Didgeridoo: Encyclopedia II - Didgeridoo - New versions

Didgeridoo - New versions

In the 20th century, several "modernized versions of the didgeridoo have been developed. The didjeribone [3] (also called "slideridoo" or "slidgeridoo"), a sliding didgeridoo made of plastic, was invented in second half of the 20th century by Australian didgeridoo player Charlie McMahon. It is constructed of two lengths of plastic tube, one of which is slightly narrower in diameter than the other, and which slides inside the wider tube in the manner of a trombone (hence the instrument's name). This allows players to achieve fundamental tones within the compass of a major sixth, ranging from low B♭ to high G.

A keyed didgeridoo (having keys somewhat like those of a saxophone, allowing the performer to play melodically) was developed in the late 20th century by the U.S. didgeridoo player Graham Wiggins (stage name Dr. Didg) and used on his CDs Out of the Woods (1995) (in the track "Sun Tan") and Dust Devils (2002) (in the tracks "T'Boli" and "Sub-Aqua"). Wiggins built the unique and somewhat unwieldy instrument at the physics workshop of Oxford University, from which he earlier obtained his Ph.D.

In the mid to late 1990s, Marko Johnson developed the didjbox [4], a compact instrument that functions along the same principles as a traditional didgeridoo. The didjbox emulates the length of a traditional instrument with a series of baffles that create a "tortuous path" of air. Most of these didjboxes measure between 18 and 24 inches in length. Johnson holds US Patent #6664454 for his creation.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "New versions", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki