The instrument began in the Northern Territory of Australia at least 1,500 years ago. Termites there eat only the inside of Eucalyptus trees, naturally hollowing them out. Aborigines select a suitable tree limb by tapping and listening for the "hollow" sound. Once found, the hollowed tree limb is cut down, any remaining termites are removed, and the bark is shaved off. Often the inside of the bell end is scraped out to widen the flare of the bell, and a mouthpiece is fashioned on the other end. Traditional mouthpieces were made from a ring of beeswax. That tradition still thrives today, but increasingly, when possible, the mouthpieces are shaped from the wood itself.

The didjiridu, along with clapsticks and voice, is played as an integral part of traditional Aboriginal gatherings (or corroborees) and ceremony. These gatherings feature music and dance that celebrate the connection to the Dreamtime. (The corroboree scene in the movie "Crocodile Dundee" is likely one of the most widely seen examples of a corroboree.) The didjiridu is an interconnected piece of Aboriginal culture and tradition. 

Today, the instrument is not only used in continuation of its long tradition, it is also used worldwide in many different styles of music far removed from its Aboriginal origin. You will find many examples of that on this website. Additionally, there are many different styles of didjiridu construction the world over. Purely hand-made didjs from multitudes of different woods. Some hollowed with drill bits, but most are split in half where each half is hollowed out and then glued back together. These methods work not only for woods, but agave stalks are also very commonly crafted into instruments the same way. PVC, papier mache, ceramics, and fiberglass all have been turned into didjiridus. Even leather! Personally, I have experimented with crafting didjiridus from many of these alternate materials since the early 90s. I settled on my preferred medium of used aluminum and fiberglass years ago. Some of my didjs are available for purchase.

The name "didjiridu" is an onomatopoeia, most likely created from Westerners' attempts to imitate the sound it produces. It is the most common and generically used name for the instrument around the world. The name does not distinguish between a traditionally "authentic" instrument made from termite-hollowed Eucalyptus in Australia and crafted by a man of Aboriginal heritage, or a more modern day version made from a variety of materials from anywhere around the globe. While it is not generally improper to refer to any such instrument as a "didjiridu", it is improper to refer to a non-traditional version of the instrument by traditional Aboriginal names. As the instrument spread from just the Northern Territory of Australia throughout the whole nation over the last 100 years or so, many different Aboriginal names are used for the instrument depending on location. The most common Aboriginal name for the instrument is "yidaki". If you own an instrument from Australia, made from termite-hollowed Eucalyptus, which was harvested and finished by an Aboriginal didj-crafter, then the term "yidaki" may be appropriate. For all other forms of the instrument, it is best to use the term "didjiridu". Notice the didj I am playing in the logo above. It is termite-hollowed Eucalyptus from Australia. However, its maker was a white fella not of Australian Aboriginal heritage. I refer to this particular instrument as a didjiridu, and I would never call it a yidaki.

You may have noticed variations on the spelling of "didjiridu". It is an unusual word in that it does have multiple spellings. I even had a little fun with this in my band's first release by spelling it differently each time it appeared in the liner notes. Given the onomatopoeic origin of the word, the question - "how do you spell this sound?" - would obviously produce varying answers. Think of the question "Did you redo your taxes?" Say the first three words aloud, but don't enunciate perfectly between the first two words, allowing the "j" sound to connect the words "did" and "you". You just correctly pronounced "didjiridu". So how would you spell that sound? Phonetically like "d-i-d-j......", or like the rhyming word "bridge"? Both ways are commonly used. How about the rest? Would you follow the pawprints of that famous animated canine "Scooby Doo", or use another spelling? I think it makes sense that there is no one correct spelling. Despite that, the two most common spellings are "didgeridoo" and "didjeridu". Consider also that the way the spelling looks can lead to confusion over how to pronounce the word. Use of the "e" in the middle of the word can lead to incorrectly pronouncing the second letter as a "long i". Considering all of this, I long ago settled on my preferred spelling of "didjiridu". I may even be the only one consistently using this exact spelling, but in general, I think this spelling provides greater chance of correct pronunciation by people seeing the word for the first time.

No matter how you spell it, or even if you have never seen one played before, the didjiridu is the iconic sound of Australia. When needing to invoke the thought of Australia, rarely will any video, tv or radio commercial not use the sound of the didjiridu. It may be subtle, but the next time you see or hear something focusing on Australia, you will likely be able to recognize the unique sound of the didjiridu.