Didgeridoo Timbers Explained: Eucalyptus, Bloodwood and Taste

Traditional didgeridoos are made from eucalyptus trees hollowed out by termites. Because there are so many kinds of eucalyptus, people often ask whether one timber is better than the others. In this short video from the Didgeridoo Buyers Guide, Benny from Didgeridoo Breath answers that question directly.

What are didgeridoos made from?

A traditional didgeridoo starts as a eucalyptus tree whose inner wood has been eaten away by termites, leaving a hollow tube. The instrument comes from northern Australia, where it is played by Aboriginal Australians. Benny notes that there are over a thousand types of eucalyptus in Australia alone, and that termites favour different ones depending on the region where the trees grow. The termites provide the hollow, but how the tube is cleaned out, shaped and finished is up to the maker, which is one reason craftsmanship comes up so often in the video.

Is there a best wood?

No. According to Benny, each timber has its own qualities, and none of them is right or wrong. He mentions a question he hears often from customers: they have been told bloodwood is the best and want to know how many are in stock. Bloodwood is a fine timber, but he compares choosing it on reputation alone to deciding your favourite colour is red and therefore needing a red didgeridoo. What suits one person is not necessarily right for another. It is personal choice.

What matters more than the timber

The video identifies three factors that have more influence on a didgeridoo than the species of wood:

• Craftsmanship: how well the instrument has been made and finished.
• Size: the dimensions of the tube, which affect how it plays and sounds.
• The note: whether the key of the instrument is the right one for the player.

Other videos in the same series look at the bell end, length, mouthpiece and key in more detail, which shows how many elements combine to give an instrument its voice.

When timber does start to matter

The advice for beginners is not to worry much about what the wood is. The differences between timbers are subtle, and they become easier to hear as a player develops an ear for the instrument. Experienced players often do have preferences, but those preferences tend to be personal and come from years of listening rather than from a rule about which tree is superior. For someone choosing a first instrument, that removes one source of worry. Attention is better spent on how the instrument sounds and feels to play.

Summary

Didgeridoos are made from many kinds of eucalyptus, and there is no single best one. Craftsmanship, size and the right note matter more, particularly for a first instrument. The full Didgeridoo Buyers Guide series is available from Didgeridoo Dojo, which also teaches the didgeridoo online.