Fast Fact Tag: didgeridoo construction

Not always. In parts of northern Australia, naturally hollow branches were common enough that makers could select a suitable piece rather than bore out a solid log from end to end.

Baldwin Spencer wrote that in northern parts of the Northern Territory it was “very rare” to find branches that were not hollow, making it easy to find one suitable for a trumpet. Herbert Basedow also described long hollow limbs being used.

The instrument still needed preparation. Writers recorded trimming the tube, smoothing the mouth end and adding wax or resin so the lips fitted tightly. Bamboo instruments also had internal sections removed where necessary.

So a traditional wooden didgeridoo could involve skilled selection and finishing rather than simply drilling a solid branch. The exact method depended on the material and local practice.

No. Historical descriptions show considerable variation in length, material, width and decoration. There was no single standard didgeridoo shape.

Some early northern instruments were short. Barker described a hollow cane about three feet long, while Stokes described a bamboo instrument two to three feet long. Other writers recorded instruments around four or five feet long, and surviving examples can be longer again.

Herbert Basedow described bamboo instruments as well as long hollow eucalyptus limbs. Baldwin Spencer also recorded wax or resin around the mouth end to make a better seal, while some instruments were painted or decorated.

The evidence is therefore better understood as a family of regional instruments rather than one fixed design. Size and shape depended on available material, local tradition and how the instrument was to be played.