Breathing In and Out Simultaneously = Music

Australian Aborigines Play Didgeridoos

"I've forgotten how to breathe!" is a sentence one should never hear -- unless, perhaps, marijuana is involved or someone is trying (unsuccessfully) to make us laugh at such an absurdity. Everyone knows that the body's autonomic response makes a person breathe even when unconscious. This is a good thing, because otherwise the person would die. Let's also be thankful that we don't have to consciously have to make our heart beat about once a second -- it would take so much concentration that no blogs would ever get written.

But I'm not here to discussion not breathing; I'm here to discuss a lot of breathing. Everyone knows that the method of breathing is to inhale air and then exhale air. That's sounds pretty simple, especially if I don't go into the details of what happens in between (oxygen, carbon dioxide, blood, lungs, diaphragm, etc.). Did you ever wonder why breathing has to be so linear -- in, out, in, out, in, out? No, you never wondered that? Ok, fine. Let's say you did anyway. Now you would ask: What would happen if breathing was a simultaneous action -- in and out at the same time? First of all, that would be a bad thing. For instance, we would not be able to interrupt people who like to hear themselves talk (and you know whom I'm talking about) because they would never have to pause to take a breath. Second, if you have to burp or hiccup, then... well, I won't go into detail on those issues. In any case, my answer to your question would be that simultaneous breathing in and out can create beautiful music!

Didgeridoo

About 1,500 years ago, the native aboriginal peoples of Australia created a musical instrument that is now called the Didgeridoo. The instrument has many other names in the native languages -- including Yirtakki, Garnbak, and Kurmur -- but let's stick with the Westernized "didgeridoo." The instrument is very simple: an approximately 4-foot long hollow wooden tube. However, it was originally difficult to produce. The wood was usually obtained from the common Eucalyptus tree, but its trunks and branches are not hollow. The Aborigines did not have the necessary tools to remove four feet of core hardwood without destroying the outer layer, so what did they use? Termites.

Eucalyptus trees (also called Gum trees) contain a resin that repulses termites. So how can termites dine on a Eucalyptus tree if it is inedible to them? They wait. Termites cannot bother a live Eucalyptus tree because of the tree's natural defenses; however, they can consume a dead tree. The harmful "gum" is generally found just below the bark, where it is most effective. Therefore, the termites concentrate on the yummy inner rings. By the time they have finished, the only part of the tree remaining is a hollow trunk or branch -- prime Didgeridoo material. The instrument maker then needs to find which pieces are hollow, if they are of the right length and diameter, and have the proper resonance that is needed. He finishes off the termites' work with his own tools.

These days, Didgeridoos can be made out of plastic, ceramics, or any type of wood, all with different effects. So the hardest part has been overcome. Well, not exactly. Playing the instrument is where the hard part comes in, and the players cannot rely on any insects to help them.

Try this: Take in a deep breath, and while holding your breath, open your mouth wide and then close it quickly, capturing some air in your cheeks. Then, while still holding your breath, push the air out of your cheeks/mouth (not from your lungs), as if you're blowing up a balloon. Ok, now you can exhale (if you already had exhaled, then you are doing this incorrectly; maybe you've forgotten how to breathe). In a sense, what you've just done is a form of pseudo-breathing -- instead of inhaling/exhaling with your lungs, you've "inhaled" (taken air into your mouth) and "exhaled" (expelled air from your mouth). If you can do this in a constant manner, while simultaneously doing your real inhaling and exhaling (not just holding your breath), then you MIGHT have the qualifications to play the Didgeridoo.

Beeswax is placed along the rim of the Didgeridoo, and this makes a tight seal with the player's lips. Then, through a technique of breathing in and out through the nose while simultaneously capturing and exhaling air through the mouth, music is created through the Didgeridoo. Based on the length of the instrument, the tone is generally constant; however, using various rhythms and tapping on the wood, particular sounds are created. Masters of this art have been known to play a constant sound without any audible break for over 50 minutes straight. It's not the most exciting concert experience, so you are unlikely to find the CD recording in a local store. Although this music was first heard ages ago, the sounds are so peculiar that they have been used in soundtracks of modern science fiction movies. You've heard the Didgeridoo music before; you just didn't know what you had been listening to.

Here is a sample from an Australian Aborigine:

Throat-Singing

So music can be creating by breathing in and expelling air at the same time, and using a Didgeridoo. But what if you don't have access to a termite-infested dead piece of Eucalyptus with the exact proportions you need? Then you might be able to Throat-Sing.

Throat-Singing, also known as Overtone Singing, is a form of singing/chanting that originally developed in Mongolia. Using breathing techniques similar to Didgeridoo playing, and by manipulating one's lips, tongue, larynx, and pharynx, a Throat Singer can actually create two different tones at the same time. When these tones are in harmony, the sound is incredible. Because of the technique, it is too difficult to sing understandable words as well, so lyrics are lost. On the other hand, that hasn't stopped a violin from sounding beautiful.

Here is a clip of a Mongolian master Throat Singer. In keeping with the Australian theme, I have selected his version of "Waltzing Matilda." The actual Throat singing does not begin until the 1:30 mark.