Vernon Marritjngu Gurruwiwi playing and explaining yidaki rhythms and technique

Vernon started talking about technique one day in language and I got him to repeat what he said to the camera. This is the sort of stuff I'm interested in, Yolngu using technical language to describe what is essentially a very technical art form: yidaki playing. Will try to do a rough translation at some stage, perhaps on the iDIDJ Forum:

http://www.forum.ididj.com.au/index.php

The stick in use is one made by Gurruwiwi family friend Ben Hicks who has visited Arnhem Land several times over the years, this instrument is several years old now and has been cut shorter to how I remember it previously.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• yirdaki
• yidaki
• didgeridoo
• didjeridu
• technique
• vernon
• marritjngu
• gurruwiwi
• djalu
• larry
• winiwini
• galpu
• yolngu
• aboriginal
• music
• bunggul
• manikay
• arnhemland
• arnhem
• land
• hard
• tongue
• rhythms
• songs

[Throatsinger]

Very interesting that he is overtone singing when demonstrating the drone, such as beginning around "40.

Of course this is quite sensible as he is vocalizing with his tongue in a position that will produce this effect with either voice or didg.

Guan, is this common, unusual, or ? Do players talk about this?

[ididjaustralia]

@Throatsinger oh ok, i understand now, for a second i woz a bit confused. wot vernon is doing is playing with retroflexed tongued at 40 seconds, the overtone singing is only a side effect of demonstrating this and doesn't actually come thru when playing the yidaki using the retroflex tongue as u can hear

[dumadave10]

i got some stuff but its hard to understand some bitsss

[ididjaustralia]

@dumadave10 he's basically talking about technique and how the tongue moves, and also cues for playing certain riffs... follow the clapstick beat and listen to the singers and dancers make certain sounds, that is the cue for changing tune.

[bdidjin]

THANK YOU, Vernon and Guan!!

This is like GOLD for me!! :)

[ididjaustralia]

@bdidjin Cool, glad you enjoyed it! Hope to make more vids like this :-)

[acidfriend47]

its hard to play the trumpet note with the cheeks closed. I always play it when open cheeks.

[musa1de2tortilla3]

@musa1de2tortilla3 and guan, finally at front mouth playing, it just clicked looking at this

appreciate this

[musa1de2tortilla3]

thanks a lot Vernon!

[ShemiticOne]

Is this man an Australian Aborigine/Australoid?

[dumadave10]

@ididjaustralia ok thanks :D

[IPlayDidgeridoo]

When I hear didge playing like this I really understand why I praticting 1 hour every day - I love the instrumet, and it is just so great a motivation to hear something like this - i'm just so dedicated to this instrument - this is some of the best and most balanced playing I ever heard. Man I love it.