|
PITZ QUATTRONE Didgeridoo Builder/Performer
|
 |
||
Talking
with PITZ QUATTRONE Q:
Pitz,
can you tell us how you became interested in building
didgeridoos? PITZ:
I
can't really remember where I heard one the first time. It
might have been like the Crocodile Dundee movie, or maybe a
Fosters Beer commercial. I was just attracted by the sound,
it was so unique and captivating. The more I found out about
the history and cultural significance of it, the more I
enjoyed it, so the deeper I dug. So I started playing one,
and I felt that I could make them. I started making the
instruments with bamboo, and just moved on to other natural
materials. Q:
So,
did you study what anyone when you were learning to build
them? PITZ:
No,
unfortunately I couldn't find anyone to study with, unless I
went to Australia, and I couldn't afford that. So, I started
experimenting with the bamboo. It's pretty much hollow
already, except for the the nodes, and I just drill those
out. Structurally, all you need is a hollow tube, at least
three feet long and just go from there. So I just
experimented, really. Q:
So,
what's the process you go through in actually building
didgeridoos? PITZ:
Well,
there's a few processes, and it really depends on the
materials you're working with. Bamboo is the simplest, like
I said, you just drill it out to make a totally hollow pole,
and then cut it to whatever size you want to make. My
favorite ones are between 4 1/2
and 5 feet long, for the bamboo. That's the best sounding
instrument, I think. To finish the outside, I burn it with a
torch to force-cure the wood, get the moisture out, and then
wipe it down with a dry cloth and apply beeswax on one end.
That's the mouthpiece of the instrument. Other materials are
much more complicated. I like to harvest the natural
material myself, so I'll cut a tree limb, or sunflower stock
at the end of the season. I'll chop it down and let it
season inside and dry out totally. For those, I bandsaw it
right down the center so I have two halves, then I clean out
the inside by chiseling or digging, and then seal the inside
walls with a natural finish. Then I glue the wood back
together, and I seal the outside walls, so it's supported
from inside and out, and it's a nice solid
cylinder. Q:
Does
the type of wood that you use affect the tone of the
instrument? PITZ:
Yes,
it does. Different materials have different characteristics,
as far as sound absorption or reflection. It also depends on
the shape of the instrument, how long it as, how much air
cavity is inside the instrument, how thick or thin the walls
of the instrument are. They are all factors that come into
play. Q:
I've
seen a couple of your didgeridoos that are curved. Does that
make a difference in the sound? PITZ:
It
does a little bit, but it's mostly just visually pleasing.
The curves are going to bounce the sound around a little
more, and it gives it a little more length to the
instrument. So, it might be a little deeper sounding, as
opposed to a straight one that was about the same height.
The curved pieces are really nice, and each one is unique. I
prefer the curved ones. Q:
What
is the the history of the didgeridoo? It dates back pretty
far, doesn't it? PITZ:
It's
very ancient. Some folks say its 40,000 or 45,000 years old.
It comes from the Aborigines in Northern Australia, in the
area called Arhemland. The traditional instruments are made
of the various types of eucalyptus branches. How they are
hollowed out, is by termites setting up shop right in front
of the tree. They crawl into the tree and eat out the center
of the branches. The instrument maker goes around knocking
on tree limbs, listening to see how hollow it is, and if
it's ready, he'll harvest that branch right on the spot, and
shave the bark right there. If it's not hollow enough, he'll
leave it alone and try it again the next time. In
some areas of Australia, traditional instruments are made
from bamboo, and how they are hollowed out is by hot coals
from the fire. The coals are poured in the open end of the
bamboo, onto the thin membrane of wood. It burns it's way
through, and eventually the whole piece is hollow. I'm lucky
that I have the modern invention of electricity. I use
drills and power chisels to hollow out my stuff. Q:
Is
the didgeridoo still a special or ceremonial instrument in
Northern Australia, or is it just an ancient novelty
now? PITZ:
Well,
it's a little of both, really. It's gone all over the world,
and in just about any country you can find someone who is a
didgeridoo enthusiast, or player. But, there are certain
areas that still practice the ancient ways and techniques.
It's a very secretive type of thing, within the Aborigine
world, at least the very serious ceremony situations. They
try not to let Western eyes see much of that stuff. They
will share glimpses of that history with us, and I am
thankful for that. The ancient stuff still is alive, but I
think it's becoming less and less, as the elders die off,
unless they've passed it on to the younger generations,
because there's really no written history of it. Q:
I
know that circular breathing is a big part of playing the
didgeridoo. Can you describe the process that happens during
circular breathing? PITZ:
Circular
breathing allows the player to play continuously. The player
does not have to stop for air, because the player is
breathing while they play. Also, the sound is not
interrupted or broken, which kind of sounds impossible to
do, but . . . in the beginning, the sound is produced by
your lips flapping. The breathing thing just allows you to
play continuously. I try to explain to folks that they don't
need to circular breath right off to get a sound. You start
off with one long breath, flapping your lips, and try to get
some basic sound effects down. One long breath, get real
comfortable, achieve that first initial drone, and then you
can add things with your voice and tongue movement, and
other techniques. Eventually you can glue it all together
with the breathing process, so you give the illusion of one
long piece of music, but really it's a bunch of little
sections that are glued together with the circular
breathing. Q:
Are
there any proven or assumed health benefits from playing the
didgeridoo, or from circular breathing? PITZ:
There's
probably some proven things, but I'm not sure exactly where
that can be found. My personal experience is, it really open
things inside, as far as breathing, air passage ways, and it
really calms you down for meditation, stress relief . . .
it's got to be beneficial, because you're really calming
your whole body down, just slowing down and relaxing,
basically. With the breathing process, after it becomes a
remote control type of thing, then you can really create
some nice music, after you've got the mechanics of circular
breathing down. The breathing process basically is, as
you're flapping your lips, you're playing along, and
eventually you're going to begin to need air, so you catch
some air in your cheeks. When the air is on it's way out,
you puff out your cheeks, and then squeeze those cheek
muscles in, forcing the air out of your mouth, one mouthful
at a time, and that creates air to keep your lips flapping,
and at the same time, that's your opportunity for you to
breath in through your nose, to put air back in your lungs.
Once you're filled back up with air, you just continue on
your way, until the next time you need air. Q:
Easier
said than done! PITZ:
Yes!
That's the trickiest and most difficult part about the
didge, is the circular breathing. I try not to let people
get too hung up on that, because it's frustrating. You can
have fun just in one long breath, and making some nice
elementary basic sounds, and work on the circular breathing
later. I've broken the breathing thing down into two areas.
The first one is, you need to have the cheek muscles to
execute the whole action, otherwise, it's not going to work.
Once you have the cheek muscles working, then it's a matter
of timing. There are a few exercises that you can do that
help you along with the muscles and the timing. Eventually,
it will become almost automatic, you won't even have to
think about it. PITZ:
Well,
it's a unique instrument, because technically, it plays one
note, it's a drone. But, you can also put your voice through
it, so that opens up a whole other world, as opposed to
other instruments. You have the drone happening with your
lip movement, and then you can put your voice on top of it.
So, you can sing through it. The Aborigines imitate
everything in nature around them, whether it's birds or
animals, nature sounds, whatever is happening. The voice is
really the key element. You can harmonize with the drone,
you can do overtones. You can actually have two things
happening at the same time, from your voice and your lips.
Q:
So,
are there any didgeridoo bands or ensembles, or is primarily
played as a solo instrument? PITZ:
Traditionally,
it is a solo instrument, accompanying storytellers around
the fire, as a sound effects type of thing. It would bring
the words to life. Also, dancers would be imitating the
movements of what's happening in the story. But nowadays,
the didgeridoo is everywhere, from Tracy Chapman to Midnight
Oil, and Dougie MacLean. It's used in a lot of different
ways, it's all over the map. Q:
Do
you produce any kind of instruction method, tapes or
videos? PITZ:
Right
now I have an instructional cassette that explains the basic
drone, up to circular breathing, and everything in between.
In the beginning of the tape, I give a little history of the
instrument. The video will be coming at a later
time. Q:
Are
there any didgeridoos that are easier for a beginner to
play? PITZ:
Definitely.
What I've come up with is, bamboo is a great starter
instrument. First of all, it's a natural material. It's not
PVC, it's not toxic, and its relatively inexpensive. If
you're starting out, I would suggest a 3, 3 1/2 or 4 foot
instrument of bamboo. It's the easiest size to start with.
Once you get the basic stuff down, you can move on. But,
it's a lot easier to get a sound and circular breath with a
4 foot didgeridoo than a longer one, mainly because it takes
a lot less air volume. With the larger ones, you have to
really be in control of your lips. It's a very disciplined
technique. You could almost get away with faking it with the
smaller bamboo, and every once in a while, get the correct
sounds. Then you concentrate on getting that correct sound,
and stick with it. Then you can move up to a longer and
wider instrument later, whether it's made out of bamboo or
wood, or whatever. You really have to learn the ropes with
the shorter bamboo first.
Didgeridoo Builder and Performer
Click
photo to enlarge
Click
photo to enlarge
Click
photo to enlarge
Q:
Can
you actually get to where you can play notes or even a
melody?
are
available at
www.pitzsdidges.com
Copyright
© 1999 Stable Management
Corporation...All
Rights Reserved
