The Didgeridoo – Everything You Need to Know

The didgeridoo (or didje as some call it) is an Australian Aboriginal instrument that looks like a long wooden pipe or tube. These instruments are traditionally made from wood naturally hollowed by termites, then selected and shaped by the maker. The hollow tube may be finished and decorated with traditional art.

The Didgeridoo is often spelled didjeridu, but neither spelling is an Aboriginal-language name. Yidaki is a Yolŋu name associated with north-east Arnhem Land; names such as mandapul and mako also have particular regional and cultural contexts. These names should not all be treated as interchangeable labels for every instrument. The English word is commonly explained as an imitation of its sound, rather than an established Irish derivation.

Although a didgeridoo is made from hardwoods like eucalyptus species and acts as a ‘drone pipe’, it is a lip-reed wind instrument, with vibrating lips producing the sound much as they do in a brass instrument.

The traditional didgeridoo can vary in shape, size, and finish. There are a lot of popular and modern variations using more durable or cheaper materials as well. Beginners prefer to buy a cheap bamboo or synthetic version because they are lightweight and affordable. However, nowadays, you can find didgeridoos made from fiberglass and other materials from various makers.

The Didgeridoo – At A Glance

• The didgeridoo is a traditional Australian Aboriginal instrument made from hollowed-out wood, with various modern variations available.
• It’s played by vibrating the lips and manipulating air pressure to produce sound.
• The instrument is used in Aboriginal ceremonies and contemporary music, with notable players including David Blanasi, Si Mullumby, and Charlie McMahon.
• A traditional didgeridoo has a main drone pitch, while advanced techniques can produce trumpet-like higher notes and more complex sounds.
• While there are ethical considerations, non-Aboriginal people often play the didgeridoo, and it’s one of the most famous Aboriginal instruments.
• Other traditional Aboriginal instruments include the bullroarer, gum leaf, and clapsticks.

Didgeridoo construction, tuning, and techniques

One end of the didgeridoo is called the mouthpiece – this is where you place your mouth to play the instrument. The other end is the open end, sometimes widened into a bell; its shape helps determine the instrument’s sound. The mid-part is called the body. The mouthpiece end may have a rim of beeswax to improve the fit, although some traditional instruments need little or none. Their length can differ from 1 meter to 3 meters, but most of them are around 1.2 meters.

Each didgeridoo is tuned to a key, and when you blow into the long tube, it creates a deep, resonant sound due to the air pressure. You can find didgeridoos tuned in C, B, F#, G, and even high A, but these are rare.

There are certain techniques you can learn to manipulate the sound and create rhythmic accents using volume and timbre. Start by getting a steady lip-buzz drone. Circular breathing comes afterward: you push stored mouth air out while briefly breathing in through your nose. You can also hum or use tongue movements to change the sound while playing.

How Do You Play a Didgeridoo?

The instrument can be played with a meditative mindset, and it has important spiritual roles in particular Aboriginal traditions. For learning the basic drone, start with a relaxed posture and a gentle airflow.

1. You should find a comfortable posture or use the traditional cross-legged posture with a straight back and shoulders. 
2. Support the instrument comfortably on your foot, lap, or a suitable rest, keeping the open end clear.
3. If the open end is pressed against the ground or another surface, it can obstruct the sound; simply supporting the body is different. 
4. Now, establish a basic hand grip by cradling the body in the palm of your primary hand (right hand if you are right-handed) with your index finger pointing away from you.
5. The other hand (the left one, in this case) should be placed around the mouthpiece to balance the instrument. 
6. The basic drone – the first step to playing the didgeridoo – is to learn how to blow air by vibrating your lips. To do this, you must relax all your facial muscles and vibrate your lips as you gently blow.
7. Once you can create a sound, you should proceed to place your lips on the instrument and seal them on the mouthpiece. You will be using the didgeridoo as an amplifier for the sounds you create. 
8. Keep your lips firm but not too tight against the mouthpiece, and try different positions until you are comfortable. Some people align the lips directly, and others prefer to play from the side of the mouth. 
9. Once you learn to drone, you can alter the tension of your lips to alter the sound of the instrument. For instance, changes in lip tension can bend the drone slightly or help you reach a higher trumpet-like note. Mouth and tongue shape also change the tone color, so a brighter sound is not always a higher pitch. 
10. More advanced techniques include using the diaphragm, tapping the tongue on the teeth, and various rolls of the tongue to create additional sounds. These advanced techniques need to be practiced and studied in detail until you learn to control your facial muscles. 

A few minutes to an hour of practice a day will lead to steady progress, and it can be invaluable if you have an experienced player to guide you through the process.

This video is a good resource for beginners who want to understand the basics of the instrument.

Where did the didgeridoo come from?

The didgeridoo has a long history among Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia. Its exact age and first place of development are not known, so claims that it is one of the world’s oldest wind instruments need more evidence than a repeated date. Its cultural history is also broader than a single modern name for it.

Arnhem Land is central to this history, including the Yolŋu yidaki traditions of the north-east and other traditions farther west. Rock art and historical recordings offer evidence of didgeridoo playing, but a picture of an instrument is not the date of its invention. It is better to distinguish surviving evidence from the origin stories and knowledge held by particular communities.

What is a didgeridoo used for?

Traditionally, a didgeridoo plays an important role in Aboriginal ceremonies and music. It was an instrument that was used to create stories and teach values to the communities through the sounds of nature. It remains an accompaniment to song and dance in particular northern Aboriginal traditions. Its role and who may play it depend on the community and occasion. 

Today, it has become a part of contemporary music, fusion music, and world music in various avatars. Modern didgeridoo players are distinct from traditional players, and they use vastly different instruments to suit the needs of their genre/style. Many of these instruments have a non-traditional shape and use modern materials to improve durability and playability.

Is the didgeridoo hard to play?

As with all instruments, the didgeridoo is easy to learn but hard to master. Some people learn the basics within a day or two, and others can achieve this with an hour’s practice within a few weeks. There are some children as young as 3 or 4 years of age who can play the didgeridoo. In fact, they say that anyone who can fog a mirror with their breath can play the didgeridoo.

Who are the best didgeridoo players in the world?

David Blanasi, an Aboriginal musician from west Arnhem Land, helped bring the didgeridoo to international audiences through recordings and performances. Si Mullumby is a well-known contemporary didge player associated with Wild Marmalade, a high-energy act combining didgeridoo with dance rhythms. Their recordings offer a different approach from the traditional playing heard in Blanasi’s work.

Charlie McMahon is another skilled player and a proponent of contemporary didgeridoo playing. He formed the Gondwanaland Project with Peter Carolan, recording Terra Incognita in 1983. His work with Midnight Oil, including touring in 1994, came after the group’s formation rather than before it.

Gondwanaland made the didgeridoo a central part of a contemporary ensemble with keyboards and percussion. The group followed Terra Incognita with albums including Let the Dog Out and Wide Skies. After Gondwanaland ended in 1992, McMahon took a more acoustic direction under the name Gondwana, recording Travelling Songs and continuing to explore the instrument’s possibilities.

Other didgeridoo virtuosos include busker-turned-musician Alan Dargin (Australia), Alex Meyer (Austria), Adele Blanchin (France), Ansgar Stein (Germany), and many others.

how many notes can a didgeridoo play?

A traditional fixed-length didgeridoo has a main drone pitch, such as D, but that does not mean it can only sound one note. Its bore and length help determine its resonances, and the player can also produce a higher trumpet-like note by changing the lip vibration. Sliding designs provide another way to change the pitch.

However, different types of sounds and sound waves can be created by lip position, the shape of the mouthpiece, and manipulating the tongue and cheeks. You can also create overtones or use slider didges to play multiple notes, and certain advanced techniques can be applied to create higher notes as you would with a bugle.

Can non-Aboriginal people play the didgeridoo?

There are cultural considerations here, and there is no single rule shared by all Aboriginal communities. Many non-Aboriginal musicians play didgeridoo, but a traditional style, name, or ceremonial role carries its own context. Yolŋu accounts describe customary restrictions on women playing yidaki while also recording exceptions and differing views about visitors. Learn from the relevant community and ask about the setting rather than assuming that buying an instrument grants access to every tradition.

5 lesser-known facts about the didgeridoo

• Its exact age is uncertain; surviving evidence does not establish a world-oldest ranking.
• It is often made from eucalyptus tree trunks hollowed out by termites.
• It was used as an accompanying instrument for singers and dancers in religious rituals.
• It is only played by men in certain tribal groups.
• It is widely recognized as a sound of Australia, although that is not an official national designation.

What is the most famous Aboriginal instrument?

The didgeridoo is the most famous Aboriginal instrument. But the Aborigines also played two other instruments called the bullroarer and the gum-leaf. Besides these three instruments, the Aborigines also used clapsticks to maintain rhythm during voice chants.

The bullroarer, also known as a turndun or rhombus, is a thin rectangular slat that is sharp around the edge and attached to a long cord. This cord is given an initial twist and whirled around in circles in the air (like chopper blades) to create a roar. You can watch it in action here.

The gum leaf, as the name suggests, is literally the leaf of the Eucalyptus tree that is played like a hand-held free-reed instrument and sounds like a mouth trumpet. You can watch it in this video. 

Summary

The didgeridoo may have originated as a ceremonial instrument, but today, it has crossed over into many new and exciting directions. There are many exemplary players who push the boundaries of the instrument and use it in innovative ways.

You can see many of these maestros compete in exciting events like didge-battles that have a huge online following. Once you master the basics, you can explore some nifty techniques like beatboxing through a didgeridoo from these guys.