Name and Country |
What shape or features do you think a didgeridoo should have so it can be used for 'traditional style' playing? |
| Adisa Lafayette from Canada |
Trumpet, elongated |
| Alan Tower from USA |
Hollowed out by termites |
| Alex from Canada |
Should have a deep haunting sound, and should be made with the care one would if they making it for them selves |
| Andrew Castle from USA |
The stick should be hollow...and only have 2 holes, one at either end for the mouth and the bell.:) other than that it should have good resonance, decent volume, and good back pressure. |
| Anonymous |
Large opening at end |
| Arpad Toth from Hungary |
Long,straight,and no beeswax..:) |
| Babs Green from United Arab Emirates |
They should stay as they are, to keep their heritage |
| Barney from USA |
Uncertain on this one. Main thing that comes to mind is the back pressure. Proper diameter to allow the lips to give a good seal, so the player can get a good twang. |
| Anonymous |
Has to be made from trees eaten out by termites |
| Anonymous |
It has to have a certain length, a certain quality, a certain sound, with dot-painting, being made the traditional way. |
| Beverly Byrum from USA |
It seems to me that the shapes vary somewhat, but all are basic cylindrical shapes. It should follow the shape of the wood from which it is made. |
| Brandi from USA |
A nice curved shape is the one I prefer |
| Brian from USA |
No particular shape. |
| Bridget from USA |
The features of the tree it came from! |
| Bryce from USA |
Traditional wood hollowed in a traditional manner to produce a sound that is of high quality. |
| Carl Hirschfeld from USA |
Any and all |
| Cary Jackson from USA |
Varying lengths depending on the tone desired, paintings of tribal significance |
| Chad from USA |
Unadorned and a conical shape |
| Claudio from Italy |
Variable |
| Clint Beedy from USA |
It must be hollow, hehe. |
| Anonymous from USA |
Long, wax mouth piece |
| Cory Gleason from USA |
Natural shape long and eaten by termites |
| Courtney from USA |
Slightly tapered. |
| Curtis from USA |
It should be painted with symbols ether general or specific to an event, and should have a beeswax mouthpiece |
| Dan Soreanu from Israel |
Long and hollow |
| Dana from USA |
From what I've seen, a didgeridoo's core shape starts from a long, three-foot or more, cylinder. Modern creations may branch out from there to flaring ends, undulating bodies, and forking parts. |
| Anonymous |
Any one, since the didge has a good sound, and good wood! |
| Anonymous |
Doesn't matter as long as it sounds good and looks good. |
| Dodie from Canada |
Cylinder shaped, flared at the bottom |
| Doug from USA |
Enough backpressure to maintain drone with minimal air, clear trumpet tones, comfortable beeswax mouthpiece, internal conical bore. |
| Eric from USA |
It really just needs to be a tube, if it has been hollowed out by termites this gives the instrument a more interesting sound. |
| Etienne from France |
A Bell and sufficient resonance |
| Anonymous from USA |
Nice fat mouthpiece, more cylindrical than conical, and relatively short length for a good strong, responsive, high-pitched drone. |
| Gavin Brown from United Kingdom |
Straight clean as possible about a meter long |
| Anonymous from Germany |
Thick walls (like Djalu didges). They can be short (mago) or long ( b or c) |
| Anonymous from USA |
Artwork reflects the region by animals. Very "durable". |
| Anonymous from USA |
Bell bottom I think it gives it a down to earth look |
| Jason from Isle Of Man |
Natural shapes not manufactured |
| Jason from New Zealand |
Natural branch, hot chiseled or adapted artificially. |
| Anonymous |
It doesn't really matter. They come in different natural shapes and sizes. |
| Jeremy from USA |
Any but I feel a nice straight piece is more traditional |
| Jerry from USA |
Short somewhat thick walled hollow log. |
| Jesse from Canada |
Long. Straight. Narrow. |
| Jessica from Brazil |
Cylindrical and conic form |
| John Armstrong from USA |
I believe it should be relatively short (around 4 feet) with a relatively narrow, straight bore. |
| John from USA |
Straight with flared bell |
| John Hucks from USA |
Each one is unique in its design and look as the material used is "built" by nature itself. |
| John from USA |
Long hollow limb |
| Anonymous |
Tree shape. Beeswax mouthpiece Termite hollowed Perhaps most important: a traditional player |
| Anonymous |
I'm thinking like an extended horn,almost like an alpenhorn. |
| Joshua from USA |
Straight with a slight arch. |
| Julien from France |
Bell-shaped, eucalyptus-made, at least 1m40 or 50. Plain. |
| Anonymous from Ecuador |
The ones that have been used for the people who first made it |
| Julio Peña from Paraguay |
I think there are many traditional styles. But in general, it have to be made for a special kind of sound or rhythm. |
| Jusa Keränen from Finland |
A plain will do the sound but I lIke the colours very much |
| Karl Craig from Australia |
The Didgeridoo that I have been given was in an Aboriginal family from Western Australia for 50 years and it had no wax for the mouth piece is 135 cm long, fairly straight and slowly flares out of the bottom. |
| Kevin from France |
He had to be a little curve |
| Anonymous |
I think that any aboriginal didj can be used for traditional style playing |
| Mark from USA |
Tapered? about four - six feet long? |
| Martina from USA |
Large wide bottom |
| Matthew from Italy |
Great question, as I don't play (have not yet learned), I don't want to assume what shape is best. However, most yidaki have tapers sizes to a bell at the end, while mago are mainly straight without a rise to a bell. |
| Michael from USA |
Most didgeridoo I have seen have a taper of about 1:3 or 1:4 from mouthpiece to bell. I don't have enough experience with them to offer a valid thought. |
| Mick Langan from United Kingdom |
A tapering and hollow tube of wood with a bend or curve. ending at a bell shaped end. |
| Nicholas from France |
The traditional style is more about the player than the instrument...but a traditional instrument could help!!!;) I mean that at some point, the player is more important than the "tool", whatever the exterior natural curves of the piece of wood, plus if the inside can be eaten by termites it would increasing the traditional feelings, backpressures, etc... for the player. |
| Nolan from USA |
No reason why any one can't be played in any style |
| Patrick from USA |
STRAIGHT |
| Raffaele Giampaolo from Australia |
Usual it's a long "trumpet like" shape. |
| Rebecca Adams from USA |
Long, narrow, hollow and curved |
| Anonymous from USA |
A beeswax mouthpiece, relatively straight, bell larger than mouthpiece end. |
| Rob from United Kingdom |
Hardwood (ideally bloodwood), relatively straight, termite hollowed, beeswax mouthpiece, traditionally finished and decorated. |
| Ross from USA |
Somewhat like a long clarinet. |
| Russ from USA |
At least 4 feet long, with a natural taper and bell...and must have a good resonance |
| Russell Chappell from USA |
Straight |
| Ryan from USA |
Large bore with rough, termite eaten walls to enhance the stiff-tongued, raspy style. |
| Anonymous from USA |
One that resembles the same styles as the early players used. |
| Scott from USA |
I suppose the main thing is for it to be tuned properly and have a good mouthpiece so that is is easily played. |
| Sebastian from Germany |
It should be made and tested by aboriginal people |
| Sevan from Ireland |
Yakadi style |
| Shaun Michaels from Australia |
Hollow |
| Shawn from USA |
Tapers, from mouth piece to bell in an expanding manner. Narrow at mouth piece, wider at bell. Length is specific for "tune", relative to wood, size of termite boring, thickness of walls, etc. |
| Simon from Germany |
It should be at least 1 meter long and the bottom diameter should be bigger then the top diameter |
| Steven from Canada |
Long straight with a slightly larger bell on the end, and termite hallowed. decorated. |
| Storm from United Kingdom |
Should make an authentic sound with deep resonance and be made to an original 'recipe' |
| Summer from USA |
Long and cylindrical |
| Taro from USA |
A beeswax mouthpiece |
| Tiago from Portugal |
There are several 'traditional styles'. Yidaki-type didgeridoos are usually very tapered, with easy toots and a nice 'growl'. Mago-type are usually more cylindrical, open, and with good resonance. Other than that, it's almost impossible to express the particular quality of a didgeridoo that makes it good for 'traditional styles'. Actually the difference is more on the player! |
| Anonymous from Australia |
Long tubular wood, with an even width for good circular breathing... |
| Tony Kiser from USA |
I would think that depends on the traditional maker and player. |
| Vladimir from Czech Republic |
Long, fairly narrow shape and beeswax mouthpiece. |
| Woody Henderson from USA |
I don't know what traditional style playing is. I haven't had a lot of exposure to other people's playing styles. But from what I've seen of various didges, I'd say it should have the following: A slight curve to the body, with an uneven interior surface, to make for back pressure, and a bell at the end. I don't know how big or small the bell should be, but it helps to amplify the sound, which is good if you're playing outdoors. |
| Yanna from Netherlands |
Trumpet shape and first made by termites. |
| Zach Lessley from USA |
... I suppose for playing, that is up to the player, you can play mozart on a plastic violin. To be used in a ceremony however, it must be harvested and treated completely traditionally. |
| Anonymous |
Maybe at least a meter in length. |
