the didgeridoo

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make your own BROTHER-style didgeridoo

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didgeridoo

make your own
didgeridoo

get ready to blow

read more about the didgeridoo

learn about
circular breathing

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Follow Hamish's step-by-step instructions to make...and play...your own BROTHER-style didgeridoo. What you'll need...
(i)	54-1/2 inch length of PVC piping (1-1/2 inch diameter) for a didg that will allow us to jam together in the key of "C"
(ii)	A small block of beeswax (craft stores usually have some)
1.	Melt the beeswax in a solid glass jar in the microwave or a small saucepan/tin on the stovetop. This stuff gets bloody hot, so even though it's not steaming, just watch it and definitely don't do it with kids running round - get them involved.
2.	Dip one end of the PVC into the beeswax repeatedly to begin forming the mouthpiece. Dip vertically, leaving a few seconds between dips for the wax to solidify. When you pull out each time, turn the PVC in your hands as you move it to a slightly more horizontal position (to avoid large drips and bumps from forming). Bumps will happen to some degree, so when you're finished, they can just be smoothed out with the palm of your hand when the wax gets to the warm stage.
3.	Size of the mouthpiece is ultimately an individual thing, but too wide or too narrow will make initial buzzing more difficult. You just have to take it slowly and experiment. To start with, bring the wax in about a 1/4-inch (about 0.5 cm or so) all the way round.
4.	Once the wax cools off a bit, but is still warm, is a good time to do some shaping and refining (your lips pursed should fit comfortably inside). Also check that the wax is sitting against the inside of your didg, if not, just push it tight with your fingers.
This is about bringing people together It's about overcoming some barriers It's about individual expression And discovery It's about letting go It's about being still And listening "For me," Hamish says, "the didgeridoo is more than just an instrument. It helps me connect...with myself...with the earth...with things beyond myself."

getting your didg to buzz

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After following Hamish's tips on making your own BROTHER-style didgeridoo, let him walk you through the buzz.

Now you're set to blow...

Purse your lips like you're getting set to kiss the didg. Press them firmly into the mouthpiece, but not hard - they need to stay loose enough so as to be able to flutter (you're not going for a trumpet-type pressure).

OK, now start the blow - light air pressure, lips touching, fluttering. Close your eyes - listen and feel. If it's not happening - and you'll know - just think 'relax'. The main thing didg virgins have to learn is: don't try too hard. You've got to be loose.

A couple of tips - try not to puff your cheeks out at first (that'll come later when you start to work on the breathing) and don't blow hard. You really need very little air to create the drone. "There...just at the end, you almost had it."

Usually people who aren't getting it at first stumble across the buzz at the end of a determined breath, when they're almost out of air, easing off and blowing little because they're about to pass out. When you hit that buzz, you'll know... Your lips will tingle, and you'll feel the vibration flow through your body.

Get decorating. Scrape, sand, paint (acrylics are good), wrap ... whatever comes out. Oh, yeah - burning or melting PVC produces toxic fumes which are pretty nasty, so if you get into that make sure you take adequate precautions like mask and ventilation!

Circular breathing/continuous droning. We'll get to that soon. For now, just find somewhere that sounds good, and buzz. And buzz.

Remember the wise words from Stu...

"Don't think about trying to learn.
Just listen with your heart."

Stu Fergi, yidaki master from the Torres Strait, Australia

Read more about circular breathing

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