Making Didgeridoos

Subject: Making Didgeridoo's
From: Marc B
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 01:50 AM

I had so much fun reading the bodhran woes that I thought I'd start a thread for another of my "I'll get to it one of these days" projects. Making a didgeridoo. Any advice. Instructions. Web links? Especially how to make it into a certain key.

Thanks. Marc B

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 04:05 AM

My initial reply may be heretical. Start with a length of plastic plumbimg pipe, say 1.5-2 inches ID. Get hold of a guitar tuner.

Hack off a length no longer than the distance of your mouth to the floor when standing. Tune it with the tuner. Now experiment by hacking off small pieces, say half an inch. The tone will get higher the more you hack.

If you prune the length too hard you can always glue a small piece to the end - or even insert a small tube of card or paper - in order to deepen the sound.

Once you get the length right for a particular note, just jot down the details of the length for that tone. So you may wish to end up with a D didg for playing along with an Irish tune. Want to accompany someone singing in C, just clip on your extra length of pipe with a piece of tape and hey presto.

I'm sure that the physicists among us could come up with some calculations as to appropriate lengths for a given diameter of pipe.

Regards John

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 07:46 AM

G'day,
A couple of didge players I know have tunable didges. One in particular is made of two lengths of plastic pipe, one of which fits snugly inside the other. Tuned by sliding them to change the length - slide didgeridoo???

The traditional way to make didges in the Northern Territory is to wait until a branch falls off a gum tree. In this area all gum trees are infested with termites - it's part of the eco-system. Thus the branch will already be hollow. Cut it off to the right length for the key you want. that's trial & error & experience. I suppose if you cut too much off you'll have to settle for the next key up. Paint an appropriate design on it and apply some wax to the mouth piece. It makes a good instrument for a Celtic band: Amazing Grace/Scotland the Brave on bagpipe and didge is a unique experience.

Be warned: making a didge is easier than playing it. Circular breathing is not an easily acquired skill.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: Jon W.
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 11:21 AM

Here is a link that explains how you can buy a didgeridoo at K-Mart for 97 cents. While you're at this site take the link back up to his homepage - there's lots of fun instrument-making stuff there.

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 30 Apr 98 - 09:11 PM

On the plastic pipe didg' to save carrying 'round that long length. glue in a series of 4 right angle fittings and fold a bugle shape; Lo, The Didgeridougle.

The tunable didge'(one pipe sliding inside the other)add a handle or two and Behold; The Didgeribone. ;-)

Regards Ted

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From:
Date: 30 Apr 98 - 10:50 PM

http://www.pacificnet.net/~mtemple/links.htm

I've built and been playin' my didge for awhile. I learned all the circular breathing, moulding beeswax for a mouthpiece and tuning all online and with the above link.

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: Alex
Date: 03 May 98 - 10:30 PM

A little off the subject, but an amusing tale. I was providing sound for a show in Chicago, when one of the musicians to play next came up to me and announced that he would be playing the didgeridoo. "Really," says I, "how do you mike a didgeridoo?" Well, he must have spent too long in Australia, 'cos he says, "First, you get a five foot long piece of pvc pipe and ..... " "No, no, no!" I interjected, "I meant 'where is the best place to put the microphone to pick up a didgeridoo'"

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 May 98 - 11:02 PM

G'day all,

That link of Jon W's (ready-made didgeridoo from K-Mart for 97 cents) sounded too good to be true and, here in Oz, it is! Our K-Marts don't sell golf club protectors at all, so I called a few golf stores.

They did have golf club protectors but what I was describing was old hat - they had new improved models ... no unnecessary weight ... made out of a webbed material ... much lighter ... Damn!

Oh well, when I have some time to myself, I might look around the second hand, old-fashioned end of the golf market - see if I can find the old, solid ones some trendy has replaced with new, webbed models.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: harpgirl
Date: 18 May 00 - 11:52 AM

...aha! when I spelled it correctly this came up!

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoo's
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 10:45 AM

Any new techniques, materials, etc. folks have used since this thread was up?

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoos
From: Greg B
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 12:06 PM

At a New Jersey Folk Project Festival, one of the performers
had a workshop on making didges. He used PVC drain pipe, and
then for variety added all sorts of elbows and so on, for
various crazy shapes that still played fine.

Absurdoriginal.

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoos
From: Leadfingers
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 02:35 PM

As a Sometimes Banjo player , I call them the Didgeridont !

OK - I've got my coat ! LOL

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoos
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 04:49 PM

A few years back I met a young man who was attending the University of Washington music department with a minor in Anthropology. Ethnomusicology was his field. One of his shticks was taking anything he could find that wasn't a musical instrument and turning it into one. He had made a couple of didgeridoos out of PCV pipe. He also played pots and pans and just about anything else he could get a sound out of. Whatever it was, he'd tap on it, figure out what pitch it was, and incorporate it. Once I saw him take a Parker Jotter ballpoint pen and pencil set out of his shirt pocket and play the music stand.

He wasn't just banging on things. He actually played music. The guy was amazing!

He also played the piano and a couple of other instruments.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Making Didgeridoos
From: GUEST,Val
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 05:02 PM

here is one source for info & instruments

I think they might have "how to make" books, DVD's etc.