Sleep Apnea and Didgeridoo

Sleep Apnea? The Didgeridoo Can Help!
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Sleep Apnea? The Didgeridoo Can Help
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Buying a Didgoridoo
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Explore this page to find everything about how the didgeridoo is being used to
help relieve obstructive sleep apnea and snoring...
Below are videos, info, and links to all of the medical journals and news articles. Let us
introduce you to the didgeridoo, what it is and how easily it's played. No musical skill
reguired! lt's a therapy you'll actually enjoy.
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Barry from L.A.Oulback guests
on "The Doctors" to show how
the didgeridoo can help relieve
Sleep Apnea and Snoring.
<< Ctick on video at left to play.
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Watch this video about how
the Didgeridoo works to relieve
Sleep Apnea and Snoring.
<< Click cn video at lefl to play.
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Doctors recommend practicing 15-20 minuets a day,4-5 days a week.
Many of our cuslomers tell us they experience less daytime sleepiness after just a few weeks.
Naturally, even better results vary over time by each individual. Playing ihe didgeridoo is easy
and fun. We're here to help you get started with the right instrumenl, and along the path to
better breathing.
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Save $14 today on our popular
Didgeridoo Package for Sleep Apnea Therapy
Get our popular didgeridoo package and savel You'll receive one of our easy to play didgeridoos (as
pictured below) along with an instructional DVD and a 2 oz spray bottle of DidgeriClean to keep the
mouthpiece of your didgeridoo sanitized. The didgeridoo in this package is the same one being used
in an upcoming clinical trial at UCLA, a
follow-up to the original Sleep Apnea &
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Sleep Apnea? The Didgeridoo Can Help!
Didgeridoo study at the University of Zurich.
About this Oidgeridoo; Hand crafted from a light in weight yet virtually indestructible polyresin.
Rain, sun, or freezing temperatures are no worries, and the whole didgeridoo is crafted from a
single tube so there's no smelly rubber mouthpiece or extra blts glued on, Perfect for a beginner and
the #1 choice for Sleep Apnea Therapy.
Made in the USA, this modern didgeridoo oJfers a bright and cavernous acoustic. lt's about four feet
in length and two inches in diameter with an experlly shaped mouthpiece that's sanded smooth and
sized to an opening of about 1.25 inches to fit your lips perfectly (no beeswax needed).
A great sounding, easy to play didgeridoo with a lull instructional DVD and bottle
Didgericlean all for
$1
of
18 with FREE UPS shipping. Your satisfaction is 100% Guaranteed.
Order Online Here!
or call
1-8OO-519-1140
Free shipping within continental U.S. only.
Orders usually ship witltin 24 hours and take 1-4 business days f or delivery.
The $cience Sehind the Fun
We've been in the didgeridoo communily lor 14 years but hadn't heard of sleep apnea until the
didgeridoo study at the University of Zurich came out 3 years ago. They made headlines with their
therapy, and here are some links to credible resources where you can read about the science behind
this fun and affordable practice to help combat obstructive sleep apnea...
The British Medical Journal, PubMed, Science Daily, ABC News, Discovery and Men's Heallh
magazines, as well as the Apnea Support Forum have articles reviewing the health benefits that
playing a didgeridoo can offer those suflering with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. Many were
kind enough to mention L.A.Outback as the place to go for didgeridoos, and we're very appreciative.
The original article was on the Reuters news service, and here is how it read:
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Regular didgeridoo playing reduces snoring and daytime sleepiness, finds a study
published by the Iiritish Meclical .Iour:nal. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea
syndrome are cornlnon sleep disorders caused by the collapse of the upper airways,
Reports of didgeridoo players experiencing reduced daytime sleepiness and snoring after
practicing, led experts in Switzerland to test the theory that training of the upper airways
by didgeridoo playing can improve these disorders. They identified z5 patients with
moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and who complained about snoring. Patients
were randomly allocated to an intervention group (didgeridoo lessons and daily practice
at home for four months) or a control group (remained on a waiting list for lessons).
Compared with the control group, daytime sleepiness and apnea scores improved
significantly in the didgeridoo group. Partners of patients in the didgeridoo group also
reported much Iess sleep disturbance.
The authors conclude that regular training of the upper airways by didgeridoo playing
reduces daytime sleepiness and snoring in people with moderate obstructive sleep apnea
syndrome and also improves the sleep quality of partners.
What is a Didgeridoo?
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument traditionally made from the trunk of termite hollowed eucalyptus
trees from Australia (like the one pictured below). They average about 4 feet in length, and are
played by vibrating your lips into the top end
of the
instrument which creates
a
deep
humming drone.
The didgeridoo is a rhythm instrument, so
you play "beats" instead of melodic songs.
Play at your own speed as well: quiet or loud,
fast or'slow... you'll develop your own style.
There are no rules or complex memorization.
?
The Didgeridoo Can Help!
Page 3
of5
This makes learning the instrument very intuitive, so you don't need any musical training or years
of lessons to enjoy playing the didgeridoo straight away, And there's no lung power needed as with
other wind instruments. The didgeridoo is played with gently vibrating lips, voice, and tongue
movement, not lung power. You won't believe how quickly you can learn this and how much fun it can
be.
"I live in an apartment. Wiil the sound disturb my neighbors?"
No dramas about the loudness of a didgeridoo, as you can play softly and quietly simply by relaxing
your breath. You can also put a folded towel under the "bell" end of a didge to absorb some of the
sound. You get the same therapeutic benefit no matter how loud or quiet you play.
Get a Didgeridoo and Start Playing!
Buying a didgeridoo for a beginner
Straight away, demand qualityl Think about it this way... if you wanted to get serious about learning
to play drums, would you shop for one at a toy store because they're cheaper than the music shop?
How much joy and encouragement would you get from a toy drum? Same with a didgeridoo. We
know you can find cheaper didgeridoos elsewhere, but you get what you pay for, mate. Here at
L.A.Outback you won't have to stretch your budget that far to get superior quality in sound and
playability.
When selecting your first didgeridoo lhere are three things to keep in mind: ease of play, pitch and
While the word pitch is the correct term for the soundwave or drone of a didgeridoo, the
word key has become the most common expression among didgeridoo
players. Both words mean the same thing, A didgeridoo has only one
pitch, so you play rhythm rather than melody. The common pitch range
portability.
for didgeridoos is from high A to low A. For ease of play, beginners
should pick a didgeridoo somewhere in the middle of this scale, namely,
C, C#, D or D#.
As far as size goes, buying a large didgeridoo because it's within your
budget may not be a bargain at all. ln fact, didgeridoos over 5 feet long
and/or heavy didgeridoos over
8 lbs could
actually discourage
a
beginner from practicing. The pitch may be too high or too low, and if it's
very heavy, the instrument will be left behind on camping trips, a visit to
friends, or a jam session with other musicians. The size ol the player is
much less important, as even a six year old can pick up the basic sounds
straight away.
Authentic eucalyptus didgeridoos
Our specialty at L.A.Outback. For over a decade we've earned a solid
reputation
for hand selecting and importing the best variety and highest quality eucalyptus
didgeridoos into the U.S. Naturally, we'd like for you to consider an Australian eucalyptus didgeridoo
with genuine Aboriginal artwork, but there are other choices below to fit most budgets. The
Eucalyptus Didgeridoos that we have are naturally termite-hollowed, properly crafted and hand
seiected. They vary in price from $80 to over $800 depending upon the quality of sound, rarity of
shape or size, and how much time went into the crafting and/or artwork. The average cost for a
great sounding unpainted eucalyptus didgeridoo is about $230, and the average price for a beautiful
Aboriginal painted didgeridoo is around $300. We help support over 30 Aboriginal artists and
crafters, and on lhis website you will lind their photos, bios and information about the Dreamtime
artwork on your didgeridoo.
The BEST starter didgeridoos and their cost
We have awesome Modern Didgeridoos from $84 to $98. These
instruments play so well that many advanced players and
professionals own them, but more importantly, they are the same size
and pitch of those used in the original sleep apnea study at the
University of Zurich. These are light in weight yet nearly indestructible,
and it won't matter if they get wet, dropped, or left in your car on a hot
summer day.
Our Modern Didgeridoos are the most
popular choice for Sleep Apnea therapy,
We do stock less expensive bamboo didgeridoos, however, these
Sleep Apnea? The Didgeridoo Can Help!
instruments are more for muking around on or novelty gift giving. Keep in mind that you want
didgeridoo which will offer the best therapeutic benefit for your investment, so crush the urge to
go for the cheapest model you can f ind. lVe been selling didges f or nearly 14 years, and while there
are heaps of low quality didgeridoos on the market I've had countless customers buy a junky one
elsewhere only to come back to us for a good one.
Learning How to Play the Didgeridoo
lf you live in southern California or are planning a trip here we
offer FREE didgeridoo classes for beginners (see photo at right).
To find out when the next class is scheduled simply give us a ring
on 1 -800-51 9-1 1 40, or check our Didgeridoo Event Calendar.
Our Didgeridoo Video Course is an excellent way to get started
and learn at your own pace. At 60 minutes in length this video
includes: Choosing a Good Didgeridoo, Making a Mouthpiece,
Achieving a Clear Tone, Varying the Tone, Making Animal
Sounds, 3 Steps to Circular Breathing, Basic Rhythms, Advanced
Rhythms and more. Read about the DVD and place one in your shopping cart from here:
Didgeridoo Video Course.
You may also want to add a didgeridoo music CD to your order, both for encouragement and
inspiration. We have the biggest selection of didgeridoo music on the internet, and you can hear
MPS sound samples for every CD from our Didgeridoo Music pages.
Didgeridoo mouthpieces and your health
You won't find mention of this on most other didgeridoo websites
(although they should).
A
concern about clean
didgeridoo
mouthpieces began with my very first trip to Australia. I had gone
there to suss out contacts with Aboriginal artists and didgeridoo
crafters from the Central Desert to far NE Arnhem Land. I also found
gift shops filled with low quality souvenir didgeridoos, and folks were
always trying to play them, including mel started carrying
disposable alcohol wipes, and then did some research about germs,
viruses and anligens just to educate myself and our customers.
I
Truth be told, most folks rarely clean their mouthpieces and never
get sick by sharing them. Still, we disinfect all of our mouthpieces
with a product we call Didgeri-Clean. lt contains tea tree oil (a
natural antiseptic) and lavender oil, so your new didgeridoo will arrive clean, fresh, and ready to
rumble! You can also purchase Didgeri-Clean from this website on our Didgeridoo Gear page.
We're always here to help
Please feel free to contact us if you want help in selecting a didgeridoo from our website or shop, or
if you have a question about any of our products or services. We can play the didgeridoos foi you
over the phone, and give you advice about an instrument that perfectly suits your needs and your
budget.
Our toll free number is 800-519-1140 or in California you can ring us on 818-985-8359. lf you prefer
to email us simply click on this link [email protected].
Your mob at L.A.Outback,
Mark, Barry, Jorge, Dubbo and Tooey
Ethical didgeridoo buying and what to look out for: Avoid instruments manufactured
in third world countries like lndia and lndonesia. Healthy teak trees are being harvested for wood
didgeridoos in lndonesia and plastic didgeridoos that look like wood are being made in lndia. Many
folks out there have already bought these types of didgeridoos believing that they were made by
Aboriginal people in Australia. Sellers of these sticks may intentionally lie or "talk aiound" the issue
while a few honestly admit where they are made, lf it doesn't feel right, don't bite. The Aboriginal
people of Australia sustain their culture through their arts, crafts and community tourism. Help us
help them, And thanks {or listening.
Medical Disclaimer: We (L.A.Outback) are not medical professionals or experts on sleep
apnea syndrome. Our specialty for over 14 years is the didgeridoo, and we are responding to the
kut rn" Didgeridoo Can Help!
Page 5
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of5
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prool of principal results published in the British Medical Journal. lt is our express concern that
you consider didgeridoo playing only as a supplemental therapy to compliment your CPAP or any
related therapies as prescribed by your doctor.
There is no cure for sleep apnea, and while the clinical results of didgeridoo playing are promising,
you should not decrease or discontinue your CPAP regimen without consulting your physician.
Questions?
1.800.519.1140
Please don't hesitate to ring us with questions about any of our products
or services. We're here 7 days a week from l0 AM to 6 PM Pacilic time.
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ethics. We earnestly recycle and re-use clean packing material. And every
product and service we offer comes with our famous "No Worries" guarantee.
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htp //breathing,com/articles/circular-breathing.htn
Circular Breathing
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breathe, He told them to puff their cheeks and maintain their sound. While they
were puffing their cheeks he would yell, "Inhale now!" and he would squeeze their
cheeks with his hand in order to force the air out while they were inhaling. So there
are a number of ways to get that feeling initlally, but that's the biggest hurdle to
overcome. The other is that it's a different set of muscles you're using to maintain
the sound, and you find that you have to fine-tune those muscles. To begin with, you
really have to understand the four distinct steps of circular breathing:
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As your lungs begin to lose air, you puff your cheeks.
As sufficient air is brought in, you begin exhaling through the lungs again.
The cheeks are brought back to their normal position.
You have to understand that this isn't something that happens right away. What I
Frnd partrculdrly wrth older students is that they want it to develop immediately
because they're qurte advanced in other areas. But the reality is that it takes awhile
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Air from the cheeks is pushed with the cheek muscles through the instrument
and used to maintain the sound while you inhale through your nose.
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It's an ancient art. Glassblowers used a very similar method for centuries; they
couldn't stop and inhale, so they used air from their cheeks to keep the glass bubble
at a constant pressure while they inhaled through the nose.
I read about a man who was very effective in teaching young students to circular
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When you circular breathe you use the air in your cheeks to power whatever soundgenerating source you have. you inhale through your nose and at least partially fill
up your lungs with air to maintain a constant sound. Wind instrument players use it
such as saxophone, trumpet, and didgeridoo.
It's a really strange feeling, inhaling while you're exhaling. You're not really
exhaling, you're using the air in your cheeks, but the biggest obstacle is just
achieving the feel of what it takes to inhale while you're forcing air out. You almost
have to divorce the front of your mouth from the back of your mouth. Once you get
the feeling, it's actually quite easy to do.
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for all that to develop, just like it took awhile for them to learn to play at the
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Try this exercise:
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Puff your cheeks out an breathe normally in and out through your nose.
Do the same thing again but create a very small hole in your lips. As you
breathe in and out through your nose, allow the air to escape through your lips, The
first time it all goes out at once. Then you learn to hold back and let it escape a little
bit at a time.
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Circular breathing is the ability to maintain a sound for long periods of lime by filling
your cheeks wlth air when you start to run low on the air in your lungs, It differs
from connected breathing or conscious connected breathing, that is used in
transformational breath work sessions for emotional release/catharsis and altered
Practitioner
Trainings
voice Clinic
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How good is
your breathing?
Get a straw and squeeze it almost all the way shut. While your cheeks are
puffed, work the straw into your mouth and put the other end in a glass of water.
While inhaling in and out of your nose like before, see if you can get bubbles to come
out of the end of the straw in the water, The reason for squeezing the straw is that
the first time you inhale through your nose the natural thing is to jnhale through
your mouth, and this way you're not going to drown.
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force yourself to exhale through your mouth, and that's circular breathing,
Fundamentally, you're doing it at this point.
5. Actually get involved with your instrument as soon as possible. A lot of people
end up being able to do it with a straw but they can't do it any other way because
they've neglected to spend the time doing it with the lnstrument in their mouth. The
whole notion of having something going on besides just blowing bubbles through a
McDonald's straw really does stop a lot oF people.
There's always a little bump when you switch from the air in your cheeks back to the
air in your lungs, Everybody wants to get rid of it, but there's always going to be a
slight hitch or bump. Always. What you need to do is find exercises that will help
mask the bump as much as possible.
What I have read about is that with most students is that the bump rsn't noticeable if
you're wiggling your fingers or doing some kind of technical pattern while you're
it
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be
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D_Llaoele-Ros,e...M8,
NMD. SEP
Circular Breathing
http //breathing.com/artic
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going through the circular breathing, And the concentration for listeners will be on
the notes being changed as opposed to the variation in sound.
One has to practice circular breathing every day. Just include it as part of your
warm-up. It's something you have to do on a daily basls, otherwise it just doesn't
develop.
What does it have to do with natural breathing? it may strengthen the diaphragm
somewhat but other then that, not much. The primary key to breathing is the size of
the diaphragm. not the strength.
Recent comment from a Saxophone player.
I view circular breathing as a circus trick, quite divorced from the art of wind
instruments, In my view, the most profound thing about wind instruments is how
they give the listener a deep tour of the emotional life of the artist, through a raw
and completely naked revelation of the artist's breathing: diaphragm, posture,
rlbs...and every little emotional nuance along each millimeter of the exhale and
inhale.
Circular breathing completely circumvents this connection between listener and
artist's emotional/breathing life, allowing the listener into the artist's body only as
deep as the cheeks,,..a very superficial tour of the artist's inner life.
Furthermore, the artist's muse (his "inner composer") is highly sensltive to the
freedoms and limitations of the artist's breathing mechanism...,and will "serve up"
musical phrases to the artist in accordance with these freedoms and lirnitations. In
other words. if the artist has a profoundly coordinated itnd supple breathing
mechanism, the artist's muse will create phrases to take advantage ofthis. This
connection is automatic, and out of the artist's control.
Therefore, in my view, an artist who disconnects their wind instrument playing from
their diaphragm, by circular breathing and consequently providing air only from the
cheeks, will inadvertently signal the inner muse to provide phrases Iimited to
revealing the limited expressiveness ofcheek breathing,
I should add that great wind art reveals the entire "story" of each exhale, with the
shifting emotions and sensations that correspond with each fraction of the
exhale...,e.g,, there is a very difFerent emotional feeling to the beginning of the
exhale than there is to the end ofthe exhale, Always. Circular breathing is designed
to circumvent that "story"...a strategy that I personally have no interest in
participating in as an artist nor as a listener.
While I can't prove any of the above, I note that _none_ of the great jazz artists
employed circular breathing, Not one.
In short: circular breathing is based on the incorrect belief that the aqe-old "story of
the exhale" (a story that has moved the human spirit deeply for millions of years)
has run it's course, and is now an artistic limitation...,i.e., that great wind art is
defined by the duration of the exhale, rather than how naked and alive the exhale is,
-Paul A,
From Mike: What about Dizzy Gillespie with his huge jowls?
From Paul:
...it's difficult to discuss hjm with others rationally, because he's taken on mythical
proportions. However, in my view and to my ears, and this is a view that contradicts
popular wisdom,Dizzy's main fault is indeed his cheek breathing, and the depth of
his sound and "exhale story" suffer tremendously because of it.
Paul A.
From Mike:
Any thoughts on that. There is a little quickie breath involving the lower breath that
singers can develop that is hardly noticeable.
From Paul:
I don't have a clear theory about that. Again, what I wrote to you is off the top of
my head, But I gather that the "quickie breath" feeds a little more air to the
diaphragm mechanism in a moment of need, That's entirely different than the
circular breath, which feeds air to the cheek breathing, a hopelessly superficial and
emotionally disconnected breathing style, regardless of whether the fuel for it comes
in big inhales or in quickie breaths..
From Mike:
Does Dizzy have a rep for slightly longer passages?
From Paul:
Considering my background, I should know the answer to that, but I don't,
But even if he does have such a rep, I wouldn't count on it being deserved. One
should not lose sight of the fact that the true diaphragm breathers achieved
_remarkably_ long phrases, but all perfectly shaped to tell a profoundtmotional
story.
In other words, crrcular breathing may attract a "fast food" crowd of students that
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Circular Breathing Explained!
While circular breathing is great to know it is NOT a requirement to be able to play and enjoy this instrument. You can build
breathing into rhythms you create when you snatch air between beats.
It is best to master the other techniques of playing first and learn circular breathing last.
Circular breathing is what allows players to perform continuously without stopping for breath. Many great wind instrument
players such as Miles Davis and Kenny G use circular breathing.
Practice these exercises to learn how to circular breathe!
Exercise 1: ln the shower fill your mouth with water and push a stream of water out using only your tongue and cheek
muscles. Make sure not to use any pressure from the lungs to help. Once you have that down try to stay relaxed and
breath in and out with your nose while making the stream. Keep trying until it feels very comfortable.
Exercise 2: Get a long straw and a cup of water. Using just cheek muscles and the tongue as in Exercise 1 push air
through the straw and into the water creating little bubbles. Try to keep the pressure even and the flow of bubbles smooth
until the air in the cheeks runs out. lt should only last a very short while if you are really using only your mouth.
Exercise 3: Next, while making bubbles with onlythe mouth and cheeks, move your tongue slightly back to help close the
throat. Take a little air in through your nose to replenish the lungs before the bubbles stop. You are almost circular
breathir€. Master this until the muscle contractions you are using feel totally comfortable and the bubbles are flowing
smoothly. Tip: lt can help to twist the end of the straw a bit to increase back pressure and make the bubbles last longer.
Exercise 4: lrbw take a breath and blow into the straw using lung pressure to make the bubbles. Don't waste air, just a
light stream of bubbles will do. Now switch to pushing air with onlytne mouth and take air in through the nose to replenish
your lungs. Smoothly switch back to pushing air with the lungs and repeat.
Practice on keeping the bubbles going smoothly and without ever stopping and you are Circular Breathing! Work on
ircreasing the volume of air you can expel smoothly and you will be ready to apply your new knowledge to the didgeridool
Take a look at the diagrams below for a visual explanation.
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Figure B
While droning and pushing air out
with the lungs fill the mor-rth and
cheeks with air.
Seal off the throat with the back of
the tongue and by constricting the
throat. Expel the air that is in the
mouth only to the keep the drone
going.
learn How To Circular Breatlrc On
The Didgeridoo
http / / w ww .didgeri doostore. cony'circularbreathing.
:
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BMJ 2006;332:266'270 (4 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.38705.470590.55
(pubtished 23 December 2005)
Research
Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea
syndrome: randomised controlled trial
Mito A Puhan, research fellowl , Atex Suarez, didgeridoo instructo?,Christian Lo Cascio, resident in internat medicin&,
Alfred Zahn, sleep laboratory technicians, Markus Heitz, specialist in respiratory and sleep medicine4, Otto Braendli,
specialist in respiratory and sleep medicines
1
Horten Centre, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland, 2 Asate Alex Suarez, 9630 Wattwil, Switzerland, 3 Zuercher
Hoehenklinik Wald, CH-8639 Faltigberg-Wald, Switzerland, a Lungenpraxis Morgental, Zurich, Switzerland
Correspondence to: O Braendli [email protected]
Abstract
Obiective To assess the effects of didgeridoo playing on daytime sleepiness and other outcomes related to sleep by reducing
collapsibility of the upper ainrrays in patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and snoring.
Design Randomised controlled trial.
Setting Private practice of a didgeridoo instructor and a single centre for sleep medicine.
Participants 25 patients aged > 18 years with an apnoea-hypopnoea index between 15 and 30 and who complained about
snoring.
lnterventions Didgeridoo lessons and daily practice at home with standardised instruments for four months. par,ticipants in the
control group remained on the waiting list for lessons.
Main outcome measure Daytime sleepiness (Epworth scale from 0 (no daytime sleepiness) to 24), sleep quality (pittsburgh
quality of sleep index from 0 (excellent sleep quality) to 21), partner rating of sleep disturbance (visual analogue scale from 0
(not disturbed) to 10), apnoea-hypopnoea index, and health related quality of tife (sF-36).
Results Participants in the didgeridoo group practised an average of 5.9 days a week (SD 0.86) for 25.3 minutes (SD 3.4).
Compared with the control group in the didgeridoo group daytime sleepiness (difference -3.0, gb% confidence interval -5.7 to 0'3, P = 0.03) and apnoea-hypopnoea index (difference -6.2, -12.3 to -0.1, P 0.05) improved significantly and paftners
=
repofted less sleep disturbance (difference -2.8, -4.7 to -0.9, P < O.O1). There was no effect on the quality of sleep (difference 0.7 -2.1 to 0.6, P = 0.27)'The combined analysis of sleep related outcomes showed a moderate to large effect
of didgeridoo
'
playing (difference between summary z scores -0.78 sD units, -1 .27 to -0.28, P < 0.01). changes in health related quality
of
life did not differ between groups.
Conclusion Regutar didgeridoo playing is an effective treatment alternative well accepted by patients with moderate
obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
Trial registration ISRCTN
: 31 57 17 1 4.
//e
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Didgeridoo playing as altemative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: rando... Page2 of 9
lntroduction
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome are two highly prevalent sleep disorders caused by collapse of the upper
ainvays.l 2 3 The mgst effective intervention for these disorders is continuous positive airway pressure therapy, which reduces
daytime sleepinessa and the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and monality in the most severely affected patients (apnoeahypopnoea index (measured as episodes per hour) r 30).5 For moderately affected patients (apnoea-hypopnoea index 15-30)
who complain about snoring and daytime sleepiness, however, continuous positive airway pressure therapy may not be
suitabie and other effective interventions are needed.l 6 7
AS, a didgeridoo instructor, reported that he and some of his students experienced reduced daytime sleepiness and snoring
after practising with this instrument for several months. ln one person, the apnoea-hypopnoea index decreased from 17 lo2.
This might be due to training of the muscles of the upper ainvays, which control ainrvay dilation and wall stiffening.s I 10 We
tested the hypothesis that training of the upper airways by didgeridoo playing reduces daytime sleepiness in moderately
affected patients.
Methods
Participants and methods
We included German speaking participants aged > 18 years with self reported snoring and an apnoea-hypopnoea index of 1530 (determined by a specialist in sleep medicine within the past year). Exclusion criteria were current continuous positive
airway pressure therapy, use of drugs that act on the central nervous system (such as benzodiazepines), current or planned
intervention forweight reduction, consumption ol> 14 alcoholic drinks a week or:'2 aday, and obesity (body mass index >
30 kg/m2).
We recruited patients at our study centre (Zuercher Hoehenklinik Wald, Wald, Switzerland) and one private practice in Zurich.
Physicians at the study centre assessed all potential participants for eligibility. Those willing to participate provided written
informed consent. After study enrolment, a1l patients completed a baseline assessment.
We randomised enrolled patients into an intervention group with didgeridoo training or a control group. We used STATA
sofWvare (STATA 8.2, College Station, Tx) to generate the randomisation list (ralloc command) with stratification for disease
severity (apnoea-hypopnoea index 15-21 or 22-30 and Epworth score < 12 or > 12). The randomisation list was concealed
from the recruiting physicians and the didgeridoo instructor in an administrative office otherwise not involved in the study. We
used a central telephone service, which the didgeridoo instructor used to obtain group allocation.
lntervention and control
Participants in the intervention group started their didgeridoo training after the instructor received group allocation. The
instructor (AS) gave the first individual lesson immediately after randomisation. ln the first lesson, participants learnt the lip
technique to produce and hold the keynote for 20-30 seconds. ln the second lesson (week 2) the instructor explained the
concept and technique of circular breathing. Circular breathing is a technique that enables the wind instrumentalist to maintain
a sound for long periods of time by inhaling through the nose while maintaining airflow through the instrument, using the
cheeks as bellows. ln the third lesson (week 4) the didgeridoo instructor taught the participants his technique to further
optimise the complex interaction between the lips, the vocal tract, and circular breathing so that the vibrations in the upper
ainvay are more readily transmitted to the lower airways.l l ln the fourth lesson, eight weeks after randomisation, the instructor
and the participants repeated the basics of didgeridoo playing and made corrections when necessary. Participants had to
practise at home for at least 20 minutes on at least five days a week and recorded the days with practice and the practice time
(answer options for 0, 20, or 30 minutes).
Fig 1 Man playing didgeridoo
Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: rando... Page 3 of 9
View larger version (92K):
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[in a new window]
Pafticipants received a standardised acrylic plastic didgeridoo that was developed by the instructor in collaboration with
CreacrylGmbH (Ebmatingen, Zurich, Switzerland, and costs €eO (t+S;$9a), fig 1). The didgeridoo is 130 cm long with a
diameter of 4 cm and an elliptical embouchure with a diameter ol 2.8-3.2 mm. Acrylic didgeridoos are easier for beginners to
learn on than conventional wooden didgeridoos.
Participants in the control group remained on a waiting list to start their didgeridoo training after four months. They were not
allowed to stan didgeridoo playing during these four months.
Outcome measures
Our primary outcome was daytime sleepiness as measured by the Epworlh scale, which has been validated in German
speaking patients.l2 Scores range from 0 (no daytime sleepiness) to 24, and scores > 11 represent excessive daytime
sleepiness.
Secondary outcomes included three additional sleep related outcomes measures: the apnoea-hypopnoea index, the Pittsburgh
quality of sleep index, and a partner's rating for sleep disturbance.
The cardiorespiratory sleep study was performed at the sleep laboratory of the study centre with a computerised system
(Sleeplab Pro, Jaeger, Hoechberg, Germany), according to the guidelines of the German Society for Sleep Medicine.l3 We
measured airflow using nasal and oral thermistors and a nasal canula with a differential pressure flow sensor. We defined
episodes of apnoea as cessation of airflow of > 10 seconds with decrements of blood oxygen saturation of > 4"k. Hypopnoea
was defined as a reduced airflow for at least 10 seconds with decrements of blood oxygen saturation ol ? 4"/o or waking, or
both. The person who analysed the sleep recordings was blinded to group allocation throughout the trial.
The Pittsburgh quality of sleep index is a self administered questionnaire with 19 itenrs to determine sleep quality, latency,
duration, and disturbance within the past four weeks.14 The global score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher values representing
worse quality of sleep. A score of > 5 represents impaired sleep quality. We used a validated German version.l5
The partners (when present) rated their sleep disturbance by the padicipants' snoring during the previous seven nights on a
visual analogue scale from 0 to 10. The visual analogue scale was similar to a Borg scale and had verbal descriptors for 0 (not
.10
(extremely
disturbed at all) to 5 (severely disturbed), 7 (very severely disturbed), 9 (very, very severely disturbed), and
disturbed). The partners completed the scale independently from the participants and sent it back to the study centre.
Finally, we used the German SF-36 to assess generic health related quality of life.16
Analysis
We analysed all data on an intention to treat basis. For the primary analysis we compared change scores (differences between
baseline and follow-up) between groups using two sample f tests. We also performed an analysis of covariance with the
primary and secondary continuous end points at four months after randomisation as th,e dependent variables and their
baseline values, markers of severity of disease (apnoea-hypopnoea index and Epworlh score), weight change, and group
, ,,i
Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: rando... Page 4 of 9
allocation as independent variables.
We selected the Epworth scale as our primary outcome but also considered the three other sleep related outcomes (apnoeahypopnoea index, Pittsburgh quality of sleep index, and panner rating). To provide an overall estimate of the effects of
didgeridoo playing on the four outcome measures we used a summary measure described by Schouten.lT Briefly, for each
patient and outcome we calculated a z score (difference of individual change minus overall mean change score/overall SD of
change score) and then a summary score as the average of the four z scores. We compared these summary scores between
the groups using a two sample f test.
For all analyses, we present 95% confidence intervals and considered
performed with SPSS (12.0.1, Chicago, lll).
P'i
0.05 as significant. All statistical analyses were
Results
Figure 2 shows the study flow from screening of potential participants to the final assessment. We included 25 patients from
August 20Q4 lo April 2005, all of whom completed the trial. Table 1 shows the participants' characteristics and the baseline
values of the outcomes measures. Most patients were men, aged about 50, and had an average apnoea-hypopnoea index of
21 and excessive daytime sleepiness (mean Epworth scores 11.8 in the didgeridoo group and 1 1.1 in the control group). The
Pittsburgh quality of sleep index indicated impaired sleep quality (5.2 and 5.8) and the partners of the study participants on
average had severely disturbed sleep (5.6 and 5.5). The SF-36 scores were in the range of the normal population with
exception of the mental component and vitality scores, which were lower (reference scores of 50 for mental component and
63.3 for vitality).
Fig 2 Flow of participants through study
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table: Table 1 Characteristics of participants according to allocation to intervention
window] Numbers are means (SD) except for absolute values
View this
[in this
(didgeridoo) or control.
[in a new window]
On average, participants in the didgeridoo group practised on 5.9 days a week (SD 0.86, range 4.6-6.9) for 25.3 minutes (3.4).
There were no adverse or unexpected events in either group. Table 2 shows the effects of didgeridoo playing on the four sleep
related outcomes. The primary outcome (daytime sleepiness as measured by the Epworth scale) improved significantly in the
didgeridoo group compared with the control group (difference -3.0 units, 95% confidence interval -5.7 to -0.3, P = 0.03). Figure
3 shows the iridividual responses in daytime sleepiness in the two groups.
Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: rando.." Page 5 of 9
table: Table 2 Effects of intervention
View this
on sleep related outcomes
[in this window]
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i"
Fig 3 lndividual responses in daytime sleepiness, showing direction of
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The quality of sleep did not differ significantly between groups (difference -0.7 units, -2..1 to 0.6, P = 0.27), but the partners of
those in the didgeridoo group reported less sleep disturbance (difference -2.8 units, -4.7 to -0.9, P < 0.0'l ). We also observed a
significant effect of didgeridoo playing on apnoea-hypopnoea (difference for apnoea-hypopnoea index -6.2, -12.3 to -0.1, p =
0.05). Didgeridoo playing did not have a significant effect on any domain of the SF-36. Adjustment for severity of the condition
and weight change during the study did not alter the results substantially for any outcome.
Figure 4 shows the combined analysis of the four sleep related outcomes. The summary z scores differed by -0.78 (-l .27 lo 0.28, P < 0.0'l), favouring the didgeridoo over the control group.
I
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Fig 4 Effects of didgeridoo playing on measure of sleep related outcomes
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Discussion
ln this randomised controlled trial we found that four months of training of the upper ainvays by didgeridoo playing reduces
daytime sleepiness in people with snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. The reduction of the apnoea-hypopnoea
index by didgeridoo playing indicated that the collapsibility of the upper airways decreased. ln addition, the partners of
participants in.the didgeridoo group were much less disturbed in their sleep.
Earlier studies about the effects of electrical neurostimulation or training of the respiratory muscles showed no improvement in
daytime sleepinessll or the apnoea-hypopnoea indexlS or were limited by the lack of a.control group.10 Our results are the
first to show that training the upper airways significantly improves sleep related outcomes. The larger effects we observed may
,ta
11 l^^^l-F4'.
t^..
Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: rando... Page 6 of 9
be due to the longer duration of our intervention and the training of the whole vocal tract instead of only single muscles.
Comparison with continuous positive airway pressure therapy
A meta-analysis of trials evaluating continuous positive airway pressure therapy in patients with moderate to severe
obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome showed an average effect of -3.9 units on the Epworth scale.4 The minimum important
difference on this scale for severely affected patients is around 4 units.19 ln our trial, the mean change score in the didgeridoo
group was -4.4 units and the difference between the intervention and control group was -3.0 units. Thus the effect of
didgeridoo playing seems to be slightly smaller than with CPAP therapy. However, we expected smaller effects because our
patients were only moderately affected so that results are likely to be less pronounced'
20
Thus new treatments not only need to be
One of the challenges in the treatment of sleep disorders is poor compliance.l
effective but also be ones that people are motivated enough to use. Didgeridoo playing seems to meet these requirements.
participants were highly motivated during the trial and practised, on average, on almost six days a week, which was even more
than the protocol asked for.
Strengths and limitations of trial
Strengths of our trial include the long duration of the training so that effects could develop. Also, we blinded outcomes
patients
assessors when possible (sleep studies) and controlled for confounding by restricting the study sample to non-obese
with little alcohol and drug consumption. A limitation is that those in the control group were simply put on a waiting list because
a sham intervention for didgeridoo playing would be difficult. A control intervention such as playing a recorder would have been
an option, but we would not be able to exclude effects on the upper airways and compliance might be poor. Another limitation
populations
is that the sample size was small. We conducted a proof of concept study and larger trials with more diverse study
are needed to provide more precise estimates of the treatment effect of upper airway training.
ln conclusion, didgeridoo playing improved daytime sleepiness in patients with moderate snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea
and reduced sleep disturbance in their partners. Larger trials are needed to confirm our preliminary findings, but our results
may give hope to the many people with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and snoring, as well as to their partners.
What is already known on this toPic
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome are highly prevalent sleep
disorders associated with substantial morbidity and mortality and rising
costs
Continuous positive airways pressure therapy can reduce daytime
sleepiness, but compliance with this treatment is often poor
Training or electrostimulation of the muscles of the upper airway might
reduce collapsibility of the upper airways during sleep
What this study adds
Regular playing of a didgeridoo reduces daytime sleepiness and snoring in
people with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and also
improves the sleep quality of padners
Severity of disease, expressed by the apnoea-hypopnoea index, is also
substantially reduced after four months of didgeridoo playing
Contributors: MAP, AS, and OB designed and organised the study. AS assigned the intervention. CLC, OB' MH, ard AZ
collected the data. MAP supervised data collection, analysed data, and wrote the first draft. AS, CLC, AZ, MH' and OB cttbcafy
reviewed the manuscript, and MAP and OB prepared the final version. OB is guarantor.
Funding: Zurjch Lung Association, Zuercher Hoehenklinik Wald.
Competing interests: AS is a professional didgeridoo instructor and teaches t'ai chi and qi gorp
Ethical approval: Ethics committee of the University Hospital of Zurich.
trz
6att tt
Sean
Wolf Guide How to Play the Didgeridoo
HOrlrEpAcE orDcEnrDooHUB
v'FwrnorlEy@r
sEcuRE
Page
i of3
cHEcKCIulwt
oI9GERtDOOS
Hcur
fucalyptus
Yidaki and vintage
to Play the Didgeridoo
by Sea,, Wal{e
Agave
iramfroo
lrodern
About the Didgeridoo
wFa
The didgeridoo is an instrument with a history as deep
and subtle as its sound. It is native to certain indigenous
Aboriginal tribes who have occupied Australia,s Northern
Territory for at least 40,000 years. While there is only
documented history describing didgeridoo use by these
tribes for the past 1,500 years, it is certainly Australia,s
oldest musical instrument, and is perhaps the world,s first
wind instrument.
guying a Didgerirl0c,
Playing a Oidgerklo0
Care a0d Bepait
Glossary of Terms
Wonlen & Didgeridoo
While the word didgeridoo was probably
No Worries Guarantee
Didgericjoo Geat
Ho!! To Piay - Vi(teo
Grfl Cert,licates
EverTlS
aod Free Classes'
::{:1q5 tdoo cD5
Note that there are a great many didgeridoos that
attempt to duplicate traditional methods of craftsmanship
in order to sell at a higher premium. When attempting to
acquire a traditional didgeridoo, it,s important to know
OVDS
tlE'tV' YouTube Picks
what you're looking for and to only deal with ethical
merchants. There are also a great many non-traditional
AAORIGINAL
Drdgeridoo Hislory
didgeridoos made by other craftspeople, other materials,
and in other countries. Regardless of the didge,s source,
Dreamlime Syrnbols
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\t/il{ Thoren Plrotos
Alroragirral Paintitlgs
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t\4usical Clapsticks
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F.AOS & Tra!1sil Titrro
the true test for any didgeridoo is how it plJys for you.
Otherwise, it's just an expensive log.
State of Mind
As with beginning any journey, your state of mind is
important when learning to play the didgeridoo. Some
people acquire the skills they need easily and in a short
time. while others take longer, and must work harder at
mastering these skills. Here are some lessons l,ve learned
from the didge over the past year that I want to suggest
you keep in mind as you play and learn, both tonight,lnd
in the future.
-
Relax. Try stretching your body before you play in the
futu re.
- Be patient with yourself and with your instrument, Don,t
use anyone else as a benchmark for your progress.
- Stay playful. Don't be afraid to look, sound, or be silly.
- Keep an open mind to what the didgeridoo has to
it has a lot to say.
Practice outside when you can.
you.
-
-
teach
Relax. Close your eyes and survey your body for areas
of tension. Let it go.
- Get a massage at least once a quarter.
- Treat yourself right.
1-tt t
pulse
hu-hu-hu-hu
in using your
cheeks to force a drone,
prices, because the means of production guarantees small
numbers of instruments.
4IUSIC & VIDEO
ONLINE FANUM
Didgeridoo iribe
between each
which means "emu's throat." Nowadays the didgerjdoo is
played by other Aborigines all over Australia, even those
tribes for whom it is a new tradition, The instrument,s
handcrafted, and painted by one or more artisans of one
of several Australian aboriginal tribes. A subset of these
didges, particularly those made by craftsmen with
reputations for creating truly great didgeridoos, are
among the most sought after, and command the highest
CALENDAR
Draatnlinte Vidros
intensity and separation
each time, as in:
haa -haa -haa -haa
unusual sound has also lent jt popularity overseas as well.
Tradational didgeridoos are made from young, termite_
hollowed eucalyptus tree trunks, and are harvested,
HoYl To Play - CDs
Links t{} Refioutcag
together.
hee hee hee hee
by the instrument. there are roughly forty HEE HEE HEE HEE
aboriginal names for the instrument, which vary from
region to region. In Arnhemland it is known as yidaki, Cheek Chops As we
discovered
lVhal's Nevr?
;'afts ii
close
Gradually increase the
applied
onomatopoetically by white settlers to describe the sound
made
ACCESSOR'ES
Drdg€rrdm
Now start a rhythm
with very soft pulses,
developing control of
and strengthening your
cheek muscles
are
successful
Aborigirral boys in
Arnhem Land learn 10
play sarlv on.
important to
didge playing. Cheek control and power are
also
then the squeeze begins with the "W,' sound,
and
lmportant to successful circular breathing, as will be seen
later. To make a cheek squeeze. puff out your cheeks and
expel the air past your lips. The result will sound like:
doooo WIT. The cheeks are puffed out on the DOOO part,
terminates in the final "T" sound,
Exercisei
- Try the following:
DOOO WIT; DOO WIT WIT, DOO WIT WIT WIT;
- GA WlT GA WIT
- Now try cA WEE OOOO. Notice that this one allows
contlnuous, or sustained drone.
- Invent a
a
cheek triplet, and practice doing cheek
squeezes, and snifFing air on the fourth beat as before.
Vocalization Singing and humming along wjth your didge
is more than half the fun. I've broken this section into
three parts to make this easier.
Low Sounds While droning, try to match the note of your
didge. You should notice a warm harmony emerge when
you hit the right note. Now bend the note upward slightly.
Providing you have a steady drone, and are holding the
note, you should hear a rhythmic pulsing. This js an effect
of the two sound waves (djdge and you) being slightly out
of phase. You should notice the same effect if you bend
the note down.
High Sounds While droning, try punctuating the drone
with a high-pitched yip, or bark.
Animal Sounds The Australian Aborigines often imitate
the animals they hear around them as part of telling
stories about their environment, and enacting rituals.
Three typical ones include:
The Dingo
(wau-wau-wau-wau; uuuuuuuuh, uuuuuh, uhhhhh)
The Kukubarra
(kukukukukukuku -kah KAH KAH)
The Kangaroo
Sean
Wolf Guide How to Play the Didgeridoo
- Try to stay away from tobacco.
- Wash your body, blow your nose and brush your teeth
and tongue beFore you play.
- Remember that the body and mind are connected.
Healthy body = healthY mind = healthy body.
- Relax.
Playing Techniques and Exercises
Beginning The Drone This exercise will first have you
produce a buzzing sound with your lips all by themselves,
then work on transferring that buzz to the didgeridoo.
The Buzz Keeping your mouth closed, blow air from your
lungs past your lips such that your lips vibrate loosely.
Think of blowing a raspberry. Now try the same buzz
using air forced from your cheeks, Alternate between
using air from your lungs usang your diaphragm, and arr
from your cheeks, using a "cheek squeeze." Learning to
differentiate and switch between these two sources of air
will come in handy later.
Transferring the Buzz to the Pipe There are two ways
to put your mouth on the didgeridoo. Some prefer playing
to the side, using one side oF their mouth to generate the
buzz. Others prefer to buzz the pipe straight on, Try both,
and do what works best for you.
Troubleshooting
- Relax your lips. This solves a lot of problems before they
sta rt.
- Don't hold the
didge tightly against your mouth. You do
need a seal between mouth and mouthpiece, but it need
not be tight. If you find yourself pressing tightly against
the mouthpiece, remind yourself to relax.
- Don't overblow. It should not take a great deal of air to
get your pipe buzzing,
-
Keep practicing at getting your drone consistent and
steady For as much as 20 or more seconds on a single
breath. Can't do th€t just yet? Don't sweat it, but keep at
it.
- If you have a wax mouthpiece, and you're
having
trouble, play around with the mouthpiece dimensions until
you Find one that's right for you, It may make a lot of
difference in the beginning. As you improve strength and
control, the mouthpiece will matter less and less.
Page\
(oooo-EFEEE ooooo-EEEEE)
These sounds are hard to capture in textual form, but
many examples of these and other sounds are available
on the Internet.
Exercises
-
Perform all earlier exercises while vocalizing at various
ra
n9es.
- Working with your vocal range, find which notes
sound the best for you and your didge.
- Working with triplets, try punctuating your rhythms with
yips, barks, growls, humming, etc.
Circular Breathing
is the key to
maintaining the
continuous sound of the didgeridoo. The trick is to be able
Circular breathing
to sniff air while
cheeks
pushing sufficient air out with your
to maintain your drone. Some people apprehend
this skill immediately, while others take months or years
to "break through," The things to keep in mind are as
follows:
- This is just one of many skills you need to get under
It is possible to be an excellent didge player
and not be able to circular breathe. If you find that
your belt.
circular breathing frustrates you, you always have other
things to work on between attempts.
- Be patient with yourself,
- Whenever possible, hang out with other didge players.
Sometimes seeing it happen helps it happen.
What Happens During Circular Breathing
While droning, the player "saves up" a little air in their
cheeks, just before using up all the aar in their lungs. Note
that CB-ing is much easier if you DONT use up all your
air, as there's less strain. Before breathing in through the
nose, the back of the tongue is pressed up into the soft
palate, creating a seal. Now air is sniffed in. The tongue is
now relaxed, and air flow resumes from the lungs and
diaphragm into the instrument, The skill is in keeping the
pressure even between breathing out through the lungs
and breathing out through the cheeks, Changes in
pressure wiil result in changes in intensity or volume of
the sound.
Exercises
Exercis€s
-
- Inflate your cheeks, and build up some pressure in your
Practice buzzing with your lips straight on, and then on
either side.
- Keep a buzz going for as long as you can, using as little
air as possible,
- Alternate between droning with air driven from your
diaphragm, and air from your cheeks,
- Try holding a drone for a count of three and on the four,
sniffjng air into your lungs, and then resuming the drone.
Vowels, Consonants, and Harmonics
AEIOU
As with playing a jaw harp, or throat singing, you will find
that as you change the interior dimensions of your mouth
and alter your tongue position, you wiil be able to hear
different harmonics emerge from the drone, This is better
experienced than written about, so let's proceed directiy
to exercises.
mouth. Pinch your nose if you need to.
- With your cheeks inflated, try breathing in and out
through your nose,
- Here's one to try at home, in the shower, or over the
sink, Get a mouthful of water. While breathing through
your nose normally, force a steady stream of water out
through your lips. The key is to get a steady stream of
water forced out by your cheek muscles, while breathing
through your nose. Once your muscles have learned this
"contradictory" set of actions, transferring this skill to
your didge-playing will be easier.
- Now, using a straw and a glass of water about 1/3 full,
practice blowing bubbles with cheek pressure, and
alternating the source of air, first lungs, then cheeks.
Sniff air in while using your cheeks to create a steady
stream of bubbles. ln this exercise, the purpose is to
make the srvrtch between lung and cheek power, and
Exercises
keeping the bubbles coming steadily,
-
Troubleshooting
If this doesn't come easily, or if these exercises do not
help you, there are a variety of other methods to learn
CB-ing published on any number of websites. DVDS,
books, online guides and the like are now in great
abundance. As before, it's also a good idea to seek out
a drone, then practice holding your mouth as if
saying the letter A. Do not vocalize the vowel just yet.
Begin
Instead, let the position of your mouth and tongue shape
the drone. Repeat for AEIO and U, Which vowels produce
the most pronounced harmonics?
- Now try droning a combination of three vowels together,
as in AEI, IOU, AOE, OIO, etc. Create and drone your own
tfl plets,
- Conserving your breath, try doing all five vowels: AEIOU
- Now go back to triplets. Try to do a triplet, sniff air
without removing your mouth from the mouthpiece, and
do the same triplet. Work at it until you have a rhythm
you can sustain.
Aclding Consonants Let's take the vowel exercises we
just did, and add consonants to create Ohrases.
other didge players. Having others around who can CB is
often very helpful. Finally, be patient. Everyone learns at
their own pace.
Resources
Your Instructor: I founded NYC Didqe in lanuary of 2000
to facilitate connections, community, and opportunities to
play together for didgeridoo players, scholars,
and
enthusiasts in the Greater New York Area, Last year, NYC
,folf
Guide How to Play the Didgeridoo
Page 3
Exercis€s
-
Use
T, D, and G to begin the vowel sound, as in:
- TA-TE.TI.TO-TU
- DA-DE-DI-DO-DU
- GA.GE.Gi-GO.GU
.
RA-RE-RI-RO-RU
Practice these consonants each several times.
- Now try the vowel exercise (AEIOU) working your way
through each consonant in the alphabet. Note which ones
make sounds you like.
- Next, try
mixing and matching different consonant
sounds in triplets, such as;
- Da-day-gah
- Do-day-ree
Traditional Playing Guides
Western Arnhernlancl drdgeric'loo Styles
This is a great guide by Ed Drury on traditional aboriginal
playing styles, and commonly used vamps.
it is
tlls
region r,vhich
I
have
obvious that the ir)haled breath is
accented and falls on an important beat of the measure
ciealt with.
- Di-da-ro
- Ta-ka-tay
Next, take a triplet (such as DO-DAY-REE) and sniff
between triplets, as in DO-DAY-REE <sniff>, DO-DAY-REE
<sniff>, etc.
-
Didge played a benefit concert for Urban Divers and the
Hudson River Projecu collaborated with Indian fakir band
Musafir; opened and played alongside performance artist
Karlito Dalceggio, and appeared in parks around the city
to entertain and educate the residents of Manhattan, I
and other NYC Didge members can be found most
Sundays at noon in Washington Square Park, I can always
be reached by email if you have any speciflc questions or
need assistance at seanwolfe(Oyahclo.com
"Of the body of recordinqs fronr
- Ga-ma-da
-
of3
Practice this triplet exercise, mixing
triplets.
- ta-ka-ta; ta-ka-tee
- Da-gay-lah; Do-day-ree
- Di-day-ree; Dee-da-rohC.
and
matching
Building Strength
H Is For Diaphragm
which is distinctive fronr nrany other styles of didgeridoo
playing where the posltion of the breath is difficult to
disiin0uish and rnay in fact occur in random places
throughout the repetitive rhythmic phrase. The inhaled
l)reath is given dn equal accent to the exhaled first beat
df the measure, occurs on the second beat of a 2 beat
pattern or the third l)eat in a 4/4, and is often f(irther
accented by a vocal slridor or high harmonic vocal sounci
in harnrony rvitlr the Fundamental, I he style of
accompaniment being consiclered here is called Gunboro,
'l'he style associated with regions further to the east of
this reqion is often refered (sic) to as Bungul..."
Notes on Yolngu Style ol Yidaki Playlng
Now that we've exhausted all the consonants, let's use
one of them to develop control and strength in your
A good set of resources by Richard Man on the
Yolngu
style of playing, plus exercises and cultural notes.
diaphragm.
Sean Wolfe
Exercises
NYC
- Drop an H in front of the AEIOU exercise we've been
doing up till now, so as to get HA-HE-HI-HO-HU.
- Now try this: HE-HE-HE-HE. Vary the breaks in the tone,
compressing them (HEHEHEHEH) and expanding them
(
-
HEEEEEE- HEEEEEE-HEE EEEE),
Now vary the degree of volume, using a lot of air, and
then very little air. You should hear a subtle vibrato on
the close intervals, and more of a trancy pulsing on the
longer jntervals,
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THROAT EXERCISES FOR SLEEP APNEA
Contraindications
BMI above 40
Hypothyroidism
Neuromuscular disease
Coronary disease
Obstructive nasal disease
Soft Palate exercises
Pronounce an oral vowel intermittently (isotonic exercise) and continuously (isometric exercise).
The palatophary/ngeus, palatoglossus, uwla, tensor veli palatini, and levator veli palatini muscles are
recruited in this exercise. The isotonic exerciSe also recruits pharyngeus lateral veli. These exercise are
repeated daily for three minutes.
Tongue exercises
Brush the superior and lateral surfaces of the tongue while the tongue is positioned in the floor of
the mouth (five times for each movement, three times each day).
Place the tip of the tongue against the front of the palate and sliding the tongue backwards (a total
of three minutes throughout the day).
Force the tongue to suck uptvards against the palate and slide the tongue backwards (a total of
three minutes throughout the day).
Force the back of the tongue against the floor of the mouth while keeping the tip of the tongue in
contact with the inferior incisor reeth (a total of three minutes throughout the day).
Facial erercises
Use facial mimicking to recruit the orbicularis oris, buccinators, major zygomaticus, minor
zlgonratictls. levator labii superioris. levator anguli oris, lateralpterygoid, and medial period muscles.
(l ) hicularis oris muscle pressure with mouth closed (isometric exercise). Recruited to close
uith preisure for thirty seconds, and right after, requested to realize the posterior exercise.
(l) Suction movements contracting only the buccinators. Repeat (isotonic) and hold position
( rxrmetric).
(3) recruit the buccinator muscle against the finger that is introduced into the oral cavity, pressing
the buccinators muscle oufward.
(4) Alternate elevation olthe mouth angle muscle (isometric exercise) and after with repetitions
(isotonic exercise). Perform ten intermittent elevations three times.
(5) Make lateral jaw movements with alternating elevation of the mouth angle muscle (isometric
exercise).
Stomatognathics functions
While sitting, force nasal inspiration and oral expiration in conjunction with phonation of open
vowels.
Inflate a balloon with prolonged nasal inspiration and the forced blowing repeated five times
without taking the balloon out of the mouth.
Alternate bilateral chewing and deglutition using the tongue in the palate, closed teeth, without per
oral contraction, whenever feeding.