paintings in caves and rock shelters in north-eastern
coastal regions of arnhem land as well as geological
and geographical evidence suggest the didjeridu has
an age of over 1,000 years. it is thought to be one of
the world’s oldest instruments.

legend has it that when the great ancestors of the
aborigines gave them fire, a burning, hollow branch
was picked up and the termites blown out of it.
the termites flew into the heavens and became stars.
out of the strong, deep sound of the breath through the
branch the didjeridu was born.

the didjeridu is made from trunks or limbs of trees
hollowed out by certain species of termites that nest in
this monsoonal part of australia. every didjeridu made
of a natural tree trunk or branch is different and unique.

the selection of the living tree (eucalyptus family)
- partially eaten out by termites - is one of the most
important steps of the process because the condition
of the tree and the size and shape of the natural hole
will determine whether the finished product will be a
good instrument or not.

selecting a tree can be a long process.
a skilled craftsman will look for a tree using his knowledge
of the ‘country’ and understanding of the interaction
between termites and trees.
when a suitable tree is found it is tested by removing part
of its bark and tapping the trunk lightly.
the sound produced lets a craftsman know if it’s adequate.

once the tree is selected and cut, the craftsman removes
the dirt left by termites with a stick, tapping the trunk on
the floor and sometimes flushing it with running water.

at this stage he tests its potential sound quality again.
if the acoustic meets his expectations, he can begin the
long process of stripping, chiselling and fine tuning
(by adding a bees wax mouthpiece) to make it into a fine
playing didjeridu.

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see


how to play a didjeridu



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artwork on didjeridu


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