Yidaki

I don’t profess that I know the full meaning of this word and it is not my place to speak for the Yolngu people where this language is from.  I can  though tell you my understanding,  and encourage you to connect  with mob there to find out the clear meaning of their language.

My understanding is that Yidaki is the Yolngu name for didgeridoo. The popularised word didgeridoo may itself come from a white fella saying “what is that”? and a Yolngu man saying didgeridoo didgeridoo didgeridoo, voicing a rhythm sound, piece or song and so somehow a hybrid name maybe was created.
Yidaki in a modern sense has also come to relate to a particular shaped  instrument that plays in a particular way. Most didgeridoos anywhere are cut to approx 130-180cm long and the majority of these would be 130-150cm. Two predominant Yidaki species in the top end are  stringybarks and bloodwoods. The way they grow is very tapered with a tendency towards the internal hole gradually being bigger towards the base. As a contrast, Mallee gum didgs whilst they taper a little, they are more likely to be more even diameter as a hole over the length and significantly then flare at  the base.

If  the majority  of the didgs are cut to 130-150 cm on a tapering Stringybark or Bloodwood, the notes most common to achieve will be F# through to D# which with a tighter  hole at top, suits a staccato and at times fast playing style, with use of overtone notes to further accentuate rhythm.

So a Yidaki style didg is one that looks tapered, and is  definitely so at least on the inside, and produces an even mix of treble and base in the sound quality mix and  has a high level of backpressure suitable for fast, hard and diaphramic style playing.

Back to this Yidaki, with a deeper understanding of why I call some didgeridoos Yidaki’s and some I don’t, this hollow playing instrument is certainly and simply a Yidaki.
Key of E, tons of compression, tons of volume,  tons of treble and bottom end, easy on the overtones, and tapering hole over 154 cm. It charges along and can be played in the traditional style and yet can be dreamy and cruisy as desired.
As the Old man said to me in blessing my journey and in answering a question about taking up Yolngu instrument, ” as long as you play your own song manymak” ( good)

Listen to this didgeridoo:

Details:

Code: 3345

Length: 154cm

Widest diameter: 13cm

Weight: 3.5kg

Wood type: Bloodwood

Musical key: E

Overtones: C#, G

Categories: Bare & or Natural with some Art, Beginner Advanced, Collectors, Highest Quality Instrument, Highly Resonant and Responsive, Performer, Treble Base Boomer