ABOUT DIDGERIDOO
This is were you can buy that special didgeridoo or yidaki. We have an extensive range of different didjeridoo for sale .
But First.. The facts about didgeridoos
What is a didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is the non aboriginal name for the traditional and ceremonial wooden wind instrument used by aboriginal peoples of Australia. The player blows through the didgeridoo vibrating their lips to produce a droning sound. Different lip tongue and breathing techniques produce different sounds and rhythm.
Termit: Mastotermes darwiniensis
This species is the largest termite species. Iteats the timber of live trees. Thats most eucalytp trees in in the north of the Northern Territory of Australia are hollow.
How are didgeridoos made
Traditional the didgeridoo was collected rather than made . Tree branches or small tree trunks tubular in shape that have been hollowed out by wood eating termites were cut from the native trees. Today similar tree trunks or limbs that have been naturally hollowed out by species of termites that eat green living timber., are carefully selected. They are then cut and worked on. The larger end is often further hollowed out with tools to produce a more resonate chamber. The outer timber of the other end is slimed down so it can be easily held. And the mouth piece is fashioned down and covered by wax to make a comfortable mouth piece. Traditional sugar bag wax was used. Sugar bag is term used for the honey nest of a small black native bee with no stinger. Today European bees wax is often used .
Why is it called a didgeridoo
Why is it called a didgeridoo if that not the proper aboriginal name for it.
Well for a start there are many different Australian aboriginal language groups and each has their own name. However, the didgeridoo is not a pan Australian aboriginal instrument, I 'll explain that later. The real home of the didjeridu is in my opinion likely to be the north of Australia as this is where the mastotermes species of termite lives. The Yolngu aboriginal people of North East Arnhem Land call it a yidaki. So why do we call it a didgeridoo. There are some sophisticated academia theories, but its my belief that to the first westerners that came across it named it by trying to describe the sound it made didid jerrii ddoo. If you were to hear a yidaki played in the traditional style dith-dhirr-dhu dith-dhirr-dhu.. dith-dhirr-dhu is very much a good description of how it sounds .. Hence common name didgeridoo or didjeridu.
Listen to short sound clip of modern. didgeridoo playing
Listen to traditional style of Larry Gurruwiwi
How do you spell didgeridoo
How is it spelt. Because didgeridoo is not the word aboriginal people use for the instrument, it is spelt many different ways the most common being:
Didgeridoo. Didjeridoo
​
However you will also find it spelt like this.:
​
digerido, dijeridoo, didgeredoo, didgeredoo, didgiridoo, didjerido, digereedoo, didjeridou, diggery doo, dijerido or just plain didji for short.
​
There are didgeridoos
and then
There are digeridoos
Not all didgeridoos are born equal
Not buy a long shot
Because of the fact that a true didgeridoo is eucalyptus tree hollowed out buy termites . And because Termites seeming naw away at random , no two hollows are the same.
There are channels, chambers, thick and thin walls etc ect.. The hollow is not uniform in circumference or in taper.
Some didgeridoos have much larger mouth piece than others. Some didgeridoos bend and or twist inside .
Some didgeridoos have strong back pressure, others dont and can require volumes of air to sustain.
​
Some didgerioos a long producing slow and low key notes others are short producing fast high key notes,
​
Some didgeridoos are a lot lot easy to play than others.
​
If you are a beginner and buy a didgeridoo that is hard to play you may well give up in frustration.
​
Some longer deep sounding slow didgeridoos are great for soothing, relaxing drones.
Some didgeridoos are suited to fast rhythmic pumping sounds
Some thiner ,lighter walled didgeridoos of the optimum length have high resonance fantastic for modern vocalisations.
​
Most resonate between the key middle C to F the majority of shop didgeridoos at about 1.2 meters being in the key of D.
​
​
If your a very experienced player all is well.
If you not.
You will need some guidance and help in choosing a didgeridoo.
We are here to help you.
And if by chance you are not satisfied you can return it for a full refund .
No questions asked.
One of the best yidaki and didjeridu resources on the planet is Yidakistory in particular this link
The background image of yidaki player is Ŋalkan Munuŋgurr from Yirrkala. The photo, taken by Dan McGarry, shows Ŋalkan performing at the 2011 Fest Napuan in Vanuatu. with the band East Journey