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Didgeridoo, Yirdaki, Yidaki, Yedaki

These are different names for the same instrument. It is one of the aged musikinstruments of human history.

The yedakis in the indigenius cultur of australian Aboriginal-People were only known in Arnhemland, in North-Australia.
I n the last century it was spread over hole Australia under the different Aboriginal people.

Althought this site has its focus on didgeridoos, made by people who are (mostly not) Aboriginals, we will have in mind, that those are the "parents" and the beholder of the yedaki and the oldest living cultur of mankind.

In priciple, the yedaki is a tube, in which throught the lipp-vibration a standing wave is developed.
The sound and the pitch of this standing wave is influenced by the lenght, the diameter and the surface of the inner tube. The sound can be modulated by the mouth, the tongue the breasing, the voice. It can be accentuated in rythmus and a little also in frequenz.

That is the theorie. The australian yedakis are mostly made of eucalyptus-branches. Little Termites hollow out the living tree by eating the wood. Normaly the tree is staying alive. Only in the last stages it dies.
The termites leave a realitve equal wall-thicknes. So, it is importend, to find the right tree, hear it by knocking on the tree and cut it down.

Beside the well known Aboriginal-makers like Djalu Guruwiwi, David Blanasi and many many more, there are also some white australien didge-makers, who know this very well, e.g. Bruce Rogers, Frank Thill or David Howell.
The structure, which the temites leave on the inside of the yedaki are importand for the sound quality, and, there are no two instuments similar. A real nature-product.
Yedakis with a straight and linear inner surface will function, but in my opinion the sound of one with unequal inner surface is more interesting.

last change 2003-12-21
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