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Playing the yidaki

Yolngu people from the East Arnhemland have developed arguably the most complex performance style and usage of this instrument.

Mandawuy Yunipingu explains:

“We recognise different clans’s individual rhythmic processes and sounds. In northeast Arnhem Land yidakis tend to be long and therefore the pitch is low. The further west we travel, the shorter the yidaki and therefore the higher the pitch. The yidaki has its own language in that the tongue plays a major role in transforming the air into sounds.

The continuous tone of the yidaki is achieved by using the technique of circular breathing. The pitch will vary according to the length, wall thickness, shape and the inner diameter. A rim of beeswax may be applied to the mouth end to form a tight comfortable sealing mouth piece. Becoming an accomplished yidaki player in a Yolngu community involves a lifetime of training.

As Mandawuy Yunupingu points out:

Good yidaki players are those who start to play before they are circumcised. Once they start playing in serious ceremonial business they build the confidence to play in public with an understanding of the rhythms of the song cycles.