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Didgeridoo Facts & Worksheets

The didgeridoo (also spelled didjeridu) is an Australian Aboriginal wind musical instrument used by the Yolngu people from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.

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The didgeridoo (also spelled didjeridu) is an Australian Aboriginal wind musical instrument used by the Yolngu people from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Possibly the world’s oldest musical instrument, the didgeridoo is cut to an average length of 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) long.

See the fact file below for more information on the didgeridoo or alternatively, you can download our 19-page didgeridoo worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

INTRODUCTION

  • A didgeridoo is made from limbs and eucalyptus tree trunks that are hollowed out by termites (insects), and it is usually cylindrical or conical in shape.
  • Commonly, the longer the instrument, the lower its pitch or key.
  • Flared instruments perform a higher pitch than unflared instruments of the same length.
  • The didgeridoo was produced by Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago, and it is presently in use around the world, though still most strongly linked with Indigenous Australian music.

ORIGIN

  • There are no reliable sources that tell us when didgeridoos were first used.
  • Studies of rock art in Arnhem Land suggest that it has been in use for more than 1,500 years.
  • A clear rock painting dating from the freshwater period in Ginga Wardelirrhmeng, on the northern edge of the Arnhem Land plateau, shows a didgeridoo player and two singers performing in a ceremony.
  • It is thus thought that the didgeridoo was developed by Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia, possibly in Arnhem Land.

ETYMOLOGY

  • It is said that “didgeridoo” is not an Aboriginal word but a word invented in the West.
  • It may come from the Irish word dúdaire or dúidire, which may mean ‘trumpeter; constant smoker, puffer; long-necked person, eavesdropper; hummer, crooner’, and the word dubh, meaning “black” (or duth, meaning “native”). However, this theory is not generally accepted.
  • One of the earliest examples of the word in print was in a 1919 issue of Smith’s Weekly, where it was called an “infernal didjerry” that “produced but one sound – (which sounded like) didjerry, didjerry, didjerry and so on”.

MAKING A DIDGERIDOO

  • Traditional didgeridoos were made from eucalyptus tree trunks and limbs that were hollowed out by termites (a small insect similar to an ant but a relative of the cockroach) or from bamboo in the far north of Australia.
  • The termites attack these living eucalyptus trees, removing only the dead heartwood of the tree, as the living sapwood contains a chemical that repels the insects.
  • Then, the hollowed didgeridoo was cut to an average length of 130 to 160 centimeters and cleaned out with a stick or sapling. The exterior was then shaped, resulting in a finished instrument.
  • Today, didgeridoos are made from a large variety of materials, such as glass, leather, hemp, ceramic, plastic, solid timbers that have been carved out, logs that have been drilled out, dried/hollowed cactus stems, aluminum, and other metals.
  • Modern didgeridoo designs, which were recognized by musicologists, are different from the traditional Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo, as they are made from non-traditional materials and in non-traditional shapes.

DECORATION

  • Didgeridoos can be painted by their maker or a dedicated artist using traditional or modern paints, while others retain the natural wood grain design with minimal or no decoration.

PLAYING

  • The didgeridoo is played by continuously vibrating the lips to produce the droning sound while using circular breathing.
  • The musician sits on the ground, resting his instrument on the earth.
  • He fits his mouth into the straight or upper end and blows down it in a curious fashion wherein he produces an intermittent drone.

USE OF DIDGERIDOO

  • Traditionally, the didgeridoo was used as an accompaniment along with chants, singers, and dancers, usually in ceremonies.
  • Today, the didgeridoo is heard in almost all styles of music, including rock, jazz, blues, pop, hip hop, electronic, techno, funk, punk, rap, etc.

Didgeridoo Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the didgeridoo across 19 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Didgeridoo worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the didgeridoo (also spelled didjeridu) which is an Australian Aboriginal wind musical instrument used by the Yolngu people from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Possibly the world’s oldest musical instrument, the didgeridoo is cut to an average length of 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) long.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Didgeridoo Facts
  • Basic Facts
  • Didgeridoo History
  • Terminologies
  • The Making
  • Traditional vs Modern
  • The Use of Didgeridoo
  • Playing the Didgeridoo
  • My Design
  • Should I or Should I Not?
  • The Importance Article

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Link will appear as Didgeridoo Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 24, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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