Your Second Didgeridoo: How a Different Instrument Builds Skill

Once you have been playing for a while, you start to get a feel for what it takes to work your way around the instrument. At some point the question comes up: what should my second didgeridoo be? In this part of the Didgeridoo Buyers Guide, Benny from Didgeridoo Breath gives a simple recommendation, and it is one with real benefits for your playing.

Benny's advice: mix it up

For your second didgeridoo, Benny suggests diversifying. If your first instrument was a small one, perhaps from a starter pack, try something quite different this time: a big instrument with a deep, resonant note. The point is to challenge yourself and find out what it takes to play an instrument with a different character.

A story from the video

Benny shares his own experience. His first didgeridoo was a small one he was given for his birthday. Years later he bought the first instrument he chose himself, a huge didgeridoo in the key of B. He found it a challenge. The pressure was different, and he had to play at a slower speed. Looking back, he says he feels better for it in the long run.

What changes when you switch instruments

The two differences Benny mentions are the ones most players notice first.

• Pressure. A different instrument pushes back differently against your breath and lips. Your embouchure has to find a new balance.
• Speed. A big, deep instrument tends to want a slower pace. Rhythms that felt quick and easy on a small didgeridoo may need to be slowed down.

Working through those adjustments is exactly what makes the change valuable. You learn which parts of your technique were tied to one particular instrument, and you develop a more flexible approach that will carry over to anything you pick up later.

Practice tips for a new, bigger didgeridoo

• Go back to the drone. Spend your first sessions just getting a steady, relaxed drone. Let your lips settle into the new pressure before you try anything complicated.
• Slow your patterns down. Take rhythms you already know and play them at a speed that suits the bigger instrument, rather than forcing your old tempo.
• Keep playing your first didgeridoo. Switching between the two helps you hear and feel the differences, and keeps your original skills sharp.
• Be patient. Benny found his big instrument a challenge at first. Expect a settling-in period, and treat it as part of the learning.

Why it is worth the effort

As Benny says, it cannot hurt to try. A second instrument that contrasts with your first broadens your sound, stretches your technique and makes you a more adaptable player.

Keep building your foundations

A new instrument is a good moment to revisit the basics. If you would like a structured way to do that, the beginner didgeridoo lessons at Didgeridoo Dojo are a useful refresher, and they work just as well on a big, deep didgeridoo as on a small one.