Sticks and Stones - An Amateur's Comparison of Didjeridu and Go

Sticks and Stones
An Amateur's Comparison of Didjeridu and Go

by John W. Cooper

Readers' Comments

Not surprisingly, the didgeridoo doesn't have a "unique low tolerance"
over here. It also seems to be gaining popularity across the world at
present, for example the Finnish/Swedish band "Gjallarhorn" include a
didgeridoo player, and their material hails from Scandinavian
folklore! (You'd probably find something about them on the web if you
searched - I think there's an interview about somewhere).

- Adrian Morgan

Just read your article and found it very interesting. I too am fascinated
by both the didjeridu and Go. I've played Go for quite some time, but have
only had a small amount of contact with the didj.

I took a week's rafting trip down the San Juan river last summer, and one
of the guides had a didjeridu. When the evenings came and we made camp, he
would play. Sitting by a river in the middle of beautiful canyons,
listening to the didjeridu, the canyon echoes, and wildlife is an
experience I hope I will never forget. Sometimes my sister and I would join
in, singing high sustained notes, and we would blend our tones into
unearthly harmonies. I played djeridu a little bit myself, and want very
much to own one.

I actually found listening extremely rewarding. One thing I noticed however
is how subtle an instrument it can be. I'm not sure that modern musical
reproduction (CDs and speakers) is quite up to the task. I think that this
is another similarity to Go. Go played on computer is not nearly as
satisfying as a real Go board. The tactile sensation of picking up stones
and snapping them on the board is very satisfying. The closer you are to a
live didjeridu or a real Go board, the better the experience.

- Dan Russett

A tale of an epiphany.

"Coming in with the golden light -- with no warning"
-- Kate Bush: The Dreaming: "The Dreaming"

- drh

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posted 7/18/99