iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

[flyangler18]

Got this e-newsletter today from the Didjshop, which is purportedly the largest didgeridoo exporter in Australia. Part of their marketing is a series of '25 special processes' that sets this business aside from other didgeridoo dealers. The instruments are the notorious generic instruments that internet searches frequently bring up.

I've excerpted a section of the newsletter here:

Quote:

Despite the extra workload, we have added over 30 new didjes to our virtual showroom in the Didjshop. Not enough to replace the sold ones, but at least there are a few new ones in most categories, sound qualities and length. We are working on several batches of didjes which are at varying stages of the process, but I doubt I will have the time to sound grade and database any of them until middle or end of July. Allow me to take this opportunity to stress again how much work goes into our didjes. While most didj sellers simply buy didjes from producers and then re-sell them pretty much like they got them, we subject each individual didj to over 25 different processes to maximise their sound quality and ensure long term durability. This is why it takes us at least one month and usually two to get a new batch ready for sale. This is also why Didjshop didjes are known for their workmanship and quality.

I've asked for clarification about what these 'processes' are, but don't expect a reply.

_________________
www.jdidj.com

[ididjaustralia]

Hi Jason,

Thanks for that, it is interesting indeed and I look forward to hearing what response they provide you. As far as iDIDJ Australia is concerned, the didgeridoos from Didjshop fall into the categories of CI 1 and CI 2 in our Cultural Indications Index, with CI 4 as the highest level of cultural integrity and authenticity. If members haven't seen the CI Index, take a look here:

http://www.ididj.com.au/authenticity/label.html

The fact that Didjshop works on instruments after they have received them from producers, as pointed out in their newsletter, confirms this. I suspect what this means is that Didjshop buys raw blanks from harvesters and then make up didges themselves. They may be nice sounding for novice didge players, but they're hardly what I would call collectible or investment pieces. Anyone who tries to re-sell their Didjshop instrument, or any generic didgeridoo, will lose a a chunk of money on their original investment.

It is far better to purchase a CI 4 instrument from a credible source that is recognised and respected beyond the didgeridoo scene to protect or to grow your investment. That's what I'm hoping iDIDJ Australia is able to stand for, as we've supplied state and national museums in Australia and overseas, and we have also been accepted by premier auction houses in Australia that specialise in Aboriginal art. If you brought a Didjshop didgeridoo or any generic instrument to these places, you'd be laughed at.

_________________
iDIDJ Australia - Didgeridoo Cultural Hub
E-mail: info@ididj.com.au
Web: www.ididj.com.au
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ididjaustralia

[flyangler18]

Quote:

Thanks for that, it is interesting indeed and I look forward to hearing what response they provide you.

I don't expect a response beyond the superficially polite, 'we won't reveal the details because we don't want to give our competition any ideas'. Bah!

Quote:

They may be nice sounding for novice didge players, but they're hardly what I would call collectible or investment pieces.

I think this really gets down to the heart of the issue, don't you think? I would venture that the majority of didjeridu enthusiasts just want to play 'a didjeridu' regardless of its pedigree and probably aren't interested in either the source culture that birthed the instrument or the tradition of didjeridu in context. Certainly there has been a great revival in trad-style techniques and music, as evidenced through the success of M*lk*y's and Darryl's tutorial CDs, but we trad heads are most definitely a minority- though a vociferous lot!

_________________
www.jdidj.com

[Lucas Trapaza]

Hello,
I have been reading your comments about the didjshop and, really, I think they are exaggerated. They might not be fully traditional, I agree, but this does not mean they are bad instruments. You speak about Cl 4 instruments as the best, but I see no comment about sound quality, what is the use of a "pure" Cl4 instrument with poor sound? (and there are a good few of these) moreover, you suggest that this instruments are only for novices, well try what the didjshop call "high concert" didjs and you will see that it is not true. In fact some of this didjs are, to my opinion, one of the very best I've ever heard. And also very important, the didjshop treats their customers very, very well, and that is very important.

I do not find convincing the argument of re-selling: this might be appealing for some people, I can understand it, but not for me: when I buy a didj I want to play it not to make money with it or sending it to a museum, I want a didj to be a good one. It is true that there are some wonderful traditional instruments but others are not so good indeed (both in sound quality and decoration), I've had the opportunity of playing some of them (from reliable sources) and I was not always impressed.

I think we should be all more open-minded, traditional and new styles are not opposite but complementary. I enjoy both traditional and modern styles, traditional and modern instruments.
I have both didjshop didjs (specially high concerts) and fully traditional (Cl 4 class from reliable source) and I enjoy them both.

ididjaustralia wrote:

Hi Jason, Thanks for that, it is interesting indeed and I look forward to hearing what response they provide you. As far as iDIDJ Australia is concerned, the didgeridoos from Didjshop fall into the categories of CI 1 and CI 2 in our Cultural Indications Index, with CI 4 as the highest level of cultural integrity and authenticity. If members haven't seen the CI Index, take a look here: http://www.ididj.com.au/authenticity/label.html The fact that Didjshop works on instruments after they have received them from producers, as pointed out in their newsletter, confirms this. I suspect what this means is that Didjshop buys raw blanks from harvesters and then make up didges themselves. They may be nice sounding for novice didge players, but they're hardly what I would call collectible or investment pieces. Anyone who tries to re-sell their Didjshop instrument, or any generic didgeridoo, will lose a a chunk of money on their original investment. It is far better to purchase a CI 4 instrument from a credible source that is recognised and respected beyond the didgeridoo scene to protect or to grow your investment. That's what I'm hoping iDIDJ Australia is able to stand for, as we've supplied state and national museums in Australia and overseas, and we have also been accepted by premier auction houses in Australia that specialise in Aboriginal art. If you brought a Didjshop didgeridoo or any generic instrument to these places, you'd be laughed at.

[martin]

Lucas Trapaza wrote:

Hello, I have been reading your comments about the didjshop and, really, I think they are exaggerated. They might not be fully traditional, I agree, but this does not mean they are bad instruments. You speak about Cl 4 instruments as the best, but I see no comment about sound quality, what is the use of a "pure" Cl4 instrument with poor sound?

Hi there Lucas,
I would be interested in what you mean by sound quality. There are some quite divergent ideas on this question, some specifically used by didjshop to promote their instruments.?

Lucas Trapaza wrote:

I think we should be all more open-minded, traditional and new styles are not opposite but complementary. I enjoy both traditional and modern styles, traditional and modern instruments. I have both didjshop didjs (specially high concerts) and fully traditional (Cl 4 class from reliable source) and I enjoy them both.

I think you will find that people here are quite open-minded, if you can see through the wit and sarcasm.. . No one would say that traditional and "new" styles are opposite.
Quite different yes.
What I believe on this issue is that we can learn a lot more through a serious study of traditional techniques upon which we can then truly base our own "trad-modern" playing style, than what we can by studying bits and pieces of different "new" techniques. The Aboriginal people of Arnhem Land have been developing and refining these techniques over "at least" thousands of years. They surely have a depth of experience in playing and knowledge of playing that we can all learn from - and to learn truly from them we need to use instruments adapted to their various playing styles. I am happy to hear that you also have an interest in traditional playing and instruments.

Cheers, Martin

_________________
http://www.fluiditj.com

[Lucas Trapaza]

martin wrote:

Lucas Trapaza wrote: Hi there Lucas, I would be interested in what you mean by sound quality. There are some quite divergent ideas on this question, some specifically used by didjshop to promote their instruments.?] Hello, It is true of course that there are divergent ideas on sound quality but those used by didjshop are better than none, really. And even if is difficult to say what is sound quality, it is not very difficult to understand if a didj sounds better or worse. And, indeed, a classification like Cl 0 to Cl 4 is not quite useful for me, because they do not mention sound quality (at least I have not read about that) and I cannot believe that all yidakis are good only because they have been made entirely by aboriginals. Otherwise we are lead to believe that all yidakis are the same and in such case differences in prices have no sense... No need to buy an expensive yidaki, really a cheap one will work the same... I think you will find that people here are quite open-minded, if you can see through the wit and sarcasm.. . No one would say that traditional and "new" styles are opposite. Quite different yes. What I believe on this issue is that we can learn a lot more through a serious study of traditional techniques upon which we can then truly base our own "trad-modern" playing style, than what we can by studying bits and pieces of different "new" techniques. The Aboriginal people of Arnhem Land have been developing and refining these techniques over "at least" thousands of years. They surely have a depth of experience in playing and knowledge of playing that we can all learn from - and to learn truly from them we need to use instruments adapted to their various playing styles. I am happy to hear that you also have an interest in traditional playing and instruments. Cheers, Martin

I have no doubt that there are many open minded-people there but the comments on the didjshop I red show that this not always happens. It is quite right to say that modern instruments are, perhaps, not well suited for traditional playing, but if you say that they are adequate to impress beginners, not adequate for re-selling then this shows little respect for them. This is a question that appears time and again: only pure things are good, others not.

I agree that if you want to learn traditional style there is no doubt that aboriginals are the best masters and, of course, their yidakis the best one but that will work only if you want to learn that style. I am interested in that style but I met some excellent players who told me they are not interested in it, they prefer modern techniques, but they are still excellent players anyway. Even if Aboriginal people have been playing yidaki for thousands of years this does not necessarily mean that they are the only masters, though it is true that we can still learn a lot from them.

Finally, I wish to thank you for your answer, it has been very interesting to read it!

Regards. Lucas Trapaza.

[flyangler18]

Hi there Lucas:

Welcome to the forum! Allow me to respond to a few of your points:

Quote:

I have no doubt that there are many open minded-people there but the comments on the didjshop I red show that this not always happens. It is quite right to say that modern instruments are, perhaps, not well suited for traditional playing, but if you say that they are adequate to impress beginners, not adequate for re-selling then this shows little respect for them. This is a question that appears time and again: only pure things are good, others not.

I am particularly struck by the Rolls-Royce prices of Didjshop sticks despite their generic big-bore nature. And yes, I've played a few Didjshop instruments of the 'high concert' variety- but they just didn't impress me much. When I opened this thread, I was curious to see just what these famed '25 processes' that they apply to their instruments were, and not surprisingly, I never received any answer from the ownership of Didjshop- and I certainly wasn't the first person to inquire about it.

I'd also be interested in your assessment about sound quality. Of course, this is probably the most subjective of all criteria because it is so 'style-specific' as you've rightly pointed out. I find that beginners are taken by a rich drone, maybe a vocal or too, and a generally 'big' sound- and big-bored instruments such as those of the Didjshop can provide that in spades, hence the comment about being impressive to beginners.

I'm happy to hear that you have an interest in trad-styles too.

Cheers,
Jason

_________________
www.jdidj.com

[GGW]

Hi there

Why bother with Didjshop or other didgeridoo shop its another world nothing comparable with the world of yirdaki and traditional playing .We cant compare banana with carrots ! These a re two different world .

Quote:

we subject each individual didj to over 25 different processes to maximise their sound quality and ensure long term durability.

Thats says it all to me they make didgeridoo to sell ,and make didgeridoo player happy and they want to make as much profit as possible with no return due to splitting and other .They seal their didgeridoo with a '' special mixture '' like others seal didgeridoo with epoxy ,varnish ectect .To make them sound ''better'' with brighter harmonics , its also bomb proof thats all they wants to hear . Thats what make the ''sound quality'' that almost all didgeridoo players are talking about ...the brilliant side .

Quote:

It is far better to purchase a CI 4 instrument from a credible source that is recognised and respected beyond the didgeridoo scene to protect or to grow your investment.

This would make a great topic to discuss about .

Quote:

but I see no comment about sound quality

Soud quality ?you can change your mind about this next year or all along your didgeridoo journey

Quote:

It is true that there are some wonderful traditional instruments but others are not so good indeed (both in sound quality and decoration), I've had the opportunity of playing some of them (from reliable sources) and I was not always impressed.

See this where its happening Lucas ive been playing didgeridoo for some years and apparently im a good player (not for me ) When i started buying yirdaki i had this bad habit to always compare them with my didgeridoo and also play them like a didgeridoo ,ok some yirdaki can play like didge but lots of them as to be play differently and this is where the boundarys are . Last year i bought a yidaki and for me an expensive one at 1400 aus $ When i gave him the first try i almost start to cry oh no that can be a the stick not at this price! he play just like shit ! Yep for a didgeridoo player this yidaki is only good for fire ,a bad instrument ,nothing no shine no harmonics and a bad feeling ! This yidaki sounded exelent when i listened to the video . And i started to think the problems was me i was not playing the good way i was not playing with my body ,i was only using some part of my body and i couldnt make this yidaki sound good while i can make all my didgeridoo sound good ! I started to work my butt off to learn how to play again and make them sound like they should .To make it short this yidaki today is my best body ! He is something that no didge in the world can even approach . And to me sound quality is not only about harmonics shine and backpressure or decoration its also about complexity of the sound .You can go make all the woble and bounce breathing all the wiggy waggy and takatoom you want on my yidaki if your are not using the proper part of your body this yidaki will not give you anything ,is that make this yidaki a bad instrument ? to me no it make him unique he teach me play the right way .Learn how to play the traditional way is to learn from the roots ,everything you do now on your didgeridoo have his source from there .You learn how to make sound right an instrument the traditional way and when you go back on your didge you will be a better player cause your instrument will do thing that you wouldn do before because now you understand how it works .Nothing to do with whats best here ,but am in the best part of my journey Lucas and it worthed every $ i've put in it .I wish you the same .In this kind of debate one thing we should all do leave our ego outside .Have a beautyfull didgeridoo journey.

GGW

_________________
Beleive in yirdaki power

[Lucas Trapaza]

flyangler18 wrote:

Hi there Lucas: Welcome to the forum! Allow me to respond to a few of your points: Quote: I have no doubt that there are many open minded-people there but the comments on the didjshop I red show that this not always happens. It is quite right to say that modern instruments are, perhaps, not well suited for traditional playing, but if you say that they are adequate to impress beginners, not adequate for re-selling then this shows little respect for them. This is a question that appears time and again: only pure things are good, others not. I am particularly struck by the Rolls-Royce prices of Didjshop sticks despite their generic big-bore nature. And yes, I've played a few Didjshop instruments of the 'high concert' variety- but they just didn't impress me much. When I opened this thread, I was curious to see just what these famed '25 processes' that they apply to their instruments were, and not surprisingly, I never received any answer from the ownership of Didjshop- and I certainly wasn't the first person to inquire about it. I'd also be interested in your assessment about sound quality. Of course, this is probably the most subjective of all criteria because it is so 'style-specific' as you've rightly pointed out. I find that beginners are taken by a rich drone, maybe a vocal or too, and a generally 'big' sound- and big-bored instruments such as those of the Didjshop can provide that in spades, hence the comment about being impressive to beginners. I'm happy to hear that you have an interest in trad-styles too. Cheers, Jason

Hello,

I thank you for your answer, you've been very kind.
I will try to answer as best as I can: first you speak about big prices and generic big-bore nature. Well, prices for yidakis seen in several webpages (shops around the world recommended in www.yirrkala.com) are also very high and quite similar to prices of the didjshop. On the other hand I do not see why a big-bore should be a problem, it is not a problem for me, really. moreover I have played several little-bore traditional yidakis (from reliable sources) and, really, i was not always too much impressed too... Perhaps big bores impress beginners but why should that be a problem? That is only a problem if you think that traditional style is the best one (or even worse: the only one), otherwise that is not a problem at all. And really that is not a problem for me. Perhaps this is just only a problem of personal tastes, as I like both traditional and new styles big or little bores are not necessarily a problem for me.
I also read about the 25 process but I am not interested in that, only in good instruments.

Sound quality is difficult to define I agree, but a system like that of didjshop is a least a way to measure it, the Cl 0 to Cl 4 system says nothing about sound, or at least I have not seen it. In fact those who want to sell their yidakis (again from reliable sources) also try to describe the sound in someway. For instance:

"...very lively but controlled playing behaviour, good volume, bright but not sharp sound, an easy toot at the typical traditional interval and an air column that is very easy to work with"...

those comments are quite usual and are trying to describe good sound quality.
I do not have a system for measuring sound quality, but after hearing and playing a lot of didj and yidakis it is clear to me that there are good and bad yidakis and good and bad didjeridoos.
Well, that is all. To finish just only to say that I am sure that both traditional and modern instruments can live together in harmony, what you prefer may be a matter of personal taste but, I am sure that speaking in favor of one of them while neglecting the other is not a good idea at all.

Thank you again for your time.
Regards.

[Lucas Trapaza]

Hello,

I thank you for your answer, it has been very interesting.

Regards.

GGW wrote:

Hi there Why bother with Didjshop or other didgeridoo shop its another world nothing comparable with the world of yirdaki and traditional playing .We cant compare banana with carrots ! These a re two different world . Quote: we subject each individual didj to over 25 different processes to maximise their sound quality and ensure long term durability. Thats says it all to me they make didgeridoo to sell ,and make didgeridoo player happy and they want to make as much profit as possible with no return due to splitting and other .They seal their didgeridoo with a '' special mixture '' like others seal didgeridoo with epoxy ,varnish ectect .To make them sound ''better'' with brighter harmonics , its also bomb proof thats all they wants to hear . Thats what make the ''sound quality'' that almost all didgeridoo players are talking about ...the brilliant side . Quote: It is far better to purchase a CI 4 instrument from a credible source that is recognised and respected beyond the didgeridoo scene to protect or to grow your investment. This would make a great topic to discuss about . Quote: but I see no comment about sound quality Soud quality ?you can change your mind about this next year or all along your didgeridoo journey Quote: It is true that there are some wonderful traditional instruments but others are not so good indeed (both in sound quality and decoration), I've had the opportunity of playing some of them (from reliable sources) and I was not always impressed. See this where its happening Lucas ive been playing didgeridoo for some years and apparently im a good player (not for me ) When i started buying yirdaki i had this bad habit to always compare them with my didgeridoo and also play them like a didgeridoo ,ok some yirdaki can play like didge but lots of them as to be play differently and this is where the boundarys are . Last year i bought a yidaki and for me an expensive one at 1400 aus $ When i gave him the first try i almost start to cry oh no that can be a the stick not at this price! he play just like shit ! Yep for a didgeridoo player this yidaki is only good for fire ,a bad instrument ,nothing no shine no harmonics and a bad feeling ! This yidaki sounded exelent when i listened to the video . And i started to think the problems was me i was not playing the good way i was not playing with my body ,i was only using some part of my body and i couldnt make this yidaki sound good while i can make all my didgeridoo sound good ! I started to work my butt off to learn how to play again and make them sound like they should .To make it short this yidaki today is my best body ! He is something that no didge in the world can even approach . And to me sound quality is not only about harmonics shine and backpressure or decoration its also about complexity of the sound .You can go make all the woble and bounce breathing all the wiggy waggy and takatoom you want on my yidaki if your are not using the proper part of your body this yidaki will not give you anything ,is that make this yidaki a bad instrument ? to me no it make him unique he teach me play the right way .Learn how to play the traditional way is to learn from the roots ,everything you do now on your didgeridoo have his source from there .You learn how to make sound right an instrument the traditional way and when you go back on your didge you will be a better player cause your instrument will do thing that you wouldn do before because now you understand how it works .Nothing to do with whats best here ,but am in the best part of my journey Lucas and it worthed every $ i've put in it .I wish you the same .In this kind of debate one thing we should all do leave our ego outside .Have a beautyfull didgeridoo journey. GGW

[flyangler18]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

'Different sticks for different licks'!

I certainly won't argue that there is a wide range in 'quality' amongst traditional instruments- because there most certainly is! And the simple reality is that there is no such thing as an 'all around player', because some instruments will excel in certain areas and only perform so-so in other areas. My intent is not to place trad sticks on one end and other euc sticks on the other, rather to illustrate that, for the most part, trad sticks respond best to proper trad technique (as Martin mentioned earlier). Again this is very much a matter of personal taste, but then again I prefer to spend my money on instruments that best represent the art of didjeridu craftsmanship in terms of art, construction, etc. I am far more more interested in the cultural aspect of the instrument and understanding it in context- and have a great affinity for superbly crafted yidaki and mago, instruments from the source. What appeals to me most is the skill in selecting a tree with the right characteristics for the best sound to begin with, rather than working the bore extensively as I have seen with more contemporary eucalyptus termite-hollowed sticks. When the bore is worked too heavily, all of that natural character is lost and the complexity of the sound gone.

_________________
www.jdidj.com

[Lucas Trapaza]

flyangler18 wrote:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: 'Different sticks for different licks'! I certainly won't argue that there is a wide range in 'quality' amongst traditional instruments- because there most certainly is! And the simple reality is that there is no such thing as an 'all around player', because some instruments will excel in certain areas and only perform so-so in other areas. My intent is not to place trad sticks on one end and other euc sticks on the other, rather to illustrate that, for the most part, trad sticks respond best to proper trad technique (as Martin mentioned earlier). Again this is very much a matter of personal taste, but then again I prefer to spend my money on instruments that best represent the art of didjeridu craftsmanship in terms of art, construction, etc. I am far more more interested in the cultural aspect of the instrument and understanding it in context- and have a great affinity for superbly crafted yidaki and mago, instruments from the source. What appeals to me most is the skill in selecting a tree with the right characteristics for the best sound to begin with, rather than working the bore extensively as I have seen with more contemporary eucalyptus termite-hollowed sticks. When the bore is worked too heavily, all of that natural character is lost and the complexity of the sound gone.

Hello again,

Now I agree, certainly, and I fully respect your taste for traditional style. Probably you are right when you say that if you like traditional style, contemporary eucaliptus sticks are not good enough. That is the reason why I have yidaki too, because I felt they were surely better for traditional style. The others I have are still excellent instruments, but they are most suited for other purposes.

Now a different question: as I am now very interested in traditional style I bought some learning CDs: "Hard tongue didjeridoo" and "Djalu teaches and plays Yidaki" (two CDs). I would like to ask if you can recommend me more CD and or/books. In fact I would gladly accept any advice on this matter that may help me in learning the style.

I wish to thank you all again for your time and advice. It has been really interesting to me.

Regards.

[flyangler18]

Quote:

Now a different question: as I am now very interested in traditional style I bought some learning CDs: "Hard tongue didjeridoo" and "Djalu teaches and plays Yidaki" (two CDs). I would like to ask if you can recommend me more CD and or/books. In fact I would gladly accept any advice on this matter that may help me in learning the style.

I would suggest listening to the old field recordings- most are archived on Manikay.com. The Hard Tongue CD is a nice primer for understanding the rudiments but doesn't discuss things like accents from the throat and body, passive vocals, etc. Those things will come in time just through close listening and practice by imitation, and I imagine you will be playing the 'Djalu Teaches' CDs again and again.......

My biggest piece of advice is not fixate too obsessively on the notation of Hard Tongue, but relax and try to imitate what you hear and enjoy the process!

_________________
www.jdidj.com

[Lucas Trapaza]

Thanks for your advice, I am sure it will be very helpful for me.

Regards.

flyangler18 wrote:

Quote: Now a different question: as I am now very interested in traditional style I bought some learning CDs: "Hard tongue didjeridoo" and "Djalu teaches and plays Yidaki" (two CDs). I would like to ask if you can recommend me more CD and or/books. In fact I would gladly accept any advice on this matter that may help me in learning the style. I would suggest listening to the old field recordings- most are archived on Manikay.com. The Hard Tongue CD is a nice primer for understanding the rudiments but doesn't discuss things like accents from the throat and body, passive vocals, etc. Those things will come in time just through close listening and practice by imitation, and I imagine you will be playing the 'Djalu Teaches' CDs again and again....... My biggest piece of advice is not fixate too obsessively on the notation of Hard Tongue, but relax and try to imitate what you hear and enjoy the process!

[GGW]

Hi there

Quote:

When the bore is worked too heavily, all of that natural character is lost and the complexity of the sound

Yep this is it . Hearing is a growing sense .What captured me first in didgeridoo was the sound the harmonic the shinny side but my ear with time wanted something else and i start to listen deeper ,something different more organic and unique than a "standard" and i found the yidaki with his many side . With that come the lerning on how to play these complex sound out of raw stick .My yidaki that im talking about is raw as natural as nature did ,an untouched hole ,and all untouched hole are unique for me . Im still amaze of what's coming out of this raw stick and this is where heavely worked didgeridoo and even yidaki loosing it somewhere .Of course big bore didgeridoo have big wide full sound but to me its like sugar the first thing the toungue like but deeper in the mouth we can taste more complex thing and its heck of a party !

Quote:

Now a different question: as I am now very interested in traditional style I bought some learning CDs: "Hard tongue didjeridoo" and "Djalu teaches and plays Yidaki" (two CDs). I would like to ask if you can recommend me more CD and or/books. In fact I would gladly accept any advice on this matter that may help me in learning the style.

You have already what you need for a long long journey but like Jason said listen .Listen to the sound and start reproducing them you may be rediscover your yidaki With that comes the learning of those traditional accent and the learning of playing with all your body in a relax way .That takes time but hey we are not going to play at madisson square garden next week. But it worth the effort .Learn and play your way and first enjoy .

GGW

_________________
Beleive in yirdaki power