The Didgeridoo Dissected: Historically & Mechanically

Quick Facts:

The didgeridoo is claimed to be the world’s oldest wind instrument, dating back to over 2000 years ago in the form of cave paintings in the Northern Territories of Australia. The didge is a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. The didgeridoo is cylindrical or conical in shape and the average length is about 1.2m. The longer the instrument is the lower the pitch will be, and keys from D to F# are preferred.

Brief History

The name used by the actual aborigines for this instrument is Yirdaki. This varies slightly from region to region. The didgeridoo was most known in eastern Kimberley and the Northern Territories of Australia. It wasn’t until the trade infrastructure was strengthened that the didgeridoo became more available all across Australia and began to interest non-aboriginal people. In 1963 the first non-aboriginal didgeridoo recording was made.


Mechanics



Didgeridoos are made from the trunks or substantially large branches of hardwoods, particularly the various eucalyptus species of the native region. The optimal tree is one which has been hollowed out by termites to the right degree, the hollow can’t be too big or too small. A termite-bored didgeridoo has a hollow that increases in diameter towards the bottom. An aboriginal didgeridoo maker tests the tree by removing a small piece of bark and hitting the tree to hear if the sound indicates a hollowness. This allows its resonances to occur at frequencies that are not harmonically spaced in frequency. The bark is removed, the ends are trimmed, and, if preferred, beeswax may be applied to the mouthpiece.

The didgeridoo is played by a special breathing technique known as circular breathing, in which the instrumentalist breathes in through the nose while expelling the air simultaneously through the mouth. This allows the instrumentalist to play the didgeridoo without having to stop to replenish their air supply. Well practiced didgeridoo players can play continuously for more than 40 minutes.

Cultural Role



The didgeridoo most often accompanies dancing and singing in religious ceremonial rituals of the aboriginal groups of Northern Australia. Men are the usual players of the didgeridoo, although there are some female didgeridoo players they can only play in informal contexts and are not encouraged to do so. Before modern technology came to be the didgeridoo was also used as a means of communication. Some of the sound waves from the instrument could be perceived across far distances through the ground. Each player had his own base rhythm that allowed him to be recognized by the listener.