The didgeridoo ( / ˌ d ɪ dʒ ər i ˈ d uː / ; also spelled didjeridu and other ways) is a wind instrument played by vibrating lips to create a steady, continuous sound. This sound is made using a special breathing method called circular breathing. Aboriginal people in northern Australia created the didgeridoo more than 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, and sometimes mandapul. In the Bininj Kunwok language of West Arnhem Land, it is called mako (sometimes spelled mago).
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. Longer didgeridoos produce lower sounds, while shorter ones make higher sounds. Instruments that flare at the end (widening toward the top) create higher pitches than those that do not, even if they are the same length.
History
Studies of ancient remains show that the exact age of the didgeridoo is unknown. Evidence from the Kakadu region in Northern Australia suggests that people there have used the didgeridoo for less than 1,000 years, based on the dates of rock art paintings. A clear painting in Ginga Wardelirrhmeng, near the northern edge of the Arnhem Land plateau, from the freshwater period (which began 1,500 years ago) shows a didgeridoo player and two song-men taking part in an Ubarr ceremony. This suggests that the instrument was likely developed by Aboriginal peoples in northern Australia, possibly in Arnhem Land.
In 1835, T. B. Wilson’s Narrative of a Voyage Round the World included a drawing of an Aboriginal man from Raffles Bay on the Cobourg Peninsula (about 350 kilometers (220 miles) east of Darwin) playing the didgeridoo. Others observed similar instruments in the same area, made of bamboo and about 3 feet (0.9 meters) long. In 1893, English paleontologist Robert Etheridge, Junior noted the use of "three very curious trumpets" made of bamboo in northern Australia. At that time, two native species of bamboo grew along the Adelaide River in the Northern Territory.
According to A. P. Elkin in 1938, the didgeridoo was "only known in the eastern Kimberley [region in Western Australia] and the northern third of the Northern Territory."
Etymology
The name "didgeridoo" does not come from Aboriginal Australian languages. It is considered an onomatopoetic word, meaning it sounds like the noise the instrument makes. The earliest written mentions of the word include a 1908 article in the Hamilton Spectator, which described a "did-gery-do" (hollow bamboo), a 1914 article in The Northern Territory Times and Gazette, and a 1919 article in Smith's Weekly, where it was called "didjerry" and described as making a sound that repeats "didjerry, didjerry, didjerry" without end.
Another explanation suggests that "didgeridoo" comes from an incorrect version of the Irish phrase dúdaire dubh or the Scottish Gaelic phrase dùdaire dúth. However, this idea is debated. 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 is known by many names among the Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia, and none of these names are similar to the word "didgeridoo" (see below). Some people who enjoy playing the didgeridoo, study it, or are Aboriginal advocate using names from local languages for the instrument.
One commonly used name is Yiḏaki, which is written as "yidaki" or sometimes "yirdaki" in English. However, 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 word "mandapul" instead, as a sign of respect for a Manggalili man whose name sounded 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 make the didgeridoo famous worldwide. However, "mako" is slightly different from "Yiḏaki": it is usually shorter and produces a slightly fuller and richer sound, but it does not have an "overtone" note. The word is pronounced "mago" and is sometimes spelled that way.
At least 45 names for the didgeridoo are still used today by some Aboriginal people in their shared language. The following are some of the more common names used in different regions.
Description and construction
A didgeridoo is often 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. Usually, the longer the instrument, the lower its sound. However, instruments with a flared shape produce a higher sound than those without flares of the same length.
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument, similar in shape to a straight trumpet but made of wood. It is also known as a dronepipe.
Traditional didgeridoos are typically made from hardwoods, especially types of eucalyptus trees found in northern and central Australia. Often, the main trunk of a tree is used, though a large branch may be used instead. Makers look for live trees with hollows created by termites. Termites eat the dead center part of the tree, leaving the living outer part untouched because it contains chemicals that repel them. To find suitable trees, makers use knowledge of the land and termite patterns, as well as a tapping test. This involves peeling back the bark and knocking the wood with a fingernail or the end of a tool, like an axe, 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. A rim of beeswax may be added to the mouthpiece end.
Non-traditional didgeridoos can be made from native or non-native hardwoods (often 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 top and a wider end between 5 to 20 centimeters (2 to 8 inches). Their length depends on the desired sound. The end of the pipe is shaped and smoothed to create a comfortable mouthpiece, or a separate mouthpiece made from materials like rubber or a rubber stopper with a hole may be added.
Modern didgeridoo designs differ from traditional Aboriginal Australian didgeridoos and are considered innovations by musicologists. These designs began in the late 20th century, using non-traditional materials and shapes. However, this practice has caused discussion among Indigenous people and others about issues like appearance, ethics, and legality.
Didgeridoos can be painted by their maker or an artist using traditional or modern paints. Some are left with the tree’s natural pattern, with little or no decoration.
Playing
A didgeridoo can be played by using vibrating lips to create a basic, continuous sound called a drone. More advanced playing uses a technique called circular breathing. This technique involves breathing in through the nose while using cheek muscles to push air out through the mouth. This allows skilled players to keep their lungs full of air, letting them play one note for a very long time. Some recordings show modern players playing nonstop for over 40 minutes. Mark Atkins played over 50 minutes without stopping in his 1994 piece. Even though circular breathing lets players keep playing without pausing for breath, long playing sessions can cause chapped lips or other mouth discomfort.
The didgeridoo creates a wide range of sounds, and expert players use very difficult techniques that are not found in other instruments.
William Barton, a didgeridoo player and composer, has helped the instrument gain more importance in concerts through his own music and pieces written or arranged by Peter Sculthorpe, a famous Australian composer.
Physics and operation
A didgeridoo made by termites has an uneven shape that generally becomes wider toward the bottom. This shape causes the instrument to produce sounds at frequencies that are not evenly spaced. This is different from a plastic pipe, which has evenly spaced resonant frequencies in the pattern 1:3:5 and so on. The second sound produced by blowing harder on a didgeridoo (called overblowing) is usually about 11 times higher than the main note, with a frequency ratio of 8:3.
The vibrations from the player’s lips create harmonics in the pattern 1:2:3 and so on. However, the uneven spacing of the didgeridoo’s resonances means these harmonics are not consistently supported by the instrument’s natural sounds, unlike in Western wind instruments such as the clarinet, where certain harmonics are supported by the instrument’s shape.
Strong vibrations from the player’s mouth can greatly affect the didgeridoo’s sound. At certain frequencies, which depend on how the player moves their tongue, these vibrations can stop air from moving smoothly into the instrument. Frequencies that are not blocked create special tones in the sound. These tones, especially how they change during breathing techniques like circular breathing, help make the didgeridoo’s sound easily recognizable.
The didgeridoo’s sound can also change when players add vocal sounds to the steady drone. Many of these sounds copy noises made by Australian animals, like the dingo or kookaburra. Players make these sounds using their vocal cords while blowing air through the instrument. These added sounds can range from very high to very low, sometimes mixing with the vibrations from the lips and vocal cords. Adding these vocal 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 traveled around the world with the band Midnight Oil. He invented the didjeribone, a sliding didgeridoo made from two pieces of plastic tubing. It is played in a way similar to a trombone.
The didjeribone was shown on the British children's TV series 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. This includes the band's first single, "When You Gonna Learn," which has didgeridoo sounds in the beginning and during solo sections.
Ambient artist Steve Roach uses the didgeridoo in his collaborative work Australia: Sound of the Earth with Australian Aboriginal artist David Hudson and cellist Sarah Hopkins, as well as in Dreamtime Return.
The didgeridoo appears in the Indian song "Jaane Kyon" from the film 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 extensively on her album The Dreaming (1982). The instrument was played by Australian musician Rolf Harris. The album was created and recorded after a trip to Australia.
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd plays the didgeridoo and often includes it in his music.
In 2023, Stephen Colbert faced criticism and accusations of racism for using a didgeridoo during a comedy sketch about Australia.
Cultural significance
The didgeridoo, also called the yidaki by some Aboriginal groups, was traditionally played during ceremonies with dancing and singing. It was also used for solo or recreational purposes. For the Yolngu people of northern Australia, the yidaki remains an important part of their culture, connected to their land, family relationships, and language. It is linked to Yolngu Law and is used in ceremonies, songs, dances, art, and stories.
Pair sticks, sometimes called clapsticks (bilma or bimla by some groups), are used to create a steady beat for songs during ceremonies. The rhythm of the didgeridoo and the beat of the clapsticks are precise and have been passed down through generations. In the Wangga style of music, the song-man begins with singing and then adds the 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 didgeridoo, after an Aboriginal academic called this action "extreme cultural insensitivity." However, an ethnomusicologist noted 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 recording showed a woman named Jemima Wimalu playing the didgeridoo. In 1995, women from the Yirrkala group were observed performing songs usually done by men, and in 1996, women from the Yanyuwa group gave public performances.
Although there is no rule against women playing the didgeridoo in its place of origin, some other Indigenous communities have applied restrictions. The didgeridoo was brought to the Kimberleys in the early 1900s, but restrictions on women playing it became more common later, such as in 2008. These restrictions are strongest in southern Australia, where some Aboriginal groups believe it is "cultural theft" for non-Aboriginal women or New Age musicians to play or touch the instrument. Many non-Aboriginal people and some Aboriginal communities in southern Australia believe women are not allowed to play the didgeridoo. Some experts think these beliefs and other misunderstandings are spread by commercial interests. Most didgeridoo recordings sold today are made by non-Aboriginal people and promote a New Age style of music, which can mislead people about the instrument's role in traditional Aboriginal culture.
Health benefits
A 2006 study published in the British Medical Journal showed that learning to play 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 practiced playing the didgeridoo, including using a special breathing method called circular breathing. Others did not play the instrument. Researchers asked all participants questions before and after the study to compare results. A smaller study from 2010 found that 10 Aboriginal adults and children had better asthma management after taking didgeridoo lessons once a week for six months.