Larry Winiwini F/G yidaki, played by the man himself

Jason Guwarnbal and Djalu' Gurruwiwi were both recorded playing this yidaki in which they demonstrate Groote Eylandt yiraka style. That clip can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NMD6-ygDk8 This instrument very much typifies the sort of yidaki Winiwini loves to play. Not as boomy or thunderous as those favoured by Djalu, but with a sharper, denser, more compact and focussed sound. This allows the free-jazz master of yidaki to do his stuff best as you can hear on this clip. Because of the narrow neck region and high compression within the air column of the instrument, tongued accents do not produce 'pops' but rather 'snaps'. This is totally Larry's style and one that he enjoys most as it allows him to improvise and to create syncopations that no other Yolngu yidaki player is familiar with. A point worth noting is that Winiwini first and foremost makes instruments he likes to play. He is amongst the most discerning of the Gurruwiwis as far as tree selection is concerned, discarding anything that doesn't meet his standards. His enthusiasm is such that he will often begin work on a log as soon as he gets home, choosing the best piece of timber that he has available. This yirdaki is incredibly powerful, so much so that you can hear distortion in this recording due to the strong 'snaps' of the air created by tongued accents. When the instrument is pushed a little, the fundamental note jumps from F to F#. The overtone note is lovely and smooth and very easy to hit, allowing for rapid fire action as demonstrated by Winiwini. Those who want to play like Larry Winiwini, this is the sort of instrument for you.