I invited myself into the space where I will share some observation about speed in didgeridoo training. I would like to possibly open some doors of beauty and sense in high speed didgeridoo training.
Myths about speed…
I heard many things from didgeridoo players about “fast” didgeridoo playing, what it is, what it is not, what it is for, what it is like, what is IT? 😉 I would say what I heard falls into two basic category. First is the category of comments expressing admiration for some player’s speed. Second is the category of usually more experienced players who say “speed- what it is good for, musicality is the only important notion in music”. Of course, there is the third category of everything else, but it is quite empty compared to the first two. If you recognize yourself in any of the categories, please forget you do, and continue to read without knowing what is going to happen. I would like to fill the third category a bit more, and maybe make another few categories, so please give me a chance.
Speed as relative term
I don’t know if you have noticed, but if somebody starts to play fast, and continues in the same tempo, little by little what you hear loses the quality of “fast” playing and becomes “normal” playing. So it is a very psycho-acoustical thing. Another observation is that if it is played with a lot of force, let’s say aggressively, it is more likely to sound fast. Same way an aggressive fighter will look more dangerous than calm warrior. Only your deeper knowledge of the matter reveals the truth to you. So we have another psycho-acoustic quality of speed. There is also a gender aspect, because it seems men generally play faster than women (correct me if I am wrong). There is loudness factor and high didgeridoo key factor which again fall in some psycho-acoustic phenomenon… By now we could make a nice concept about speed which will lock us and our potential into a cage of impossibility. Please let us be free of conclusions just a bit more and explore the depth of speed.
The depth of speed
Speed is related to time. Time is related to body. There is no time in consciousness. The time of technique or sound manifestation does not exist in spirit, it only exists in the just mentioned manifestation. What does it mean? Speed as an abstract musical idea does not really exist. It is like making something big in the empty space. There is no coordinate system, no reference point, so it cannot be big or small. The most abstract form of musical idea comes in this kind of environment. At least in my experience. Speed comes into the game in the moment of expression. You (un)consciously pick a tempo in which to play and some kind of “speed” is here. Now notice something that could be of great importance. Notice how directly it is related to your body. Condition of your body and mind determines the way you play. So notice how speed is a certain limit of your body, both low and high speed. The area in which you can stretch in your human form. Notice how speed is strongly related to inner body processes you cannot really grasp with you mind, it comes as a sense beyond any sense, the inner(body)sense. The essence of sense!
The need for speed
So now that we might have felt some depth in speed, and by that we have probably relinquished old needs for speed, we can open up for new gifts that come from this world. We are not talking about psycho-acoustical speed anymore, we are not speaking about impressions or idols, we are speaking of the time you are all alone, determined to cross the boundaries of your speed limit. Now why would you do that? It is the same question as why would somebody explore space. Probably to experience what is there. This is a very clean moment. Only with yourself. You make the speed your friend, you make it as an absolute point in your exploration. Remember, we are not talking about psycho-acoustical speed you will show to little kids who have never seen didgeridoo. We are talking about you all alone, with just one addition; The Unbendable Mr Metronome.
The Unbendable Mr Metronome
Understand that The Unbendable Mr Metronome is your best friend in high speed didgeridoo practice. Why?
- Because it will keep you out of the mess of yourself.
- Because it will push you where you don’t have the strength to push yourself.
- It is absolute.
Now this is the my experience only, so it might not be true for you, but for me playing with metronome was the only high quality didgeridoo speed practice. And surprisingly it has taught me two things that at a first glance have no connection to speed.
Relaxation and Balance
Yes. These two words. I will not say a lot more. It reminds me most of the scene when Li Mu Bai says to Jen “real sharpness comes without effort”. If you know Turkish or Mandarine, here is a little video for you.
Body in this extreme condition of speed learns to optimize itself. It results in relaxation and balance. Later this higher degree of that principles can be transferred to any kind of technical performance on didgeridoo.
The meditation of speed
Another benefit of pushing your body deep into speed is that there is not much space for thinking if you really wish to succeed. So something that might sound disturbed on the surface, is of great calmness underneath.
The depth of speed again
There is something sacred I learned from mandalas of Jerry Starbuck. I’ve learned that what is a texture in one dimension is a shape in another. The space and resolution of mandala is your time and speed of didgeridoo playing. If you can enter into another dimension of speed you do not need to play fast. You can increase your detail instead. Because detail is in resolution, and speed makes resolution – so they are very tightly connected. Maybe you can learn by looking into these mandalas something which is beyond words, but can be strongly related to didgeridoo playing.
The space and resolution of mandala is your time and speed of didgeridoo playing
The practice
I feel any of your rhythms/sounds/songs/phrases will be do good in your practice. A metronome will be great help. Learning your limits is a great step. Crossing them – even greater.
The counterbalance
The great counterbalance for speed practice for me is not slow but soft playing practice. It is another kind of detail that is involved in this performance. I would say more of a space dimension awareness. But we will discuss it another time.
Need 4 speed 2
I hope you found your own reason to try to explore your speed realm. Remember, it is not about speed, it is beyond speed, in the depth of your own body.
Real sharpness comes without effort.
If you feel this is a lot of high speed didgeridoo training theory and you would prefer more high speed didgeridoo training practice, know that you can influence me by your always great comments. If we reach the critical mass there is no chance that I won’t show you something magical!
