What is a didgeridoo (the droning Aboriginal Australian wind instrument)?

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The didgeridoo is a wind instrument made from hollow wood. The first didgeridoos, played by aboriginal peoples in northern Australia an estimated 40,000 years ago, were made from fallen eucalyptus branches that had been naturally hollowed out by termites. It is also known that the mayan people of Central America had a similar instrument made of yucca or agave and today referred to as “la trompeta maya” (the mayan trumpet).

Modern didgeridoos are commonly made from eucalyptus, bamboo, and agave. In theory, any enclosed column of air, such as a PVC pipe can be made into a didgeridoo by blowing through it.

The didgeridoo is both a pitched instrument and a percussion instrument. Each didge has one fundamental tone as well as a series of overtones that can be altered by the lips of the player. The didge can also played rhythmically, serving as both a bass and a time keeping instrument.

Check out aboriginal didgeridoo master David Blanasi showing how to make didgeridoos in this video:

Modern didgeridoos are used in many world music applications including beatboxing, dance music and meditation. Check out our list of Didgeridoo Players You Should Know.

For a thorough history of the didgeridoo, visit ididjaustralia’s Didgeridoo History.

Didgeridoo Lessons from Didge Project:

Welcome to your first lesson on how to play didgeridoo. In this video class you will learn some basic breathing techniques, how to use the different parts of your body required for playing, and some simple practices that you...
Are you having trouble locking the seal on your didgeridoo mouthpiece? Are you looking for a comfortable and hygienic mouthpiece for your didgeridoo and guidance on how to apply it? Look no further; we've got you covered with this...
This past winter I decided to record a series of new didgeridoo tutorials to update our community on the practices that I have found most beneficial in didgeridoo playing. Among these are vocalization techniques, how to play with a...
   Lip stretching is the fundamental warm-up for didgeridoo playing and it’s all about preparation. So before you touch the didge, before you buzz your lips, do these lip stretches. Also if someone comes to me and says they...
We celebrated the arrival of 2022 with Didge Project's AJ Block for a live question and answer session on all things related to the didgeridoo. Participants asked questions and AJ answered them and did a lot of live didgeridoo...
In this didgeridoo beatbox tutorial video, Didge Project's Jerry Walsh demonstrates how to play 3 basic beatboxing rhythms for the didgeridoo. What's great about these rhythms is that they do not require circular breathing, so even if you haven't...

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AJ Block is the director of Didge Project and is active as a didgeridoo teacher and performer. In addition to didgeridoo, AJ has spent years studying music traditions from all over the world including jazz (trombone and piano), western classical music, Indian Classical Music, guitar and world percussion. AJ has developed a number of programs for Didge Project including The ABCs of Didgeridoo, The Didgeridoo Skills Course, and Circular Breathing Mastery. He is also the author of Didge For Sleep, a didgeridoo learning method designed specifically for people with Sleep Apnea. As a performer AJ is the leader of the Didge Project Music Collective and a member of Dream Seed: A Shamanic Sound Journey. AJ is a founding member of Sacred Arts Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of sacred art traditions through education, ritual and study. As a student of spiritual teacher Maestro Manuel Rufino AJ is an active member of the Golden Drum community.