Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a long wooden flute traditionally associated with Australian Aboriginal cultures and is regarded as one of the oldest musical instruments in the world. Classified as an aerophone, it produces a distinctive droning sound that reflects the essence of nature and is often used during ceremonial performances, including music, song, and dance. Various Aboriginal tribes refer to the instrument by different names, such as bombo and yiraka, and it can be crafted from materials like bamboo or hollowed eucalyptus wood, shaped by termites. The unique sound of the didgeridoo is created through circular breathing—a technique that allows musicians to maintain continuous sound while inhaling.
Playing the didgeridoo is closely linked to the Aboriginal concept of Dreamtime, which connects life, spirituality, and ancestral heritage. While it plays an integral role in ceremonies and cultural expressions, the increasing popularity of the instrument among non-Aboriginal musicians has sparked discussions around cultural appropriation. Notable contemporary didgeridoo players, like Djalu Gurruwiwi, have gained international acclaim, contributing to a greater awareness of the instrument's cultural significance. The didgeridoo not only serves as a musical tool but also plays a role in holistic healing practices, as its vibrations are believed to have therapeutic effects.
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a very long wooden flute traditionally played by Australian Aboriginals. It is believed to be the oldest musical instrument and is classified as an aerophone. The sounds produced, sometimes described as "droning," are meant to convey the essences of the sounds of nature. The instrument may accompany chants and songs and in some tribes is played exclusively by men. Didgeridoos are often painted with traditional designs and striped bands.
The instrument is known by at least forty-five other names, and didgeridoos may vary in appearance and size. Various tribal groups may call it a bombo, kambu, pampuu, or yiraka, for example. Some names reflect the materials traditionally used to make didgeridoos—artawirr is the Jawoyn word meaning "hollow log"—or make an association with playing the instrument—yiraka is the Gupapuygu word for "windpipe" or "trachea." The predominance of names for the didgeridoo that also mean "bamboo" hints at the early origins of the instrument, believed to be in the Northern Territory where bamboo is common and many instruments are made of these plants. In other areas of Australia, didgeridoos are commonly made from limbs or trunks of eucalyptus trees that have been hollowed out by termites. The instrument relies to great extent on irregular interior walls—created when insects built their nests within trees or limbs—for its resonating sound.
Background
Aboriginal peoples developed three primary instruments: the bullroarer, the gum-leaf, and the didgeridoo. The bull-roarer is a wooden slat threaded with a cord. The user holds the cord and swings the slat in a circle. As it spins, the bull-roarer makes a low-pitched roar. The gum-leaf is a tree leaf, which the user holds against the lips and blows across. The didgeridoo is the most widely known of the Aboriginal instruments. Ceremonies and dances at which the didgeridoo is played may also include the percussion of clap sticks, which are short hardwood sticks that the musician or singer strikes against one another.
Archaeological evidence of the didgeridoo is limited to no more than two thousand years. Cave paintings that show people playing the instruments appeared about this time. It was not mentioned by European colonists until 1835, when a written account described it as a trumpet. Early mentions of the instrument noted that it was usually made of large-diameter lengths of bamboo.
Ceremonial performances, including dance, music, and song, are central to Aboriginal life. Some are reserved for specific occasions and milestones. Didgeridoo music is often closely linked to the Dreamtime, the Aboriginal understanding of the interrelationship of life and spirituality, which connects people to their history and ancestors and to creation. The sounds emitted from the didgeridoo are meant to evoke the spirits of the ancestors and elements of nature, including the energy of the wind and weather. The music often accompanies lengthy songs detailing creation and history, which performers commit to memory.
Overview
A didgeridoo maker knocks on trunks or branches of trees, usually eucalyptus, until he or she finds one with a suitable hollow sound. A length of the tree is cut to an appropriate size for the instrument—finished pieces may be up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) long—and the bark is removed. The ends are smoothed, and a beeswax or eucalyptus gum rim is added to the narrower end for use as a mouth piece. As the player presses his or her mouth against the wax, it softens from body heat. This helps form a seal around the player's mouth. Each didgeridoo is unique due to the work of termites and the nature of the wood. The instrument is matched to a player in part by the diameter of the mouthpiece end.
The droning sound is created by the nonstop vibration of the player's lips. The player must use a circular breathing technique to maintain the sound. This involves breathing in through the nose while at the same time exhaling through the mouth. The musician can create several effects by blowing harder.
The sound of the didgeridoo is caused by air inside the instrument vibrating at different frequencies. The column of air inside has a natural frequency, which the player can match, creating resonant vibrations. The large vibrations of resonance create a large sound, which is further amplified when the sound wave travels up the column and enters the player's vocal tract. The vocal tract, including the position of the player's tongue, has an impact on the frequencies, again changing the resonance.
The instrument may be played while seated or while standing, as is common during events that include dancing. When playing in a seated position, the musician usually chooses one of two positions, resting the far, or distal, end on the ground or on one of his or her feet.
Some didgeridoo musicians have gained an international following. Djalu Gurruwiwi, of the Northern Territory, has sold out auditoriums in Britain, across continental Europe, in Taiwan, and in the United States. The musician had little recognition in Australia, however. The South Australian Museum staged an exhibition about his work and music, "Yidaki—Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia," in early 2017 to introduce him to more Australians and highlight the cultural significance of the instrument and the music. Gurruwiwi, who is also a master craftsman of the didgeridoo, has been hailed as a spiritual leader of the Aboriginal people. A biographical film, Westwind, was also produced for 2017 release.
The didgeridoo remains an important aspect of Aboriginal culture. For example, it is placed against the head and torso and sounded as part of a healing ceremony. Some practitioners of holistic medicine outside Aboriginal culture even use the didgeridoo. They claim the sound waves made by playing the instrument have a therapeutic effect, which they compare to ultrasound therapy used in the treatment of chronic pain. Others say the didgeridoo vibrations help find a client's spiritual core. The circular breathing technique used to play the didgeridoo may provide other health benefits. Researchers say it may benefit people with sleep apnea.
The popularity of the instrument among non-Aboriginal people has raised some concerns about cultural appropriation.
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