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Comment by wiredfool | Hacker News Reader

Unfortunately, digeridoo playing is just as disruptive to partner's sleep as snoring is. Perhaps they should try bagpipes?

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Funny.

The didge forces you to learn circular breathing, it's cheaper, it is easier to learn, and is easier to play well. Plus I think it sounds better. Everyone should learn to play the didgeridoo. Bagpipes are a whole another level, and feel more like a practical joke gone horribly wrong (Sorry Gran.)

Use a box didgeridoo instead, it's much quiter than a full-size one.

Just bought one, will be intrigued to see if it has any effect on my snoring.

Godspeed!

Dunno if it'll improve the snoring, but it's quite fun :)

I suspect bagpipes may be the worst wind instrument to learn in this regard, at least if the goal is to train circular breathing?

Several varieties of bagpipe I'm aware of don't even require breathing, since they're powered by bellows. The pipes are surprisingly hard to learn by the way. One normally starts on the chanter, which is more like a recorder and is not bag assisted.

>One normally starts on the chanter, which is more like a recorder

In the case of the Great Highland bagpipes, the most similar traditional instrument is the rauschpfeife (capped double-reed with conical bore and without prominent bell):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rauschpfeife

I would imagine some basic breathing techniques may help, wonder what the research in anuloma viloma pranayama shows, but beware there's a lot written by random people on the internet about it without scientific evidence.

If you're talking about the great highland bagpipes, circular breathing can be really helpful while learning. Because of the "practice chanter," every piper have one or two and use it to learn new tunes or just practice technique.

I don't think circular breathing is the goal. It's just a means to an end. The goal is strengthening the muscles that keep the airway open. The resistance from blowing into the didgeridoo seems to be what does that. I have no idea how that compares to bagpipes, however.

Bagpipes can quite easily be blocked out by the brain. With one caveat: the otherwise highly prized vibrato technique must be avoided.

Both can practice in the other room.

Didge isn't that loud unless you're really going for it. Nothing compared to bagpipes.

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