How to Make the Didgeridoo Drone Sound – Part 2

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, we show you how to play the drone on your didgeridoo. It’s now time to make your first sound

Lesson Goals

• Be able to play the drone on your didgeridoo for more than 5 seconds
• Be comfortable knowing what lip tension will make them vibrate to make the drone
• Keep a good seal on the mouthpiece so the air doesn’t leak out

Training Tips

• Remember, blowing down the didgeridoo doesn’t make the sound, it is the sound of your lips vibrating that gets louder to produce the drone
• Try to blow out very gently. You only want to use just enough air to make your lips shake
• If the drone is not working, rather than trying harder on the didgeridoo, take your lips off, practice vibrating them again without the didgeridoo, then try again on the didge. Repeat this as many times as you need.
• If you can vibrate your lips easily without the didge, but they stop when your lips are inside the mouthpiece, this is most commonly for 2 reasons:
  1. You try too hard on the didge, so your lips and mouth are too tense
  2. Not a strong enough seal around the mouthpiece. You don’t need to hold the didgeridoo hard against your lips, but it needs to be firm
• Don’t worry about the quality of the sound, just get comfortable with making the didgeridoo play
• Practice somewhere where you can hear yourself the best. Playing on a hard floor which bounces the sound back to you helps (the bathroom or kitchen works great!)

Give it a try, let us know how you go and if you get stuck, post a question in the comments section below.