I caught this useful fact by chance on the telly yesterday.
I always say ‘’caught.. by chance’’ because I don’t
want you to think I watch a lot of telly. I don’t. I just watch too much;
it’s rubbish. But occasionally it throws up some serendipitous snippet
like snoring cures because, let’s face it, when we get to a certain age
we all succumb to the affliction. It can, apparently, be a serious detriment to
the health of your brain. So be warned! (The snoring, not the TV. Well, both, probably.)
I’ve had a fascination for didgeridoos, and other
exotic instruments, ever since I discovered a dusty 45 of Rolf Harris’ ‘’Sun
Arise’’ in my mum and dad’s record collection. Much later,
Rolf explained to me, not personally but through the medium of television again, the art
behind playing ''The Didge''. Firstly, you have to make your lips form a relaxed pout
so, when you blow, they tremble. Not so slack that they flap about, frightening
the dog and threatening low flying aircraft, but enough to produce a low tone
somewhere between a slow fart and a bumblebee in a shoe box.
Next, before you apply your lips to the didge, you have to
master the circular breathing. This needs to be done in order to achieve a continuous
sound without risk of turning blue and passing out on the floor. The technique,
according to Rolf again, is to blow bubbles through a drinking straw into a glass of water.
Before the lungs are completely empty, you use your cheek muscles to push the
air trapped in your cheeks through the straw while breathing in at the same
time through your nose, i.e. sniff, very quickly! It’s similar to the way bagpipes work only
your cheeks are the bag. Once you’ve learned the method it’s time
to put it all together on the didgeridoo – or plastic drain pipe if you can’t find a
suitable hollow gum branch. And there you go, and what a delightful noise you’re
making if I might say so!
Actually, the noise isn’t too dissimilar to snoring
which made me immediately think that’s how they made the connection
between affliction and remedy, rather like the ancient apothecary matching the
shape of a plant to the shape of our vital organs; liverwort, lungwort etc. The
scientific explanation is, as we get older so our muscular tone weakens including those muscles which control the throat, uvula, and soft palate,
and while we sleep the whole thing collapses thus restricting the air ways
effectively producing a vibration inside not unlike the lips while playing a
didgeridoo. However, practising the didgeridoo strengthens those muscles and
keeps the tissues toned and out of harms way. Plus, what better excuse is there
to learn a fascinating and unusual musical instrument like the didgeridoo? I’m
going to look out for one right away! Meanwhile, I’m sure I’ve got
a short length of waste pipe in the garage somewhere….hmmm.
~
How to blow by Raghu
How to breathe by Colin in London
How to make your own Didge (Raghu again)
Bill Bailey having a laugh.
Christophe Mad'dene and Bruno Moury - Missamba
Next week on the Art and Use of Unusual Instruments: the
Mbira thumb piano and avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome.