What is a didgeridoo?
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument thought to have originated in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Researchers have suggested it may be the world's oldest musical instrument, over 40,000 years old.
In this video Sanshi shows you a didgeridoo and explains the basic playing technique.
This is one of the many videos from Didgeridoo Dojo.
13 didgeridoo facts
- The Didgeridoo is a wind instrument thought to have originated in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.
- Researchers have suggested it may be the world's oldest musical instrument, over 40,000 years old.
- There is a little evidence of the didgeridoo being used as far south as the Alice Springs region of Australia, but traditionally never in the southern three quarters of the country.
- It has been suggested that the Didgeridoo was an adaptation of traded instruments from India and/or Asia, this is possibly why it was mainly used by coastal tribes of the far North of Australia.
- Traditionally didgeridoos were made from eucalyptus tree trunks and limbs hollowed out, while still living, by termites, (a small insect like an ant but a relative of the cockroach) or from bamboo in the far north of Australia.
- Traditionally the termite hollowed Didgeridoo was cut to an average length of 130 to 160cm and cleaned out with a stick or sapling.
- Today didgeridoos are made from a large variety of materials such as glass, leather, hemp, ceramic, plastic, solid timbers carved out, logs drilled out, dried/hollowed cactus stems, aluminum and other metals and just about any material which can be formed into a hollow tube!
- The didgeridoo was traditionally used as an accompaniment along with chants, singers and dancers, often in ceremonies.
- Today the didgeridoo is heard in almost every style of music, rock, jazz, blues, pop, hip hop, electronic, techno, funk, punk, rap etc. There are truly no limits to the use of this awesome instrument.
- In a few aboriginal groups in certain ceremonies men only played the didgeridoo, but in many groups, outside of ceremony, men, women and children played it.
- In the same way the guitar originating in Europe, is now owned, made and played by people across the world, the Australian didgeridoo is now owned, made and played by many people all around the globe.
- In the same way guitars and some drums were originally shaped in the form of the female body and were for men to play only in those cultures, men in certain ceremonies often only used the Didgeridoo. Today it would be illegal (and ridiculous) in most countries to even suggest that the guitar, the drums or the Didgeridoo were not to be played anywhere in the world by one sex or another.
- The word didgeridoo can be spelt many different ways, none of which are Aboriginal names for the instrument. The word "didgeridoo" was a western word given to the instrument around 100 years ago.
For the names Aboriginal language groups use for the instrument, see Aboriginal names for the didgeridoo and What is a yidaki?
How old is the didgeridoo?
Nobody knows exactly. It is often said to be over 40,000 years old, and researchers have suggested it may be the world's oldest musical instrument, but there is no firm evidence for that age. Rock art studies in the Northern Territory show paintings of people playing the didgeridoo from about 1,500 years ago.
When was the didgeridoo invented?
No one knows who first played it, or when. The earliest known rock paintings of didgeridoo players are about 1,500 years old. The word "didgeridoo" is much newer: it was a western word given to the instrument around 100 years ago.
Where is the didgeridoo from?
The didgeridoo is thought to have originated in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. There is a little evidence of the didgeridoo being used as far south as the Alice Springs region of Australia, but traditionally never in the southern three quarters of the country.
What is a didgeridoo made of?
Traditionally didgeridoos were made from eucalyptus tree trunks and limbs hollowed out, while still living, by termites, or from bamboo in the far north of Australia. Today didgeridoos are made from a large variety of materials such as glass, leather, hemp, ceramic, plastic, solid timbers carved out, logs drilled out, dried/hollowed cactus stems, aluminum and other metals.
What is the didgeridoo used for?
The didgeridoo was traditionally used as an accompaniment along with chants, singers and dancers, often in ceremonies. Today the didgeridoo is heard in almost every style of music, rock, jazz, blues, pop, hip hop, electronic, techno, funk, punk, rap etc.
What type of instrument is a didgeridoo?
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument. You play it with your lips: on a long, low didge your lips vibrate slowly, and on a short, high one they vibrate faster.
The mouthpiece and the key
- The mouthpiece end can have beeswax applied to make it more comfortable to play and a better size to seal the vibration.
- Didgeridoos play in different keys or pitches depending on the shape, length, width and wall thickness.
Getting ready to play
Sit in a comfortable position, upright, so you can breathe easy.
Play in an area that has good acoustics so the sound you make bounces back to you. This way you are hearing more of the sound that everyone else hears, not the dull vibration you can hear in your head. The kitchen or bathroom works great!
Learn to play
Visit didgeridoodojo.com and take our free didgeridoo basics course.
Ready for your own? Read the Didgeridoo Buyers Guide or browse all didgeridoos.