
I’ll say it again, because it’s that important:
EVERYTHING starts from your body. NOT from the didgeridoo.
Once you understand this basic principle, you’ll start focusing on the essential elements that truly impact your sound and your playing:
- the pinch at the corners of your lips
- your breath management
- the tonicity of your air column
With these levers, you have real power to act. You are no longer a “victim” of your didgeridoo. You become the creator of your own world. That’s personally what motivates me in teaching didgeridoo: guiding you toward mastery (I talk a lot about it in my online courses—there’s the promo!).
In this context, the notion of backpressure becomes secondary. And your didgeridoo choice is no longer narrowed down to that single aspect, but naturally opens up to what you want to express, what you love, what drives you…
The real question to ask
Here we finally are at the heart of this article, and at the only question that truly matters:
What do you want to express with your didgeridoo? And to do that, what do you need?
- power?
- finesse?
- groove?
- breath?
- voice?
- relaxation?
- dynamics?
- harmonics?
As you’ve understood, there are no right or wrong answers—only a balance (sometimes a fragile one) between your didgeridoo, your desires, your intentions, and your story.
In conclusion
Backpressure isn’t useless—far from it! But in my opinion, making it the main criterion means missing what really matters.
Your body is the instrument, your didgeridoo amplifies it. You are in control. And when you understand that… everything changes.
To go further in understanding the didgeridoo
4 essential criteria to understand the psychology of your didgeridoo!
Why analyzing your didgeridoo’s frequencies will help you play better!
Photo credit: Olivier Trubert
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