How to Make a Didgeridoo for Children

In essence, a didgeridoo is simply a long tube with a narrow mouthpiece. The instrument itself is a resonator that carries and amplifies the sound. The actual tones are created by buzzing the lips against the mouthpiece. The simplicity of didgeridoos makes them ideal instruments for kids to play. With a little bit of practice, a youngster can learn to produce droning rhythms, animal sounds and a wide variety of other effects.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• PVC pipe Sandpaper Cloth Acrylic paint Glue Feathers, sticks and other small decorative objects

1. Get a 3- to 4-foot length of PVC pipe. It should be at least 1.25 inches in diameter to make a good resonating cavity. Although longer tubes will work, they will be hard for kids to carry and difficult to play.

2. Sand down both ends slightly. You don't need to make them completely rounded; just remove sharp edges from the PVC. Use a cloth to wipe away any PVC dust.

3. Have a child decorate the didgeridoo. He or she can paint it with acrylic paint and use glue to fasten stones, beads, feathers or whatever onto the didgeridoo.

4. Make a mouthpiece for the didgeridoo. Take a strip of soft beeswax and wrap it around the inside of the end of the tube, kneading it against the tube to make an airtight seal. Knead another strip, covering the outside of the opening. Keep adding strips until you have a triangular tube of wax that narrows the diameter of the tube to less than an inch. Follow the link below for more information on how to make a didgeridoo mouthpiece.

Resources

• Didgeridoo Mouthpiece