s
sDIDGERIDOOS
sEucalyptus
sYidaki & Vintage
sExotic Timbers
sAgave & Gourd
sModern
sBamboo
sSleep Apnea Didges
sThe Didjeribone
s
s
sINFO
s Buying a Didgeridoo
s Playing a Didgeridoo
s Sleep Apnea Didges
s Care and Repair
ss Glossary of Terms
s Women & Didgeridoo
s No Worries Guarantee
s

sACCESSORIES
s What's New?
s Didgeridoo Gear
 sHow To Play - Video
 sHow To Play - CDs
 sGift Certificates
s

sCALENDAR
s Didgeridoo Events
spacer and Free Classes!
s
sMUSIC & VIDEO
s Didgeridoo CDs
s Videos & DVDs
spacer NEW! YouTube Picks
s
sABORIGINAL
 sDidgeridoo History
s Dreamtime Symbols
s Dreamtime Videos
s Links to Resources
spacer
sONLINE FORUM
s Didgeridoo Tribe
spacer
sART & ARTIFACTSs
 sWill Thoren Photos
 sAboriginal Paintings
 sBoomerangs
s Musical Clapsticks
spacer
sOUR NEWSLETTERs
s Subscribe Here Free
spacer
sSHIPPING INFO s

s FAQs & Transit Time

 
s

Asthma? Apnea? The Didgeridoo Can Help
spacer
A therapy you'll enjoy. spacer gifNo musical skill required!

Sleep Apnea & Didgeridoo
spacer gif
Watch this video about how the didgeridoo
works to relieve snoring and sleep apnea.
spacer gif
Just click on video at left to play.
s
On this page you'll find everything about how the didgeridoo is used to relieve asthma and sleep apnea. There are links to all of the medical and news articles, plus an excellent BBC video featuring the lead researcher, Dr. Milo Puhan, and his colleagues. Let us introduce you to the didgeridoo, what it is, how easily it's played, and which kind of didgeridoo you should get for sleep apnea therapy.
spacer gif
The British Medical Journal, PubMed, Science Daily, ABC News, Discovery and Men's Health magazine have articles reviewing the health benefits that playing a didgeridoo can offer those suffering with asthma, sleep apnea, and snoring. The news article below was just published in the Sydney Morning Herald, and here is how it read:

Sydneu Morning Herald
December 28, 2007
Bellinda Kontominas, Medical Reporter
spacer
A breathing technique required to play the didgeridoo could help asthma sufferers manage their condition, research into the health benefits of learning the instrument shows. Those who played the didgeridoo once a week for six months showed improved peak expiratory flow and reported better overall health according to a pilot study of about 30 asthma sufferers.
spacer
Asthma affects 14 to 16 per cent of Australian children aged up to 14. Dr Robert Eley, the study's lead researcher and a senior research fellow at the University of Southern Queensland, said the "deep and circular breathing" required to play the didgeridoo helped to increase respiratory function. Circular breathing requires inhaling through the nose while expelling air from the mouth using the tongue and cheeks.
spacer
Playing a wind instrument has been widely advocated for asthma management. Charada Thompson, a teaching assistant at the Carbal Medical Centre, who was also involved in the study, said the patients had enjoyed the group interaction and didgeridoo classes, and had reported an increase in confidence as a result of their participation. A 2004 review by the Cochrane Collaboration of breathing training to treat asthma patients showed the technique led to significant improvement in quality of life.
What is a Didgeridoo?
spacer
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument traditionally made from the trunk of termite hollowed eucalyptus trees from Australia (like the one pictured below). They average about 4 feet in length, and didgeridooare played by vibrating your lips into the top end of the instrument which creates a deep humming drone.
spacer
The didgeridoo is a rhythm instrument, so you play "beats" instead of melodic songs. Play at your own speed as well: quiet or loud, fast or slow... you'll develop your own style. There are no "rules" or complex memorization. This makes learning the instrument very intuitive, so you don't need any musical training or years of lessons to enjoy playing the didgeridoo straight away. And there's no lung power needed as with other wind instruments. The didgeridoo is played with gently vibrating lips, voice, and tongue movement, not lung power. You won't believe how quickly you can learn this and how much fun it can be.
spacer
"I live in an apartment. Will the sound disturb my neighbors?"
spacer
No dramas about the loudness of a didgeridoo, as you can play softly and quietly simply by relaxing your breath. You can also put a folded towel under the "bell" end of a didge to absorb some of the sound. You get the same therapeutic benefit no matter how loud or quiet you play.
Get a Didgeridoo and Start Playing!
Buying a didgeridoo for a beginner
Straight away, demand quality! Think about it this way... if you wanted to get serious about learning to play drums, would you shop for one at a toy store because they're cheaper than the music shop? How much joy and encouragement would you get from a toy drum? Same with a didgeridoo. We know you can find cheaper didgeridoos elsewhere, but you get what you pay for, mate. Here at L.A.Outback you won't have to stretch your budget that far to get superior quality in sound, playability, and artwork.
When selecting a didgeridoo for a novice there are two things to keep in mind: pitch and portability. While the word pitch is the correct term for the soundwave or drone of a didgeridoo, the word key has become the most common expression among didgeridoo players. Both words mean the same thing. A didgeridoo has only one pitch, so you play rhythm rather than melody. The common pitch range for didgeridoos is from high A to low A. Beginners should pick a didgeridoo somewhere in the middle of this scale, namely, C, C#, D or D#.

Amir didgeridooAs far as size goes, buying a large didgeridoo because it's within your budget may not be a bargain at all. In fact, didgeridoos over 5 feet long and/or heavy didgeridoos over 8 lbs could actually discourage a beginner from practicing. The pitch may be too high or too low, and if it's very heavy, the instrument will be left behind on camping trips, a visit to friends, or a jam session with other musicians. The size of the player is much less important, as even a six year old can pick up the basic sounds straight away.

Authentic eucalyptus didgeridoos
spacer
Our specialty at L.A.Outback. For over a decade we've earned a solid reputation for hand selecting and importing the best variety and highest quality eucalyptus didgeridoos into the U.S. Naturally, we'd like for you to consider an Australian eucalyptus didgeridoo with genuine Aboriginal artwork, but there are other choices below to fit most budgets. The Eucalyptus Didgeridoos that we have are naturally termite-hollowed, properly crafted and hand selected. They vary in price from $80 to over $800 depending upon the quality of sound, rarity of shape or size, and how much time went into the crafting and/or artwork. The average cost for a great sounding unpainted eucalyptus didgeridoo is about $179, and the average price for a beautiful Aboriginal painted didgeridoo is around $269. We help support over 30 Aboriginal artists and crafters, and on this website you will find their photos, bios and information about the Dreamtime artwork on your didgeridoo.
The BEST starter didgeridoos and their cost
Dean_WolfeWe have awesome Modern Didgeridoos from $39 to $98. These instruments play so well that many advanced players and professionals own them. In fact, you'll hear one of our modern didgeridoos in the IMAX film, Coral Reef Adventure. These are light in weight yet nearly indestructible, and it won't matter if they get wet, stressed, or left in your car on a hot summer day.
Our Modern Didgeridoos are the
most popular choice for use in therapy.
Other choices include Bamboo Didgeridoos starting at $48. These have a lustrous, non-toxic, clear resin coating to prevent them from cracking, unlike cheaper bamboo didgeridoos found elsewhere. Think about it, do you want a stick from Indonesia for thirty dollars that cracks and becomes unplayable, or do you want a solid musical instrument that will last a lifetime? Our bamboo didgeridoos are hand crafted by Tyler Spencer and available exclusively here at L.A.Outback.
Learning How to Play the Didgeridoo
Didgeridoo lessonsIf you live in southern California or are planning a trip here we offer FREE didgeridoo classes for beginners (see photo at right). To find out when the next class is scheduled simply give us a ring on 1-800-519-1140, or check our Didgeridoo Event Calendar.
spacer
Our Didgeridoo Video Course is an excellent way to get started and learn at your own pace. At 60 minutes in length this video includes: Choosing a Good Didgeridoo, Making a Mouthpiece, Achieving a Clear Tone, Varying the Tone, Making Animal Sounds, 3 Steps to Circular Breathing, Basic Rhythms, Advanced Rhythms and more. Read all about the video and place one in your shopping cart using this link: Didgeridoo Video Course.
You may also want to add a didgeridoo music CD to your order, both for encouragement and inspiration. We have the biggest selection of didgeridoo music on the internet, and you can hear MP3 sound samples for every CD from our Didgeridoo Music pages.
Didgeridoo mouthpieces and your health
Women play didgeridooYou won't find mention of this on most other didgeridoo websites (although they should). A concern about clean didgeridoo mouthpieces began with my very first trip to Australia. I had gone there to suss out contacts with Aboriginal artists and didgeridoo crafters from the Central Desert to far NE Arnhem Land. I also found gift shops filled with low quality souvenir didgeridoos, and folks were always trying to play them, including me! I started carrying disposable alcohol wipes, and then did some research about germs, viruses and antigens just to educate myself and our customers.
spacer
Truth be told, most folks rarely clean their mouthpieces and never get sick by sharing them. Still, we disinfect all of our mouthpieces with a product we call Didgeri-Clean. It contains tea tree oil (a natural antiseptic) and lavender oil, so your new didgeridoo will arrive clean, fresh, and ready to rumble! You can also purchase Didgeri-Clean from this website on our Didgeridoo Gear page.
We're always here to help
Please feel free to contact us if you want help in selecting a didgeridoo from our website or shop, or if you have a question about any of our products or services. We can play the didgeridoos for you over the phone, and give you advice about an instrument that perfectly suits your needs and your budget.
Our toll free number is 800-519-1140 or in California you can ring us on 818-985-8359. If you prefer to email us simply click on this link info@laoutback.com.
Your mob at L.A.Outback,
Mark, Barry, Pablo, and Jorge
Los Angeles, California
spacer
Ethical didgeridoo buying and what to look out for: Avoid instruments manufactured in third world countries like India and Indonesia. Healthy teak trees are being harvested for wood didgeridoos in Indonesia and plastic didgeridoos that look like wood are being made in India. Many folks out there have already bought these types of didgeridoos believing that they were made by Aboriginal people in Australia. Sellers of these sticks may intentionally lie or "talk around" the issue while a few honestly admit where they are made. If it doesn't feel right, don't bite. The Aboriginal people of Australia sustain their culture through their arts, crafts and community tourism. Help us help them. And thanks for listening.
Medical Disclaimer: We (L.A.Outback) are not medical professionals or experts on asthma or sleep apnea syndrome. Our specialty for 10 years and growing is the didgeridoo, and we are responding to the proof of principal results published in the British Medical Journal and other credible resources. It is our express concern that you consider didgeridoo playing only as a supplemental therapy to compliment your asthma treatments, CPAP, or any related therapies as prescribed by your doctor.
There is no cure for asthma or sleep apnea, and while the clinical results of didgeridoo playing are promising, you should not decrease or discontinue your current regimen without consulting your physician.
 
Questions?
1.800.519.1140
Please don't hesitate to ring us with questions
about any of our products or services.
 
The Largest Didgeridoo selection in the USA!
  Home || About Us || Directions || Customer FAQ || Contact Us