Buying a Didgeridoo Online: The Key Differences Between Instruments

Buying a didgeridoo in person is a hands-on experience. Buying one online is not, and that changes how you need to approach the decision. This introductory video opens the Didgeridoo Buyers Guide, a free series presented by Ben from Didgeridoo Breath that explains the main differences between instruments. This article outlines the problem the series sets out to solve and the factors it covers.

In a shop versus online

In the video, Ben from Didgeridoo Breath describes the difference simply. In a shop, buyers can handle the instruments, smell the timber and play them. Online, none of that is possible, so the buyer has to rely on information instead: descriptions, measurements, photos and recordings. Understanding what each of those details means is the purpose of the series.

Why didgeridoos vary so much

The didgeridoo is an instrument of Aboriginal Australians from northern Australia. Traditionally it is made from a eucalyptus branch or trunk that has been hollowed out by termites. Because the hollowing is natural, every instrument ends up with its own internal shape, length and opening. Mass-produced instruments in other materials exist, but natural timber didgeridoos are each one of a kind, which is why comparing them takes some background knowledge.

The main factors the series explains

The bell end

The bell is the far end of the instrument, opposite the mouthpiece, where the sound leaves the tube. Its shape and size differ from one didgeridoo to the next.

The length

Length has a strong influence on pitch. As a general rule, longer didgeridoos play deeper notes and shorter ones play higher notes, although natural instruments do not follow the rule exactly.

The mouthpiece

The mouthpiece is where the player’s lips meet the instrument. On many didgeridoos it is finished with a ring of beeswax, which can be shaped to suit the player.

The note or key

Each didgeridoo produces a drone at a particular pitch, usually described by a letter name. Listening to a recording is often the easiest way to understand it.

How to use the guide

The series is designed to be watched in sequence, starting with this introduction, but each episode stands on its own. Someone who already knows they want a particular kind of sound might go straight to the episodes on length and key. Someone unsure about comfort might start with the mouthpiece. In each case the aim is the same: to turn the details in an online listing into something meaningful, so the buyer can picture how an instrument will feel and sound before it arrives.

The tone of the introduction is relaxed. Ben invites viewers to get comfortable and explore the world of the didgeridoo together, which suits a topic that can otherwise feel overwhelming to a first-time buyer.

Key points

• Buying online removes the chance to handle and play an instrument, so information has to fill the gap.
• Natural didgeridoos are all different, which makes comparison harder than with factory-made instruments.
• The Didgeridoo Buyers Guide explains the bell end, length, mouthpiece and note, among other factors.

The full series, with notes for each episode, is hosted by Didgeridoo Dojo, which also teaches the didgeridoo online.