How to Make a Homemade Didgeridoo

Essentially, a didgeridoo is just a hollow tube of wood. An authentic eucalyptus didgeridoo is burrowed out by ants, and has an irregular interior which gives it a complex and interesting tone. A PVC didgeridoo, by contrast, is completely smooth inside, which gives a simple tone that is not much like the authentic eucalyptus model. Bamboo is probably the best material for a homemade didgeridoo, since it is naturally irregular inside and made of a woody material which sounds nice.

Things You'll Need

• Bamboo
• Handsaw
• Steel pole
• Sandpaper
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Wax

Instructions

1. Find a stick of dry bamboo 5 feet or longer. It should have an interior diameter of at least an inch and a half at the narrow end, and have no cracks. Cut it off with a small-toothed handsaw. You can also simply buy a bamboo pole at a hardware or gardening store.

2. Use a steel pole such as a piece of rebar to break out the nodes inside the bamboo by shoving it down the shaft of the bamboo stalk. You don't need to break out the entire node--just make a hole through it.

3. Finish the didgeridoo. Sand the ends to round and smooth them. If you wish to, you can also paint the didgeridoo.

4. Warm up some beeswax by putting it in your pocket. Pinch off and roll a small noodle of it in your hand and smooth it against the inside of the smaller opening so that it comes out the end.

5. Pinch off another beeswax noodle and smooth it around the outside of the opening so that it joins the first noodle. The whole end of the didgeridoo should be covered in a cap of wax.

6. Add more wax noodles onto the end if you wish to. Build up as many layers as you want, gradually narrowing the opening until it reaches the desired width.

Tips & Warnings

• Some players will only use a thin layer of wax for a mouthpiece. Others prefer to build up a thick mound.

Resources

• Making a PVC didgeridoo