How to make a didgeridoo?

Different technics and materials


"Didgeridoos" can be made from pvc pipe, agave, bamboo, softwood, hardwood, clay, leather (if you don't believe me search the Net for "leder didgeridoo"), exhaust pipe etc. Some of these pipes you just have to pick up and play, others need sophisticated tools to make a didgeridoo-like instrument.

There are a couple of very thorough instructions on the internet about didgeridoo making.

David Hudson: "If someone is making didjeridus in America from plastic pipes and agave cactus and they want to give recognition to Aboriginal people, probably the best way to do it is have the respect to come to Australia and meet Aboriginal people. Meet the elders and tell the folks what you're doing in America. Instead of just being in America and churning out PVC pipes."

It would be a waste of time and money to try out these how to make didgeridoo instructions, and actually it would be contrary to our intentions: to write about the aboriginal culture. It is understandable that didgeridoo making from hardwood, softwood, agave, pvc and other materials by using sophisticated boring machines and other tools is not of aboriginal origins.

Didgeridoo making by aboriginal didgeridoo maker

In the savannahs of north Australia, from the east coast - where we are located - to the west cost there is plenty of readily available termite hollowed eucalyptus stems to harvest and make didgeridoo the aboriginal way, using the right material and methods.

Trough the Dreamtimes down to these Days, Aboriginal didgeridoo making evolved into a craftsmanship. These are the main steps a didgeridoo maker will follow while making an eucalyptus didgeridoo:
Preparatory work:

  •   Selection of trees or branches by taping them to see, or rather to hear, if they are hollow with channels, where the dislodged mud runs down.
  •   Cutting the suitable trees and cutting them to size.
  •   Cleaning out the termites and the dirt they deposited inside the stick.
  •   Striping off the bark.

    • Crafting work:
  •   A thorough cleanup from dirt and splinters, using different tools and technics like metal rods or live charcoal. Chiselling out the base, making the instrument flare out and other tuning works deemed necessary by the didgeridoo maker.
  •   Giving a final thickness to the walls by working down the outer layers, with coarse to fine sanding to reveal the fine wood grains and make a smooth shape to the instrument. At the same time and with the same course of action improving on the resonance of the didgeridoo.
  •   Sealing the inside of the the didgeridoo to prevent splitting, first filling in all the holes and cracks if any.
  •   Painting with a suitable artwork to complement its shape and tone, and sealing it from outside to enhance the beauty of the wood grain and to protect the artwork.
  •   Adding the mouthpiece to the didgeridoo.

All our didgeridoos are made from carefully harvested eucalyptus sticks by Aborigine didgeridoo makers following the above method. Browse through our selection of the best eucalyptus didgeridoos, or read more about the eucalyptus species suitable for didgeridoo making.

Didgeridoo DIY

To make your didgeridoo from termite hollowed eucalyptus stick can be an interesting experience. For this you have to visit a didgeridoo workshop in Australia - not a bad excuse at all to jump on the first plane - such as this Paint or Burn Your Own Didgeridoo workshop in Babinda, near Cairns. In most of these workshops you can only watch how the stick is turned into an instrument. And you allowed only to paint your own didgeridoo.

There are other workshops where you can "Make your own hand-made authentic (ups!) didgeridoo", says in a flyer, but I would not recommend these places for two reasons:

  •   unexperienced people to work with dangerous tools in remote locations is not our game,
  •   authentic didgeridoo in our language is made by Aborigines. They deserve this restriction in the definition of authenticity.