iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Hi

WAL seems to have died a death lately on the forum, who's up for sending a soundfile in to kick off a WAL revival?
Guan, you can pump out a good tune, i've heard you on "call of the didjeridu" how about some more to whet our appetite and get us playing again? Any other takers?

Paul

Great idea, and I have the very stick to do it - except I'm finding it incredibly hard to get the full richness of tone with all those delicious nuances as the tongue moves. Still, this is a New Year resolution, so I will persevere to the point of first smiling then hand in a file...

Look forward to it Dave! what stick is it you have?

Paul

Yup, will try to upload something soon!

Guan

I guess what Dave means is a Bob Burduwal stick from Guan which plays in E. I was fortunate enough to be able to play this one when I visited Dave and it indeed is a good one just like all the other good Burduwal magos.

M.

On the nail Mahir!

I WAS going to get seriously stuck into this stick as my New Year resolution but have been 24/7 busy re-vamping studio, re-building 3 PCs, setting up a network, sorting out a nasty virus, fixing up a tasty new laptop, teaching my wife how to use this and re-mixing a track amidst all the chaos. Another week of wiring and I should be free to blow it!

Yeah I have been sorting out a nasty virus as well but the human kind!! + I don't think I have played a WAL stick for about a year now as NEAL is really my preference if I am honest. BUT! once I am over the bug i'll give it another bash and if not too dreadful will post a bit on here.

Paul

I just recorded myself trying to play WAL with the new mic I got. The setting is far from ideal but hopefully it does not sound too bad. I tried 3 different magos and improvized a bit too.

Maybe it's the high pitch and compressed sound of the two high ones, but I don't hear much accent from the forward tongue movement. There is a nice bump with the lower pitched one though. The vocals in retroflex are pronounced and friggin' awesome, and the overall feel of the vamps are great. That second one sounds like a nasty buzz saw... love it!

Here's my entry in the WAL revival. Three magos, two actual magos and one that Guan would say is not a real didge.

http://www.hickssticks.com/sound/three%20magos.mp3

and another of an instrument I made years back:

http://www.hickssticks.com/sound/russian%20olive%20f.mp3

Hey Ben,

Of the three sticks used on 'three magos', I actually like the lilt and swing of the third one best. I think it's the most 'natural' sounding of the three, which might have to do with it being in a comfortable pitch for your accompanying PV. Nice work on all three, but that's my favourite (including the Russian Olive).

Kyle

Sounds good Mahir, I can only hear 2 different mago though, I like the sound of the last one, the deeper one. Are you playing in the bathroom? There seems to be distortion from too high a volume? Will listen again and offer further critique in a day or 2 when I'm hopefully re-energised, but you got the general hang of it in terms of technique, timing and composition/style, nice one.

Guan

Sounds good to me Ben, like Mahir you've got the general idea with technique, timing and style/composition, good job. Why is the "Russian Olive" not a real didge, or do you mean not a real mago? I love the name though and you may well find that it is going to stick We got the Blue Bamboo, the Russian Olive, what other interesting names do we have here among our collections of instruments?

Again, will listen with focussed attention in a day or 2 but just to say I'm enjoying sitting back and listening to these clips guys, I might even be brave and do a recording of myself on the weekend if my energy level is up, felt inspired today from Derek's recent efforts and transformation in playing when I heard him today.

Guan

Hey Guan,

I understand that three magos are used on Ben's first track, the third being the instrument he states you would not call a didj. The Russian Olive (the wood the stick is made from) is another instrument that Ben made and features on the different track.

K

Hi Kyle,

I understand but I would still call it a didge because it is a didge

Or am I missing something, may well be the case as my brain is not operating that well rite now, got away with 3 hours sleep last nite (usually need 8 hours to function) n still pushed myself today n im all gone now.

How's all in the UK, must be getting cold there yes? Hope summer continues here, need da sunshine on the skin to keep those black clouds away

Guan