Didgeridoo Sound Assessment
As the article alludes it wouldn’t matter what criteria one set up to assess the sound from didgs, it would have its failings. The following is an attempt to give some understanding to the different sound qualities of didgs . In each category below its not just about, 1-5 meaning best to worst, for some folk like tight flaring holed didgs and other folk like open holed didgs. So each didg needs to be judged based upon the overall picture of the three criterias, to give you an overall sense of the didgs sound.
Q-Firstly what makes the key of the didg
A-Length is the main determinant, combined with the shape of the internal hole, combined with the ease for the air pressure to be released from one end to another. So put simply length + degree of taper from top to bottom + degree of smoothness of inner surface.The more air volume for the sound to travel through plus the internal variations effecting ease, creates the lips to vibrate slower. So the quicker and easier for the air and sound to travel the higher the note.
THE THREE SOUND CRITERIAS I often hear folk assessing didgs only talking of backpressure. In essence its like saying a didg is a solid branch without a hole. Thats how useless it is by itself. The three sound criterias are like a triangle. Backpressure and Warmth two opposites as the foundation and volume the point of the triangle is how the balance of the two express themselves outwardly.
BACKPRESSURE- Is a common term indicating the degree of ease of droning. It is the resistance that naturally occurs when blowing through a hollow tube that sets off the lips vibrating as they do. Its not just the degree of resistance that makes for a better backpressure didg, for there can be too much resistance, either caused by a narrowing hole or an inner surface that is not conjusive to to the flow of air. Interestingly though one can have a narrowing rather than tapering hole but if it does so, to the right degree and has a smooth internal surface it can have excellent backpressure and ease of playing. Most mid length didgs with smallish holes have excellent backpressure, whilst also interestingly if one gets the right configuration over a very long didg it also can have excellent backpressure. So theres no absolutes but there are very understandable reasons why some didgs are easier to play than others. An ideal didg from the majority of players perspectve, is a didg that is 30-40mm internal diameter and tapers over its length gradually. So by being fairly similar diameter over the top half to two thirds theres a healthy degree of resistance, whilst in the widening towards the base the air pressure and vibration is released in a a more chambered environment. Looking at another didg configuration, a fairly even diameter didg, if gradually widening slightly, perhaps with a slightly larger internal hole, can also have excellent backpressure.
In summary backpressure is the degree to which droning kicks in immediately and easily and is easy to maintain with minimal pressure.
Extra Ordinary- One out of the mob, an absolutely phenomenal backpressured didg. Not always suited to all players
Brilliant- An amazing, backpressured didg. Kicks in instantly, minimal pressure required. Highest class player.
Excellent – Easeful- A didg that suits any player from someone starting out to an advanced player wanting an easy player with excellent backpressure. Note-Just because there are ones that have even more backpressure doesn’t mean they are necessarily better, they are just differnt in their overall sound make up. Excellent-easeful speaks for the majority of didgs that best suit most players.
Suits Experienced Player- A top playing didg and easy to play for a developing to experienced player. It is such, for it has larger than average hole and so is best for an established circular breather.
WARMTH & RESONANCE Is all about the quality of the sound, instead of, the degree of ease, of making it. It is best described as the degree of warmth of the sound or the resonance or impact. A very warm sounding didg has a greater range of base than treble; and has an almost all pervading sound quality and is very round and both soft and loud all at once. A treble base type didg has the backpressure which gives off the treble and a lot of base but there are always trade offs, whichever way you go. Big Healing Boomer and Treble Base Boomer are the two main types of highest class resonant didgs and the polarities possible in this grade.
Big Healing Boomer An all time blow out didg that leaves one in total awe. It makes the floor and all around one seem to vibrate. It generally comes from a largish hole throughout.
Treble Base Boomer An incredibly powerful backpressure style didg with strong treble qualities from a tight upper end hole and strong base qualities from the flaring or belled end. A big chamber or very tapered and open in the last 1/3 of the didg make the best of this style of didg. We have been experimenting with making these with sleeving a long section of thin holed didg into an open big hole didg with both tapering together, and the result has been some of the most amazing didgs I’ve played.
Warm & Vocal All you want in the sound of a didg. Warm and vocal sais it all. Classic sounding, rich and warm.
Bright and Clear This didg is a step away from an open holed/ warm didg and the sound is clear and distinct and resonant.By nature it probably has a hole that is on the smaller side and so is probably very very easy for the beginner.
VOLUME- Pretty simply how loud it is.
All of our didgs are made to play incredibly well and loud, so these are subtle differences in comparing Heartland Didgeridoos I am now only using these three classifications.
Explosive Has turbo charged vocal volume
Boomer A Big Boomy Basey sound
Very Loud This didg pumps volume with such ease. It sits as one of the louder didgs you’ll come by.
Loud- A vocal and expressive didg.
