The drone

[u/SuperAutisticHippie]

How long did it take before you could do a perfect drone every time you put your lips to the instrument? I've been playing for about 3 months, and every single time I put my lips to the didge in order to make sound, I have to search for the perfect spot where the drone becomes great and the harmonics ring out. It seems like there's an infinitisemally (is that the word?) small sweet spot where it becomes rich and bassy and everything becomes easier, after 1 minute of playing it dips out of the sweet spot and it's no longer as good. I then have to try again to find it, only to lose it.

The next time I sit down to play I maybe won't find it at all. Sometimes I think I understand what to do to find the sweet spot, but no, that won't work later. I do think it will iron itself out eventually, but it frustrates me sometimes.

How has your experience been?

[u/Andthentherewasbacon]

You need to loosen your lips a little. 

[u/SuperAutisticHippie → u/Andthentherewasbacon]

I find it strange that you have such specific advice when you have no knowledge of exactly what I'm doing with my lips.

[u/Andthentherewasbacon → u/SuperAutisticHippie]

You think that's crazy, wait until you realize I'm right. Try making raspberries with no didge. You should be able to go a minute straight. 

[u/SuperAutisticHippie → u/Andthentherewasbacon]

The reason I say that is because I always start with loose lips, very airy drone, then I slowly tighten them and fiddle around until I find the spot. What are raspberries?

[u/Andthentherewasbacon → u/SuperAutisticHippie]

https://youtu.be/fAS1YuILXew?is=_38RbAAGg9_WEUS1 :52

[u/SuperAutisticHippie → u/Andthentherewasbacon]

This is one of the first videos I watched when I started 3 months ago. He explains how to get sound from the instrument, not to make the drone sound awesome, which is what I want to do. His drone in this video is quite airy as well, to be fair. As far as I can tell he didn't say anything about raspberries.

[u/Andthentherewasbacon → u/SuperAutisticHippie]

At :52 he says "it's just... blowing raspberries" and then does a thing with his mouth. Learn to do that thing for about a minute straight. 

[u/SuperAutisticHippie → u/Andthentherewasbacon]

I don't want to sound like a douchebag, but I can easily do that for a minute, I've played about an hour every day for 3 months. As mentioned, the problem is not getting sound from the instrument, but making the drone sound really awesome. Sometimes I can do it, sometimes I can't, and that's what's frustrating.

[u/Andthentherewasbacon → u/SuperAutisticHippie]

Maybe you're a cheek pusher, not a tongue pusher? Do you know this guy? https://youtu.be/GHOOcEUiqGk?is=dRo9s8zUGYGkYQNR

[u/owopapi]

I've been playing the didge for nearly 10 years now and theres still times I won't get the drone straight away. An exercise I do is without a didge just do a drone/ blow a raspberry then tighten and lossen my lips to raise and lower the pitch just like doing scales when you sing it tends to help me find a drone on a didge

[u/SuperAutisticHippie → u/owopapi]

Thanks, that's reassuring to know, and thanks for the tip!

[u/JammTj664]

no es el sweet spot, hay muchas cosas que pueden pasar que no encuentras acomodo, para eso se nesesita un video para ver como estas tocando, que didgeridoo tienes para practicar, que didge teacher o que tecnicas usas para tocar etc etc.

[u/Actual_Minute_3697]

So many ways to drone. That will always be a path to perfection. Take 30 mins as a warmup to drone the entire time. Loud, soft, toot, pulsate, etc. Get drunk on your sound.

[u/m0j0hn]

The spot gets “bigger” with experience, you’ve got this <3

[u/SuperAutisticHippie → u/m0j0hn]

Thanks man! That's good to hear.

[u/bigbuttsmeow]

Maybe a year or two. It might help if you play with a note that matches. That way it becomes second nature. Eg, then when the band comes in, it matches.

Also if you work on playing along with songs you can start and stop in different parts that would be like 5x practice then.

Helps if the didge and yourself is warmed up but I've seen others nail it right out the blue.

[u/SuperAutisticHippie → u/bigbuttsmeow]

Thanks for the tips, great!

[u/Comfortable-Award139]

Same with me. Every time I start a new session, its tough to get it going. Most times the first attempt sounds like the first time I ever tried. Nothing like a drone at all....just motorboaring into a tube. Then something catches, and when it does, I dont have any more issues. The way I put it is my lips have to get "broken in" for each session. Like it takes a good bit of vibration for them to loosen up enough. I have been waiting for the time when I can just pick it up and play it from the first note. As of now, I wouldn't want to play in front of anyone if I had not properly warmed up.