Beginner Didgeridoo Lesson - Toot Basics

[@jasonbates6410]

Thank you! I’m still a beginner and toots had eluded me until watching this. The thing that made it really click was your exercise of droning as softly as possible. That focused control of airflow and lip vibration made the shift to get the toot a very easy one for me. You have some great instructional insight and exercises. I really appreciate the breakthrough 🙏

[@duncansmith6318]

OMG!! You've just said the key phrase which just resonated (sorry about the pun) with me. I can get the drone, but I've never been able to buzz without the didge. That is, until you just said 'duck lips' As soon as I pretended to pose for a duck lip photo I could buzz like I'd been doing it for years!

[@berndnyikos417]

Another great video/lesson! Toots are still hard to do for me but it becomes better! And i play it from the side 😉😎 Thank you David!

[@freddysch3972]

great video! Thanks a lot!

[@61mab]

Very clear and practical, makes me want one of those slide types to play around with. It's that change from drone to that jump to the next octave and that lip transition that makes it awkward. I found that if you sing through it from bass to falsetto, you can hear all of the octaves useable for at least my didge (reaching them in practice is another thing!) Ok, cool, got two octaves about drone with your "exorcise" on my silver leaf ironbark Thanks for the breakthrough (owe you a donation)

[@pedrosanchezpalma4443]

Very nice video! I have a traditional didge (wollybut 140cm) with a narrow neck. The toot seems too high and for me impossible to join with the drone without a pause...also, the lips vibration without the didge is almost ok but I find impossible to maintain the drone approximating the didge to the mouth, lips get stopped. I can get a drone but with lips more relaxed. Lips Too tighted is too forced for me to maintain long time without fail. I suppose many more lips exercises are key for this because I see I don’t progress on rhythms and vocals...thanks!

[@calexiou69]

Hello David. Once more thank you for your great teachings. Something has been puzzling me a lot for the last week after I watched this video. Even though I consider myself an intermediate player, the exercise you show at the beginning of this video, is impossible for me to do. What you do in time 2:45 seems impossible to my lips as my lips stop vibrating the moment I touch the mouthpiece and the opposite. It makes me think that maybe all this time I had it all wrong and I have to retrain my lips from the beginning. So how important is it to be able to do this playing the note off and on the didge like you show in time 2:45 ? Shall I struggle more in order to possibly get it or maybe it is common that people cannot do it? Thank you for your time. Happy playing from Greece.

[@weiss_wildlifephoto2557]

What is the diameter of your didge mouthpiece? Is it right that you need a larger diameter for frontal playing?

[@Silas_KRN]

I've heard that too

[@Breathwood]

I've heard that front playing does require a bit more space. How much more, though, I'm not sure! My didges range from about 3 to 3.5 cm across.

[@troylee8132]

Ok is it possible for some people to find the drone on the side instead of the front?

[@zoltandidg]

yes,it is

[@RobHealey]

Hi David, I've found your Didge vids the best ones to help me get started and I wish I'd found this one earlier, because I was looking for an example of playing without the didge to see what the lips do. Very obvious I know, but it wasn't obvious 3 weeks ago! I can now circular breath for 30-40 seconds, so I'm slowly getting there. I've tried 3 mouthpieces on the same 50mm PVC pipe and each one made the sound different. Do you have recommended hole size? Currently I'm working with 30mm because 34 seemed too wide.

[@Breathwood]

I'm glad to hear you're starting to get it! As for mouthpiece opening size, the 30-34 mm range seems to be where I keep landing, but it's a little different for everyone. 30 mm feels a tad small and 34 a tad large, but I have largish lips, so....? Try around 32?

[@RobHealey]

@@Breathwood I've made 3 mouthpieces, 29mm, 30mm and 32mm. All fit the same 50mm PVC pipe 32mm feels best for my lips but harder to circular breath. 20mm is easier to circular breathe but harder to get started on from cold. I expect things will improve once my lips soften more. It's definitely stiff lips making it hard to get started each day. As they vibrate they soften and then the drone starts and 5 minutes later there's back pressure YAY and I can begin circular breathing for 1-3 mins Thanks for the reply, it helps know I'm in the ballpark for size.

[@ndoghouse6853]

Man I just cant get the toot! Im playing a "C" eucalyptus didge i just got a week ago and got the drone and some stuf but the "toot" just dont happen. Does it mater how low your didge key is to do the toot? I can kinda do it but its way low and not sharp at all. Maybe i need another didge? Love your vids man! Keep em coming! I only got about a week of experience but I think I found my favorite instrument!

[@Breathwood]

The shape of the didge makes a huge difference, actually. If it's wider at the neck, toots will be harder. If it's narrower, toots are easier. And there's more beyond that.... what does your didge look like? Can you send me a video clip?

[@53gitaar]

Jimmy's Voodoo Child on the didge @17.30 ! Nice lesson !!