Didge Talk: Koji Matsumoto on Silence, Rhythm and Practice

Koji Matsumoto is a didgeridoo player who has been playing for more than ten years, performing on stage and running workshops as he travels. After filming a series of 13 new lessons for Didgeridoo Dojo, he sat down with the Dojo’s teacher, Sanshi, for an unscripted conversation about inspiration, practice and the many styles the didgeridoo has inspired. This article summarises the main themes of their talk.

Beyond the continuous drone

The didgeridoo is often associated with an unbroken drone, sustained through circular breathing. Koji explains that he likes to play more than the drone alone. In his view, music sometimes needs silence. He deliberately cuts a phrase and leaves a break, and that pause gives the next sound more impact when it arrives. Sanshi notes how well thought through Koji’s compositions are as a result.

Early influences

Asked what inspired him, Koji describes how his idea of the instrument changed early on. He had thought of the didgeridoo as a kind of ambient music. Then an early CD and a video of very percussive, drum-like playing showed him it could also drive rhythmic, danceable music. That discovery shaped the direction of his own playing.

How he approaches practice

Koji’s attitude to practice is relaxed. With a busy life on the move, he does not force practice sessions. Most of the time he plays because he wants to, and he simply does it, without treating it as pressure.

When he does practise with a goal, his main tool is a metronome. He calls it a good friend that is always there, though he admits he disliked it at first. Using a set tempo lets him control his speed, starting slowly and building up, for example from 60 to 120 to 180 beats per minute. He also works on volume and dynamics, balancing loud and soft sounds within a rhythm.

Sanshi’s tip: stay flexible

Sanshi shares his own approach. Rather than repeating one fixed phrase, he practises varying his rhythms of breathing, voice and tongue so he has a range of phrases ready for different rhythmic cycles, such as groupings of four, three, seven or five. He also listens to other music and changes his playing in response. The aim is to be ready to express himself in the moment rather than relying on a single pattern.

Traditional and contemporary styles

The conversation turns to the range of didgeridoo styles. The two mention that traditional playing from north-east Arnhem Land and from western Arnhem Land are quite different from each other. Those traditions belong to Aboriginal communities who have held and developed their music over a very long time. Contemporary styles, including funky, rhythmic playing, sit a long way from that traditional music, and the speakers describe learning across that range as a real challenge.

Sanshi also observes that players around the world are now bringing new sounds to the instrument from outside Australia, and that hearing Koji play is inspiring for that reason.

About the format

The video was a small experiment: a raw question and answer session with an artist passing through Didgeridoo Breath, filmed straight after a lesson recording session. It offers an informal look at how two experienced players think about the instrument.

Koji’s lessons are available through Didgeridoo Dojo, where he joined as an instructor.