The didgeridoo (pronounced "dee-jer-ee-doo") is a wind instrument played by vibrating the lips to create a continuous low sound, using a special breathing method called circular breathing. Aboriginal people in northern Australia created the didgeridoo at least 1,000 years ago. Today, it is used worldwide but is most closely linked to Indigenous Australian music. In the Yolŋu languages of northeast Arnhem Land, the instrument is called yiḏaki, sometimes also referred to as mandapul. In the Bininj Kunwok language of West Arnhem Land, it is known as mako (or mago).
A didgeridoo is typically shaped like a cylinder or cone and can be 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) long. Most are about 1.2 meters (4 feet) long. Longer didgeridoos usually produce lower sounds, while shorter ones create higher pitches. Instruments with flared ends (wider at one end) make higher sounds than those without flares of the same length.
History
There is no exact information about how old the didgeridoo is. Studies by archaeologists suggest that people in the Kakadu region of northern Australia have used the didgeridoo for less than 1,000 years. This is based on the ages of rock art paintings. One clear painting in Ginga Wardelirrhmeng, near the edge of the Arnhem Land plateau, shows a didgeridoo player and two song-men taking part in an Ubarr ceremony. This painting is from the freshwater period, which began 1,500 years ago. Because of this, it is believed that the didgeridoo was created by Aboriginal people in northern Australia, possibly in Arnhem Land.
In 1835, T. B. Wilson’s book Narrative of a Voyage Round the World included a drawing of an Aboriginal man from Raffles Bay on the Cobourg Peninsula (about 350 kilometers east of Darwin) playing the didgeridoo. Others also saw similar instruments in that area, made of bamboo and about 3 feet long. In 1893, Robert Etheridge, a scientist, observed the use of "three very curious trumpets" made of bamboo in northern Australia. At that time, two types of native bamboo grew along the Adelaide River in the Northern Territory.
In 1938, A. P. Elkin wrote that the didgeridoo was "only known" in the eastern Kimberley region of Western Australia and the northern third of the Northern Territory.
Etymology
The word "didgeridoo" is not from the languages of Aboriginal Australians. It is believed to be an onomatopoetic word, meaning it sounds like the noise the instrument makes. The first printed uses of the word appeared in 1908 in the Hamilton Spectator, which called it a " 'did-gery-do' (hollow bamboo)" in 1914 in The Northern Territory Times and Gazette, and in 1919 in Smith's Weekly, where it was spelled "didjerry" and described as making a sound like "didjerry, didjerry, didjerry" endlessly.
Another explanation suggests that "didgeridoo" comes from the Irish phrase "dúdaire dubh" or the Scottish Gaelic phrase "dùdaire dúth." However, this idea is disputed. In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, "dúdaire" can mean "trumpeter," "hummer," "crooner," or "puffer," while "dubh" in Irish and "dúth" in Scottish Gaelic mean "black" and "native," respectively.
Other names
The instrument known as the didgeridoo has many names among Aboriginal peoples in northern Australia. These names are not similar to the word "didgeridoo." Some people who study the instrument, as well as Aboriginal individuals, suggest using names from local languages instead.
One common name is Yiḏaki, which is often spelled yidaki or yirdaki in English. This name specifically refers to a type of the instrument made by the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land. After 2011, some Yolngu people began using the name mandapul to honor a Manggalili man whose name was similar to yidaki.
In west Arnhem Land, the instrument is called mako. This name became popular because of David Blanasi, a skilled player from the Bininj people whose language is Kunwinjku. He helped introduce the didgeridoo to the world. The mako is usually shorter than Yiḏaki and has a slightly fuller sound, but it does not produce the "overtone" note. The word is pronounced mago and sometimes spelled that way.
At least 45 names for the didgeridoo are still used by some Aboriginal people in their shared language. Some of the more common names from different regions include Yiḏaki, mandapul, and mako.
Description and construction
A didgeridoo is usually shaped like a cylinder or cone and can be between 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) long. Most are about 1.2 meters (4 feet) long. Generally, longer didgeridoos produce lower pitches, while shorter ones produce higher pitches. However, didgeridoos with flared ends (wider at one end) play higher pitches than those with straight ends of the same length.
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument, similar in shape to a straight trumpet but made of wood. It is also called a dronepipe.
Traditional didgeridoos are made from hardwoods, especially eucalyptus trees found in northern and central Australia. Often, the main trunk of a tree is used, though a large branch may also be used. Makers look for live trees with hollows created by termites. Termites eat the dead wood inside the tree but avoid the living wood because it contains chemicals that keep them away. To find suitable trees, makers use knowledge of termite activity, landscape patterns, and a tapping test. During the test, the bark is peeled back, and a fingernail or the blunt end of a tool is tapped against the wood to check if the hollow makes the right sound. Once a suitable tree is found, it is cut down, cleaned, and shaped. The bark is removed, the ends are trimmed, and the outside is shaped into a finished instrument. Beeswax may be applied to the mouthpiece end.
Non-traditional didgeridoos can be made from wood (split, hollowed, and rejoined), bamboo, glass, fiberglass, metal, agave, clay, resin, PVC piping, or carbon fiber. These instruments usually have an inside diameter of about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) at the narrow end and between 5 to 20 centimeters (2 to 8 inches) at the wider end. Their length depends on the desired pitch. The ends are shaped and smoothed to create a comfortable mouthpiece, or a separate mouthpiece may be added using materials like rubber or a rubber stopper with a hole.
Modern didgeridoos differ from traditional Aboriginal designs and are considered innovations by musicologists. These designs began in the late 20th century and use non-traditional materials and shapes. This practice has caused debate among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people about issues like appearance, ethics, and legality.
Didgeridoos can be painted with traditional or modern paints by the maker or an artist. Some are left with the natural wood grain and have little or no decoration.
Playing
A didgeridoo is played by making a humming sound with the lips to create a steady, low drone. More advanced players use a technique called circular breathing. This method involves breathing in through the nose while using cheek muscles to push air out of the mouth. This allows a player to keep breathing without stopping, enabling them to play a single note for a long time. Some recordings show modern didgeridoo players performing continuously for over 40 minutes. For example, Mark Atkins played without stopping for more than 50 minutes in his work Didgeridoo Concerto (1994). While circular breathing avoids the need to pause for breath, playing for a long time may cause discomfort, such as dry or chapped lips.
The didgeridoo produces a wide range of sounds and allows skilled players to perform very complex techniques that are not found in other instruments.
William Barton, a didgeridoo player and composer, has helped increase the use of the instrument in concerts. He has written his own orchestral and chamber music pieces, and other composers, such as Peter Sculthorpe, have also created or adapted music for him.
Physics and operation
A termite-bored didgeridoo has an irregular shape that usually becomes wider toward the bottom. This shape causes its vibrations to occur at frequencies that are not evenly spaced. This is different from a cylindrical plastic pipe, where vibrations happen in a pattern of 1:3:5 and so on. The second vibration of a didgeridoo (produced by blowing harder) is usually about 11 times higher than the main vibration (a frequency ratio of 8:3).
The vibrations from the player's lips create harmonics in a pattern of 1:2:3 and so on. However, the uneven spacing of the didgeridoo's vibrations means that these harmonics are not consistently supported by the instrument's natural vibrations, unlike in many Western wind instruments (for example, the first, third, and fifth harmonics of a clarinet's reed are supported by the instrument's shape).
Strong vibrations from the player's mouth can greatly affect the sound of the didgeridoo. At certain frequencies, which depend on where the player's tongue is positioned, these vibrations can block the flow of air into the instrument. Frequencies that are not blocked create formants, which are clear, distinct sounds in the instrument's tone. These formants, especially how they change during the breathing phases of circular breathing, help make the didgeridoo's sound easily recognizable.
The didgeridoo's sound can also change when the player adds vocal sounds to the steady drone. Many of these sounds copy noises made by Australian animals, such as the dingo or the kookaburra. To create these sounds, the player uses their vocal folds to make the animal noises while continuing to blow air through the instrument. These sounds range from very high to very low, sometimes mixing the vibrations from the lips and vocal folds. Adding these sounds makes the instrument harder to play.
In popular culture
Charlie McMahon, who created the group Gondwanaland, was one of the first non-Aboriginal musicians to become famous as a professional didgeridoo player. He has performed around the world with the band Midnight Oil. He invented the didjeribone, a sliding didgeridoo made from two pieces of plastic tubes; it is played in a way similar to a trombone.
The didjeribone was shown on the British children's TV show Blue Peter.
Industrial music bands such as Test Dept use the didgeridoo in their music.
Early songs by the acid jazz band Jamiroquai included didgeridoo player Wallis Buchanan, such as the band's first single "When You Gonna Learn," which has didgeridoo sounds in the opening and solo parts.
Ambient artist Steve Roach uses the didgeridoo in his project Australia: Sound of the Earth, which includes work with Australian Aboriginal artist David Hudson and cellist Sarah Hopkins, as well as in Dreamtime Return.
The didgeridoo is used in the Indian song "Jaane Kyon" from the movie Dil Chahta Hai.
Chris Brooks, lead singer of the New Zealand hard rock band Like a Storm, uses the didgeridoo in some songs, including "Love the Way You Hate Me" from their album Chaos Theory: Part 1 (2012).
Kate Bush used the didgeridoo many times on her album The Dreaming (1982), which was played by Australian musician Rolf Harris. The album was created after Kate Bush spent time in Australia.
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd plays the didgeridoo and often includes it in his music.
Stephen Colbert faced criticism and accusations of racism in 2023 for using a didgeridoo during a comedy sketch about Australia.
Cultural significance
The didgeridoo, also called yidaki by some Aboriginal groups, was traditionally played during special events like ceremonies, dances, and songs. It was also used for personal or fun purposes. For the Yolngu people of northern Australia, the yidaki remains an important part of their culture, connected to their land, family relationships, language, and spiritual beliefs. It is tied to Yolngu Law and is used in songs, dances, art, and stories.
Pair sticks, sometimes called clapsticks (bilma or bimla by some groups), are used to set the rhythm for songs during ceremonies. The didgeridoo and clapsticks create specific patterns that have been passed down through generations. In the Wangga style of music, a singer begins with vocal sounds and then adds clapsticks while the didgeridoo plays.
Traditionally, only men played the didgeridoo and sang during ceremonies. Some Aboriginal communities and elders discourage women from playing it. In 2008, a publisher named HarperCollins apologized for a book that encouraged girls to play the instrument, after an Aboriginal academic called the action "extremely disrespectful" to Aboriginal culture. However, an expert in music studies said that while women are not traditionally allowed to play the didgeridoo in ceremonies, there is no rule against it in informal settings. For example, in 1966, a woman named Jemima Wimalu played the didgeridoo, and in 1995 and 1996, women from other groups performed songs that are usually done by men.
Although there are no rules in the didgeridoo's origin area, some other Indigenous communities have created restrictions. The didgeridoo was brought to the Kimberleys in the early 1900s, but it was not until 2008 that Aboriginal men in some areas expressed disapproval of women playing it. These rules are especially common in Southeast Australia. Many non-Aboriginal people and some Aboriginal communities in the South believe women are not allowed to play the didgeridoo. Some experts think these beliefs are spread by businesses that sell didgeridoo music, which often promote a spiritual image of the instrument that is not accurate for its traditional use.
In many Aboriginal groups in Southeast Australia, it is strongly forbidden for non-Aboriginal women, or even non-Aboriginal performers of New Age music, to play or touch a didgeridoo. This is seen as "cultural theft."
Health benefits
A 2006 study published in the British Medical Journal showed that learning and practicing the didgeridoo can help reduce snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. This happens because playing the instrument strengthens muscles in the upper airway, making them less likely to collapse during sleep. In the study, some people were trained to play the didgeridoo, using techniques like circular breathing. Others were not asked to play the instrument. Researchers asked all participants questions before and after the study to measure the effects. A smaller study from 2010 found that 10 Aboriginal adults and children had significant improvements in managing asthma after taking didgeridoo lessons once a week for six months.