Didjshop Forum: General Didj Issues » Health of the didjeridu market

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Re: Health of the didjeridu market [message #2308 is a reply to message #2290]

Sat, 17 December 2005 11:28

JKon380
Messages: 322
Registered: November 2005
Location: USA

Senior Member

Thanks for your support in this, in_didgi_nas. I certainly appreciate it. Apparently, I have incurred the undue scrutinity of our forum sponsor,and part of that I brought upon myself in challenging a policy that doesn't seem likely to change. I tried to edit out all references to the orginal site, so as to abide by the policy outlined, but it appears that it still was not satisfactory to Svargo.

But I do want to continue this discussion, and you have raised a number of great points. I think at the very heart of this discussion is our position as players. I think that the didj players scene in general has moved away from traditional use of the instrument, because we are outside of that culture. The didj's significance to clan groups in Australia we can only guess at- or rely on the research of anthropologists/ethnomusicologists.

When I first began playing didj, I was somewhat obsessively focused on pitch and the musicality of the instrument as well as I could fit it into my Western musical mind. My first instrument was not eucalyptus, it was agave because I liked the brightness of the sound and the wide open bore. My style was lots of harmonic manipulation and vocalizations, and a contemporary instrument fit that style. It's not that it was better than eucalyptus, it just fit that particular style.

As time went on, I began an exploration of different instruments and their sound characteristics. I played more generic big bore instruments crafted from termite-hollowed eucalyptus and they responded well to my contemporary playing style, that I would best describe as jazzy. Lots of syncopation and the like. My aspen didj that you have commented on (I do owe you a recording of its voice/characteristics) is a great lively player, and I can even play some more traditional styles a la NEAL and WAL on it, but I find it lacks the deep acoustics that instruments from those region have.

So...onto more traditional instruments--instruments crafted by people from those areas that respond best to those playing styles. I think that traditional craftsmen from ALL over Australia have started to tune their instruments to concert pitch, because that is what the market is presently dictating. Instruments used in ceremony and dance didn't have to be in pitch; the puller could adjust their pitch somewhat to match the singing of the songmen. I used to be much more interested in pitch of the fundamental and the toots, but I now look for instruments that connect with me. If it's in between a D and an E, so be it. I play solo, so it doesn't much matter to me. If I'm playing with other instruments, then key can matter but it's really about self-expression.

I love that there is this great interest in indigenous music, but I think a didj that you choose should connect with you in terms of your style. I could play contemporary styles on my yidaki, but it just doesn't respond as well to it as do my agave and aspen didjs. My two mago, well they can be played contemporarily, and I do venture into more freeform playing with them.

Wow, I've rambled...hope I didn't bore you too much Razz

Jason

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[Message index]

		Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Fri, 16 December 2005 11:01
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: in_didgi_nas on Fri, 16 December 2005 16:45
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Fri, 16 December 2005 20:33
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: in_didgi_nas on Sat, 17 December 2005 08:51
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Sat, 17 December 2005 11:28
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: in_didgi_nas on Sat, 17 December 2005 11:39
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: Daz on Tue, 20 December 2005 14:09
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Tue, 20 December 2005 14:55
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: wolf on Tue, 20 December 2005 20:29
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: White Knight on Wed, 21 December 2005 07:02
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: Daz on Thu, 22 December 2005 02:37
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Wed, 21 December 2005 06:53
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: Svargo on Tue, 10 January 2006 22:19
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Wed, 11 January 2006 08:23
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: Skyer on Wed, 11 January 2006 05:13
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: RawFoodGuy on Thu, 23 February 2006 22:38
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Sat, 25 February 2006 07:08
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: Skyer on Sat, 25 February 2006 12:16
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Sat, 25 February 2006 15:40
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: Skyer on Sun, 26 February 2006 04:30
		Re: Health of the didjeridu market By: JKon380 on Sun, 26 February 2006 06:32

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