Ebook (volume 1) - Wakademy

The art of didgeridoo

ALL THE BASICS TO START WELL!

This is the ebook version of the video course “The art of the didgeridoo“

The Circular Breathing Within Your Reach

Aaah, the famous circular breathing, it’s quite a story! And for good reason, everyone tells their own version of it. In this book, I explain everything to help you master it without getting exhausted. If you have already seen the free courses on circular breathing on Wakademy, this method will help you delve even deeper into the details and better master it!

The 4 essential pillars

There are four fundamental techniques that are essential for every didgeridoo player. I call them the 4 pillars, which consist of the drone (basic sound), circular breathing, harmonics, and articulations. Not only will this method teach you how to master them, but we will also delve into more advanced techniques. By doing so, you will have all the necessary vocabulary to fully express yourself.

No Need to Be a Musician

It took me years to feel like a musician. When I started, I didn’t have rhythm in my blood, I wasn’t skilled in rhythm. If that’s your case, I understand what you might be going through. When starting with the didgeridoo, we don’t care about music theory and all that jazz! When playing the didgeridoo, it’s your breath that sets the rhythm. Therefore, no prior musical knowledge is required to read this method.

All My Advice Gathered

For over 5 years, I have been taking notes of all the advice I give in private lessons. I have accumulated hundreds of tips, tricks, and exercises that address specific cases or common difficulties. You will find each of them in a dedicated section at the end of each lesson.

Who is this didgeridoo method for?

I want to make sure that this book helps you and that you don’t purchase it in vain. Here are some indications to determine if this method is right for you.

✅ The complete beginner (someone who is eager but doesn't know where to start!)

When you start playing the didgeridoo, despite your enthusiasm to play and discover your inner musician, you find yourself in front of a tube without knowing what to do… If you’re in this situation, this book will answer all your questions: from choosing the didgeridoo to circular breathing, and even composition, you will be guided in your learning process.

✅ The self-taught player who has been playing intuitively for years

If you are curious, you may have discovered some sounds and had fun without taking formal lessons. However, you may have quickly realized that you were limited in your vocabulary. With this method, you will be able to lay out everything you know and everything you have yet to discover. It will give you the opportunity to assess your playing and finally understand what you’re playing.

✅ People suffering from sleep apnea

A study conducted in Zurich in 2006 showed that regular didgeridoo practice could reduce obstructive sleep apnea. I myself teach people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. The exercises in this method will help you acquire the essential foundations for regular practice.

✅ Readers of my first method released in 2011

Many of you ask me if it’s worth buying this method when you already have the 2011 edition. Without being a salesperson, I can assure you that this new edition is much more enriched and pedagogically advanced than the previous one. I go into much more detail in this latest edition. This new opus will help you consolidate the foundations of the didgeridoo much more than the first edition.

✅ Didgeridoo teachers

Teaching the didgeridoo is not always easy! This method will provide anyone who wants to share their knowledge with a solid pedagogical support. I have included all the scenarios, difficulties, and obstacles that didgeridoo students may encounter. The exercises, progressive rhythms, and the notation system using Wakatoo will be a real asset to your teaching methodology.

A few words about my experience

I have been playing the didgeridoo since late 2001. I have met thousands of players, asked myself many questions, and played over and over again.

Driven by passion, I made rapid progress. I then gained recognition in the French and European didgeridoo community. In 2008, playing the didgeridoo became my profession. Since then, I have been conducting workshops and classes in France and Europe.

In 2017, six years after writing my first didgeridoo method, it was time to rewrite everything (I kept only about 10% of the first method, if even that!). I have enriched this work with 10 years of research.

It would be my pleasure if my work could help you progress in playing the didgeridoo!

What you'll find in this method

PART 1 | Essential basics

This section, comprising three chapters, will introduce you to the origins of the instrument and the essential practical points. An introduction to the subject that will give you all the information you need to get off to a good start!

Chapter 1 - Introduction to the Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo has its origins among the Aboriginal people of Australia, so it seemed important to start by discussing the traditional aspect of the instrument before delving into contemporary didgeridoo playing.

Chapter 2 - How to Choose Your Didgeridoo

When you’re just starting out, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin! This chapter will provide you with concrete keys to choosing the right didgeridoo and avoiding common pitfalls for beginners. We’ll cover topics such as note selection, budget considerations, and materials.

Chapter 3 - Essential Theoretical Foundations

Didgeridoo playing is all about rhythm! Therefore, you’ll need a basic understanding of structure to anchor your practice. In this chapter, you’ll discover my tips and tricks regarding the metronome, which is essential for developing rhythm. We’ll discuss your posture, embouchure, and also cover the four musical terms you need to know to start making music (don’t worry, there won’t be more than that!).

PART 2 | It's Your Turn to Play!

Here, you will dive into hands-on practice through a precise and structured methodology. I have gathered the essential techniques for progressing in didgeridoo playing. There are 11 lessons to explore according to your level and interests:

Lesson 1 | How to Play Your First Sound

Learn and master your drone sound. This is often overlooked by players, yet it is crucial! Discover how to produce a clearer and more powerful sound, and how to position your lips for increased precision.

Lesson 2 | Refining Your Drone with Harmonics

…Or why it is vital to know and master harmonics. These beloved harmonics are often neglected by most players, but they are what will make your sound truly resonate as didgeridoo!

Lesson 3 | Circular Breathing or How to Play without Ever Stopping!

After this lesson, circular breathing will hold no secrets for you. Of course, it will require practice, but with precise steps, you will soon be able to play without interruption. Phew! 😉

Lesson 4 | Lighten Your Breathing with Your Belly!

We mostly breathe using the upper part of our lungs. However, it is our belly that is necessary for blowing into the didgeridoo. I explain everything in this chapter to help you gain control and relaxation.

Lesson 5 | Develop Your Intuitive Playing

Analysis is good, but having fun is even better. Now that you have the basics, it’s high time to let your creativity flow. Starting from this lesson, you take the reins of your playing!

Lesson 6 | Attacks: Adding Rhythm to Your Phrases!

Lesson 6 is dedicated to “attacks.” I break down the three attack techniques used by 99% of players. As you can imagine, this lesson will greatly enrich your rhythms.

Lesson 7 | Play Your First Rhythms!

With all the accumulated techniques, it’s time to assess your progress. Here, you will explore your first rhythms, integrating all the previous lessons.

Lesson 8 | Discover Percussion with Overtones

Overtones (trumpet-like sound) will bring unprecedented texture to your playing… but they need to be mastered! Often, overtone production is abrupt and challenging to incorporate into a rhythm. In this lesson, we will explore together how to tame overtones and integrate them into your rhythms.

Lesson 9 | Drop-jaw: The Slow Motion Effect

With this technique, you will work on the low tones of your didgeridoo. Undertones create a sensation of slow motion in your playing. This effect will add flexibility to your sound and naturally accentuate your rhythms.

Lesson 10 | How to Sing into Your Didgeridoo

What if you learned to sing into your didgeridoo?! Vocalizations are often favored by beginners because they are easy to produce and create an immediate impact.

Lesson 11 | Reach New Heights and Compose Your Own Rhythms

A final lesson to take stock before taking flight on your own. These exercises and advice will help you evaluate your practice and provide you with all the necessary tools to develop your own creativity.

Diagrams to illustrate

A picture is often more effective than a long explanation! In this method, you will find over 60 diagrams and photos. I even included the MRI images I had taken with my didgeridoo! This should help you better visualize the hidden world of the didgeridoo!

Let's play the didgeridoo together!

Music is all about sound! As a logical consequence, the method is accompanied by 95 audio tracks. Play along with the recording to maintain the rhythms throughout! Here are 3 excerpts (2 exercises and a rhythm) taken from the method (the recording has been professionally mixed for perfect sound).

Exercise – The importance of pressure

Exercise – High vocalizations

Wakatoo sets the rhythm for you

All the rhythms in the method are written using Wakatoo, a “didgeridoo language” that I created in 2013. So, if you are more visually oriented, Wakatoo will help you better understand the rhythmic patterns. Here’s what it looks like in practice with rhythm 7 from the method.

Rhythm 7

Already familiar with music theory?

No worries! Wakatoo isn’t the only thing in life. 🙂 At the end of the method, you will find all 60 rhythms written in traditional music notation (solfège).

What readers say

"Just a quick message to say thank you, because this is much more than a method you're offering us... It's a bible! To self-discovery. "

Alexandre

Player for 10 years

"I started Gauthier's new method by trying to start from scratch, taking everything from the ground up. The evolution is very progressive, precise and detailed. The "tips and errors" are a good way of refocusing, and the drawings clarify positions. Comparing this method with others I've already read, this one is clearer and infinitely more precise and complete."

Dominique G.

player for 1 years

"I'd like to congratulate you on this excellent work, which really brings together all the essentials (and more) about learning to play the didgeridoo.
Personally, I've been playing the didge for 17 years. Your book made me aware of techniques I had already mastered but didn't understand!
I also wanted to buy your book to help me play with my band and be able to write a score adapted to the didge. The aim is for my compadres to be able to understand and even write themselves when they need a specific rhythm.
Great idea to have created Wakatoo, at least now we have a language specific to our instrument."

Yoann

Player for 17 years

"Gauthier's new method is fantastic. Since I've had it, I've made a quantum leap. I'd been stagnating and going round in circles for months, and didn't know what to do to get over the hurdle.
His advice freed me up. There's still a lot to discover, but it gives me great satisfaction to have been able to take this step and get back on the road."

Elizabeth B.

player for 2 years

"Gauthier's method is very methodical and fun to read. I really enjoy it, so much so that I do exercises every day! You can also refer to the sounds recorded in MP3 to fully understand the exercises and the expected result. The help on choosing a didgeridoo is most welcome. This is a very complete guide for beginners. Methodical, after a month I'm up to lesson 5... But first things first. It's a real pleasure to learn and discover the exercises step by step.

Jacques L.

Player for 1 month

"Just a quick note to congratulate you and thank you for your method, which is brilliant. I am progressing little by little, I am delighted with the advice and the CD."

Laurent D.

Player for 2 months

"Thank you for this gold mine! I worked through the first lesson this weekend and have already received all the answers to the questions I had! Thank you so much, really. I look forward to progressing with you and your brilliant pedagogy."

Ariane S.

Player for 3 months

"I received your method! I haven't read everything yet because I'm trying to take it a step at a time. I read your exercises, I practice...
I think you've done an excellent job, efficient and easy to understand. The fact that you've added your own anecdotes brings it to life, so we don't end up reading a banal book on "how to play the didgeridoo in 10 steps". You give us a real method with exercises you've practiced yourself, as well as your feelings on some of them, in short, it's very enriching! We can also feel your passion, which is great ;). Voila... A short message for a big thank you. "

Hugo C.

Player for 5 months

"Gauthier's method is brilliant. The harmonics, the drone, the position of the body, etc. etc. It's really top notch. I've made progress in just a few days! I started from scratch and already have a good feeling with the continuous breath. It's motivating! The audio tracks are a real plus, allowing you to compare your results and make adjustments. I've read the first four chapters and that's more than enough for now. With this alone, I've got enough to work on for several months!

Lionel S.

player for 1 month

"I started practicing the didgeridoo on my own, and since I got your first step learning manual, I'm progressing very fast, especially at the continuous breath level, a lot of important details that had escaped me, anyway this is just to say thank you."

Jean-Ibrahim G.

Player for 4 months

"I already had the first one and everything I understood in it has been refined. You go into more detail. Ultimately, what we need to remember is to play with full awareness, to get into the details of everything.
I really appreciate the use of musical notes to transcribe rhythm. I now know how I need to play to get a rhythm and adjust with a metronome. Thank you for making me realize that I need to work a lot on my breathing to play with greater ease. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Gérald G.

Player for 1 year

"Incomparable pedagogy, comprehensive, innovative, playful and full of wisdom; I recommend this book to all didgeridoo practitioners.
I am immensely grateful for this outstanding and generous work."

Lauren B.

10-month player

To summarize!

3 Chapters

introducing you to the world of the didgeridoo

11 Lessons

to cover all the didgeridoo basics

95 audio tracks

to illustrate rhythms and exercises

60 rhythms

to help you develop your creativity

50 exercises

based on simple, fun teaching methods

Order the method now!

€ 49

PDF format
Over 110 color pages
95 audio tracks
11 lessons
60 rhythms

€69

€ 59

PDF version
Over 110 color pages
95 audio tracks
11 lessons
60 rhythms
ALBUMS (MP3)
Renaissance (11 tracks)
Terre inconnue (11 tracks)

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