Bamboo Nursery

Bamboo Didgeridoo

One of the oldest musical instruments on earth, the digeridoo has been a part of Australian aboriginal culture for thousands of years. Although the traditional material is a type of wood hollowed out by termites, bamboo was also used by early artist and is very popular today with makers of digeridoos.

Building a Bamboo Didgeridoo

Building a bamboo didgeridoo is easy!. You'll need a piece of bamboo about two inches in diameter and 4 to 5 feet long. The pitch of your didgeridoo will depend on the length of the tube. Here is a chart to help you determine how long to make it. The ideal piece of bamboo will be well dried, cut when it was 3 to 4 years old, with no obvious cracks. I like to cut the mouth end right at a node. This gives a good place to make the mouthpiece. When cutting the bamboo it's a good idea to use a very fine tooth saw. I've found that a small handsaw makes the best, smoothest cut. If using a power saw you should first wrap the bamboo with masking tape at the place you'll be cutting. This helps keep the bamboo from splintering.

Next step is to remove the nodes inside the bamboo. I use a piece of 1/2 inch re-bar. This is the steel re-inforcement bar used in concrete. You can find a 3 to 4 foot piece at most building supply stores. The rod works great for punching out the nodes and then the rough sides of the rod do a good job of removing and cleaning whatever is left of the nodes. Just slide it in and out several times while rotating the bamboo. Unless you have a long piece of rod you'll need to do this from both ends. Once the nodes are removed, take a look thru the bamboo. You should have a nice, clean tube.

Now is a good time to try your 'didg'. You can find information on the web about playing the instrument but basically you press your lips against the mouth end and make a sort of "bronx cheer". You know, where your lips are pursed together and you blow making a sort of "motorboat" sound? With practice you can get the didgeridoo to make a nice, resonant sound. This will be easier once you've constructed the mouthpiece.

To make the mouthpiece you'll need a couple ounces of clean beeswax. I usually take a small, marble sized piece and soften it by warming it in my fist. The wax should get soft and pliable. I roll it out into a skinny, snake- like tube. Press it around the edges of the bamboo, so that the tube has a wax coverd end. If this is not clear think of it as way to make your mouth seal better against the end of the didgeridoo, sort of a wax "O-ring". I usually melt a little bees wax in a can and dip the mouthpiece into it to make a good seal and a better looking end. When you play the didgeridoo the warmth of your mouth and skin will soften the wax giving it a custom fit. Here is a web page all about making a beeswax mouthpiece.

That's it! You are now the proud owner of a custom made didgeridoo. I make a final adjustment to the length at this point. If the digeridoo sounds nice and is easy to play, I leave it alone. By adjusting the lenght you can tune the "didj" to a particular key. At least that's what I read but I'm tone deaf so it means nothing to me! If not, I try cutting just a little off the end. Once you have a good pitch, sand the end to smooth the edges. You can decorate it with traditonal art, or use your imagination. Once the didgeridoo is painted you can varnish it. I usually varnish inside and out in order to help preserve the bamboo, hopefully makeing it less susceptible to cracking as it can't dry out as fast with the varnish sealing it.

A bees wax mouthpiece.