iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Guan suggested putting my sound files on here for others to listen to and give suggestions. Well, to save his bandwidth, I loaded a flv video onto Youtube.com of me playing the Jo Jo Peterson Mago I bought from a friend. Thanks Jason!! Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4IDsIuhM38

Now you can all have a good chuckle.

My pleasure, Vern! Glad you like this stick!

After watching your video, I'll repeat my earlier suggestions: work on your timing, it's a little 'free-form' right now though I'm hearing a WAL flavor.

Cheers,
Jason

I agree with Jason's comments regarding the timing.

Put the breath in on every cycle Vern and then you won't have to stop to take a big breath! Stick to the basics and it will all come together.

There is a real focus on precise timing and economy of motion that really comes through in WAL style, Vern. You can certain play in your own style, but if you're trying to play WAL style, then you need to recognize the breathing patterns.

Breath at each cycle and the rhythm will roll right along.

I just gave it another listen.

Try clarifying the drone with a tighter embouchure and a little support from the diaphragm. There's a little slackness in the sound that could be cleared up through a bit more playing pressure and more controlled embouchure.

I would also suggest that you do not use your voice in the rhythm Vern as at this point it is not at the right spot nor in the right relationship to the drone and ends up sounding somewhat discordant. Better to focus on the rhythm and timing as has been suggested and add the vocal elements once you're more familiar with the subtleties of the basic vamp.

Thanks Kyle and Jason! The stop was not to catch my breath, it was because my lower lip moved out of poisition and I restarted. Even not catrching a breath on every timing, I can play it pretty much non stop for over 2 minutes, but I will try the breath on each "MOR" expresssion.

I actually recored that really not intending to publish it anywhere. I was trying out the recording feature of my Canon DV camera to see if I could record at a better spot than next to my computer. In our room the acustics are horrible for recording, and that cheap mic don't do me any favors, either! But I edited and cut out the switching arm part, and thought.. well what the heck.

The emphasis should also be on the 'Dit' part of the vamp, as opposed to the 'Mor"- what we call the 'impact' section. The tongue comes forward in the mouth fairly forcefully and terminates at the teeth, then the tongue pulls backs in the 'glide', and leads into the breath, where the little involuntary 'grunt' comes through in the opening and closing of the throat. It is in the glide that the characteristic lilting pattern of WAL playing comes through.

Variants can be the 'hummed' note, Mimi-style stop, and a double breath injected as accents to the base rhythm.

Jason

Defenitely not a kazoo! LOL

I would say that you are doing rather well for only having started six months ago. As a fellow beginner, I applaud the effort and the courage to put it out there for critique. I might get courageous myself one of these days.