Is it "dith" or "with"?

Tuomas · **Posted:** Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:20 pm

I have tryed to listen mago masters playing and I am not quite sure how they make the first part of the basic wamp.

As written it is: di ta mor

My question is conserning the first part di/dith:

Is this sound made by plasing your tongue to upper part of the gum making the sound more hitting as "dith"?

or

Is it the sound made by squesing hardly your cheeks as making the sound "with" very hardly?

Thanks,

Tuomas

kdidj · **Joined:** Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:03 am **Posts:** 470

Hi Tuomas,

This can be played in a number of ways. The most important thing is that the resultant sound sounds correct!

If you say 'di ta mor' it will come out right, but the power in the 'impact' section (the dit) comes from aspirating this section, i.e. making it really breathy.

Keep practicing this until it sounds right. It's the correct combination of tonguing and pressure that will create the power here.

Kyle

flyangler18 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:53 am

Hi Tuomas:

As usual, excellent advice from Kyle! Don't get wrapped up in the specific syllables and focus instead on getting the right sound. The thing to remember is that 'di ta mor' (using the notation on Darryl's Masterclass CD) is an English approximation at best, and getting trapped in focusing on 'exact' pronunciation is a pitfall of many Western players.

Jason

Tuomas · **Posted:** Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:49 pm

Thanks Kyle and Jason,

that's what I thought too.

Every player sings the rythms differently and the singing may not have nothing in common what they do when they are actually playing.

I go back and practise more and test out various tonguings and pressures. I really like how "The Bomb" made those "dit" parts, heavy and powerfull...

Tuomas

ididjaustralia · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:20 pm

Hi Tuomas,

Good question and answered appropriately before I could chime in!

Just my 2 cents worth... getting the right sound is a technical thing, in that the 'phrasing' and the mechanics are precise. However, trying to notate that or using the alphabet to write these sounds does not convey the movement of the tongue and other things that are happening inside the mouth, so just be aware of the limitations of seeing "di ta mor" in writing and trying to repeat that with a didj.

Feel free to upload sound clips here for comments too!

I've just recorded myself on a Wangga didgeridoo as my recording of it in the field was not very good due to wonky microphone placement etc. I'm uploading the clip here for comments and feedback on playing style and instrument characteristics. Let me know what you think.

kdidj · **Joined:** Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:03 am **Posts:** 470

Hey Guan,

It sounds good my friend!

The one thing I really like about Wangga is the use of what I call the 'Higher Passive Voice' (HPV) which is essentially the PV an octave higher which creates a very different interference pattern. This seems to be used as an accent and has much more punch than the standard PV.

One thing you should add is the doubled up entry (emboldened below) after the stops. Using 'old school' phonetics the rhythm would be:

...didjemro didgemro di (stop) didjem-de-didjemro didjemro...

Other than that no probs!

Kyle

flyangler18 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:49 am

This sounded great, Guan. It's good to hear you play, friend.

I especially like the stops- nice clean and precise. Still muckin' around with these myself- need to get a clip up before too long.

Jason

ozmadman · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:32 am

Hi Guan

I agree, crystal clear playing and a beautiful sounding instrument

Thanks for posting it

Paul

ididjaustralia · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:55 am

Thanks guys for the comments.

I'll try your suggestion Kyle, there's lot of other rhythms I'd like to re-visit being so out of practice but listening to some of the best mago players in recent weeks, I can't help but be inspired!

Guan

flyangler18 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:41 am

Here's a little recording for you- I've been working on the stops and getting a bit more 'snarl' in the rebound. This particular stick is one of my favs- a lovely little F#. Some of you already know it!

Tuomas · **Posted:** Sat Sep 01, 2007 12:42 am

ididjaustralia wrote:

Just my 2 cents worth... getting the right sound is a technical thing, in that the 'phrasing' and the mechanics are precise. However, trying to notate that or using the alphabet to write these sounds does not convey the movement of the tongue and other things that are happening inside the mouth, so just be aware of the limitations of seeing "di ta mor" in writing and trying to repeat that with a didj.

Here we go again - new clip...

I know the limitations of alphabetic notations... and there are so many people all over the world who everyone "hear" the written lyrics differently... but there is something behind those words that can help us understand the structure of the ryhms and give clues to how you work them out in your mouth and with your lips.

Tuomas

kdidj · **Joined:** Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:03 am **Posts:** 470

It's good Tuomas but the middle section of the vamp is very twangy and more Western/Contemporary in style. Try flattening your tongue here instead of making the 'eee' sound. It's sounding like 'Dit weee oh' - try and make it sound more like 'Dit way oh' and it'll sound more WAL in nature.

Kyle

Peter Lister · **Posted:** Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:45 pm

Tuomas wrote:

I have tryed to listen mago masters playing and I am not quite sure how they make the first part of the basic wamp.

HI Tuomas et al,

sorry I'm late to this - especially as all the experts have already contributed and probably satisfied your curiosity, but I found your choice of words a good example of the problem itself. I thought it funny, quaint - in a nice way Tuomas, that you asked "in the first part of the basic wamp" - because we'd say "vamp". Of course I know why you've slipped there, but it is funny that you were asking a similar question, is it not ?? Well, I'd like to think you see the funny side of that. Trying to communicate in a written fashion is difficult enough - but here we are trying to describe physical actions which are not easily translated in amanner that all can understand. That's a real challenge - especialy with a culture that never had a written language.

As written it is: di ta mor

and that old man "Bomb" always sounded like he was saying "Lit-deh-morr" & "Lit-de-demorr" - so it's more about tongue position and "d" and "l" both have the tongue tip in a similar postion, and as others have said, it's so difficult to notate something like this thatis comprehendable and translatable to the actions involved.

cheerio,

Peter.

Tuomas

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