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Do you talk with your friends and audience about how a didj is made?
What do you tell people about how a didj is made?

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Over the years we have asked our visitors many different questions and any of the below topics contain hundreds of comments from people all over the world. Enjoy reading what other people have to say on those subjects:-). If you have any question you would like us to ask our visitors, please let us know.

GENERAL DIDGERIDOO ISSUES

DIDGERIDOO AUTHENTICITY

DIDJSHOP COMMENTS

TRADITIONAL DIDGERIDOO PLAYING

EFFECTS OF DIDGERIDOO PLAYING & LISTENING

ABORIGINAL ISSUES

Name and Country	Do you talk with your friends and audience about how a didj is made?	What do you tell people about how a didj is made?
Al from Australia	Sometimes	Hollow trees termites selection risk to forests because of tourist trade demand
Anonymous	Always	I tell them that original didjes are made of Eucalyptus trees originally born in Australia and worked by termites that eat the inner live part of the tree leaving only the outside. There are other kind of didjes like bamboo or even PVC or other woods but the Eucalyptus have the best sound for me.
Alexander Lavrishchev from Russia	Sometimes	I tell that in Australia Authentic didgeridoo made by Aborigines from Genuine termite hollowed wood.
Amy from USA	Always	I tell them the basics about the termite eaten wood the beeswax etc.
Anandini from USA	Only if asked	I like to tell people about the termites and their role in producing these instruments. This process signifies the naturalness and timely manner that didjes are made. A time that is in tune with the natural rhythms of nature. I also have made a couple of didgeridoo's from bamboo. I cut a chosen piece and hollow out the center It is then fire cured slowly. I have never tuned one of these but they always play very lovely. I once found a dead yucca on the edge of the grand canyon. I cut it and hollowed it. The sound seemed to carry the canyon in it! It was a beautiful instrument. It went to a professional player who really likes to play it.
Andrew King from Australia	Always	Usually just get the point across that white people are cashing in on what should be basically aboriginally made unless there is a good donation to the black people and they make them "properly"
Andrew from United Kingdom	Always	Method of harvest / selection termite hollowed cleaned tuned painted and sealed by whom and the ethics behind the didjshop (my 3 didj's are all didjshop Didjes)
Andrew from Australia	Only if asked	That a piece of wood is hollowed by termites the cleaned up then it can be painted. All should only be done by an aboriginal person otherwise don't buy!!
Anonymous	Only if asked	Termites
Andy from United Kingdom	Sometimes	Termites & the expertise of the maker in spotting a good one prior to cutting.
Angela from USA	Only if asked	Termites eat the centers out to hollow out log of would
Angie from USA	Always	Traditionally didj's are made of Eucalyptus trees and are naturally hollowed out by termites. The trunks are then tapped and if it makes a hollow sound it gets harvested.
Antonio Mara from Italy	Always	That it's made of wood that the termites eats the center of the branch more soft and that a craftsman choose the perfect branch with the perfect misure and the perfect sound and he make it a didgeridoo.
Anonymous from Australia	Mostly	Naturally hollowed by termites. Then cleaned dried reworked. A mouthpiece is then fitted (beeswax or wood) to have a final mouth opening between 3 and 4 cm.
Audrey from USA	Only if asked	I refer them to the internet and tell them what I know from reading your site.
Anonymous	Always	An authentic didgeridoo is a termite hollowed piece of eucalyptus that is harvested and cut to length decorated with art work or can be left looking natural.
Barbara McCrea from USA	Sometimes	First a hollow tree must be selected then it must be cut cleaned out by termites stripped of bark sealed a mouthpiece added and finally decorated if desired.
Bas from Netherlands	Sometimes	I tell them about the original termite eaten didges and also about the other fabrication methods.
Anonymous	Sometimes	First ones were young trees that the termites ate most of the insides out
Billy from Brazil	Only if asked	Just used a PVC and Durepoxi...
Brad Cole from USA	Always	That in australia there's a termite that bores through the core of a living tree a colony. from there they are harvested.I've seen pictures of massive wagonfuls of Didgeridoo stock.
Brendan Moloney from Spain	Sometimes	I explain the different way that Didgeridoos are made naturally and manufactured. The termite hollowing always surprises people. I also explain that there is a lot of hard work and various stages to go through in order to get the perfect product. I also explain about the cultural side of painting the Didgeridoo and that the paintings have meaning for the painter’s story or life.
Brenton Roberts from Australia	Mostly	Termites eat out the interior of the didj and then people go around and tap the trees to see what ones have been eaten out so they can make a didgeridoo
Candy from USA	Always	We love to share the termite factor. Its an interesting but particularly freaky feature of the didj. Most people find it kinda gross when you show them the bottom where some termite trails can still be seen.
Anonymous	Only if asked	So far I've not been asked
Carolyn from Australia	Sometimes	Choosing a tree (different species favoured in different areas) the role or termites and fire.
Cheri from USA	Only if asked	To check out the website for all the info.
Chris from United Kingdom	Sometimes	Tell them about natural termite made ones and man made ones
Anonymous	Sometimes	Termites dot paintings
Anonymous from USA	Only if asked	That is is hollowed out by termites and the paintings are usually creatures that can go between 2 different worlds. Also that the longer the Didgeridoo the deeper the sound
Christian Hens from Germany	Always	I tell them that the Didgeridoo is made from an Eucalyptus stick hollowed by termites. You have to fix up the bark. Than the Aboriginals paint it with dot paintings or other aboriginal paintings like animals and so on. Finally they make a mouthpiece with wax.
Anonymous from Austria	Only if asked	About the whole procedure termites carvings painting whatever they wanna know
Cindy Roma from Australia	Always	From what was passed down by my elders
Anonymous	Only if asked	That the makers know by experience which parts of a tree are suitable and do not cut whole trees just to make one instrument.
Anonymous	Always	Traditional ones are made by termites that eat a hole in a tree or branch. Non traditional ones can be made from a variety of things: split wood agave yucca bamboo pvc...
Dana Bleitz from USA	Always	I talk about the development of craft specialization in societies and that instrument-makers are nearly-universally respected and often hold honored social positions. I discuss the quest for the proper tree and wood the curing and carving. As a beekeeper I also go into the 'fun' of getting the beeswax - ha- for the mouthpiece.
Dana from USA	Sometimes	By beautiful human craftsman ship
Dave from Canada	Always	That the "real" ones are made (or found and then decorated) out of termite-hollowed eucalyptus wood. You can make cheap ones yourself with PVC pipe (the thin vaculine stuff works best). The mouthpiece can easily made by sculpting some beeswax and the body can be warped bent and dented and bulged by using a heat gun. The alterations to the PVC tube increase the back-pressure and make circular breathing easier as well as create more surfaces for the air/soundwaves to bounce off of thus producing a richer sound. Final decorations can easily be made with acrylic paint.
Dave Feetam from Australia	Sometimes	Made from a termite hollowed out tree
David from Canada	Sometimes	A tree trunk hollowed by termites.
David Veal from USA	Sometimes	That it is naturally hollowed out by termites and is a specific type of wood only found in Australia.
Denny Simpson from USA	Always	Start with the white ants(termites) and the collection by aboriginal artist thru the cleaning /bark removal. then the carving painting wood burning etc.
Anonymous	Never	By hand
Eddie Govender from USA	Always	That this instrument is made from hollowed trees and are termite proof
Eduardo from Ecuador	Mostly	They are hollowed by termite action and have a very complicated process to manufacture them. Aboriginal walk the land to find the pieces of wood and this is part of their rituals
Francisco from Chile	Always	Digo que el diji es echo por termitas las cuales ahuecan la madera... luego esta es cortada y decora da por aborígenes
Anonymous from France	Mostly	The kind of wood it's made of the paintings...
Frank from USA	Mostly	Termites! And of course how the trees are found harvested and 'finished' for playing.
Frans Essers from Netherlands	Mostly	The real thing is made by nature with the help of the native australians
Anonymous from Canada	Mostly	Authentic didj's are made and decorated by aborigines from termite hollowed trees. Other are made in a very wide range of methods but wood still has a special character.
Garry from Australia	Mostly	The Didj is Termite eaten creating cavities which gives each didj a unique earthy sound. A tree is selectively cut by sounding for hollowness stripped of bark seasoned ends shaped and holes plugged mouth piece added tested for sound quality and finished.
Gary Phillips from USA	Mostly	Made from a variety of woods but mostly eucalyptus. The limbs naturally hollowed out by termites. I always be sure to include that fact.
Anonymous from USA	Sometimes	Hollowed out by termites!
Gerard School from Netherlands	Always	I say that termites hollow the branches of trees and that the Aboriginals carefully select the right branches and process them further by hand and eventually paint them.
Gerard Tegenbosch from Netherlands	Only if asked	It is provided mainly by nature harvested carved and mostly painted by aborigines
Graham from New Zealand	Only if asked	Basically in the wild
Greg Furbish from USA	Only if asked	I tell them authentic didj's are produced from termite-hollowed eucalyptus branches and roots in Australia
Gregoire from France	Sometimes	The Didjes are made with eucalyptus feed by the termites and some consciousness aborigines work the sound of each didj with love every didj is unique
Hannah Wenger from USA	Never	I'm not sure how it was made. People can make them out of pipe though. I do know that it involves hollow wood.
Anonymous	Sometimes	They can be made from many materials.
Howard from USA	Mostly	I tell them the Aborigines go around tapping on tree branches to find the ones hollowed out by the termites. Cut down the right branch that's been hollowed out then strip the bark and shape it then apply beeswax to the mouth piece.
Isabel from Canada	Sometimes	From Australian wood.
Jack from USA	Sometimes	I tell them it is made (originally) from a termite-hollowed tree section
Anonymous from United Kingdom	Mostly	The termite process
James Parker Iii from USA	Mostly	I tell them how the Termites hollow out the trunk of the tree
Anonymous from USA	Always	Tell of the insects that eat away the heart wood of the eucalyptus tree.
Jan Stanek from Czech Republic	Mostly	Describes the principle of production. Principles of sound etc. In addition depending on what is still asked.
Jan from Netherlands	Mostly	Generally the main trunk of the tree is harvested though a substantial branch may be used instead. Aboriginal didgeridoo craftsmen spend considerable time in the challenging search for a tree that has been hollowed out by termites to just the right degree.
Jan Vlach from Czech Republic	Mostly	Original didgeridoo is a hollow eucalyptus branch decayed termites provided wax mouth piece
Anonymous from USA	Never	Some are cut and hallowed by Aboriginal people others are naturally hallowed out by termites.
Anonymous from USA	Always	Eucalyptus termites
Jared from USA	Always	Hollowed by termites. If they are still attentive I'll let them know of the alternative means of didj construction as well as some of the less respectful methods of harvesting didjes.
Jason Aken from USA	Always	I tell them that I have a personal army of termites and together we hollow out a eucalyptus branch designing the exterior afterward with natural dyes as we see fit.
Anonymous from Canada	Sometimes	Hollowed out by termites didge makers select logs in bush.
Jay from USA	Mostly	That traditionally it is made from a termite hollowed eucalyptus tree branch or log
Jean-pierre Gay from France	Mostly	Made from eucalyptus hollowed by termites
Anonymous	Always	Very carefully
Anonymous from USA	Always	It is made from a termite hollowed tree trunk and gum paste for the mouth piece.
Jeremy Iparraguirre from France	Mostly	Bois et nature
Jeremy from USA	Mostly	Usually talk about how traditionally they are made from termite hollowed eucalyptus... and that if your going to buy one its much better to make sure your buying one in which at least part if not most of the money will be going to the aboriginal people... preferably directly purchased from them is best if possible...
Anonymous from USA	Sometimes	Carefully. The right tree must be found cut then hollowed out. Played. Decorated. Played more. All this must be done by the right people and for the right reason. Or else you don't have a didj.
Jesse from Finland	Mostly	They are made of eucalyptus trees carved by termites their branches...etc. And some made of bamboo teak metal and even plastic and so on and so on.
Jesus from USA	Mostly	Termites made by mother earth
Jim Wafer from New Zealand	Mostly	It is made by selecting termite hollowed trees and then chopping the trees down and then cutting the correct length of yidaki trimming off the bark and making a mouth piece.
Johan Thaens from Belgium	Mostly	Always buy a didge that is being made with caution for its origin and respect for nature and the aboriginals themselves
John from USA	Always	Made from termite hollowed eucalyptus trees. Several varieties of eucalyptus trees used.
Anonymous from Canada	Mostly	Eucalyptus wood. Many varieties. They fall or are hollowed out by termites. Most don't play well but some do and some are play like dreamtime. Beeswax goes on mouthpiece and the one is ready for the journey.
John from USA	Mostly	The whole hollowed-by-termites bit plus how other didges are made from other woods or synthetics--but that a true hollowed didge is best!
Jonathan Coote from Canada	Always	The didj is made of a hollowed eucalyptus tree. Made hollow not by man but by termites. The tree once hollow to a point of being good for a didj is cut and then made into a full fledged working didj but the aborigines people by hand.
Anonymous	Sometimes	It depends. I try to encourage sustainable harvesting practices as well as talking about cultural ownership and authenticity. Ideally for Yidaki a tree (hollowed by termites) is carefully selected by an elder or other knowledgeable person is harvested the bark is stripped and the stick is taken home to be cleaned out smoothed and perhaps painted. Also some talk about the black sugar bag beeswax of the stingless honeybee.
Joseph from USA	Sometimes	That it was made by termite and nature before being touched by humans
Anonymous	Sometimes	I'm not really sure
Keith Black from USA	Sometimes	It is a certain tree that the termites core out the it is harvested
Anonymous	Mostly	Termites. wax. Love.
Anonymous from USA	Mostly	That it is naturally hallowed out wood and you make a mouthpiece out of beeswax.
Kyle from Canada	Mostly	By now I would tell them how my didj is made (from hemp) just like you would make paper machae but stronger
Anonymous from USA	Never	I don't know how it is made.
Laura from New Zealand	Always	That authentic ones are made from termite hollowed eucalyptus wood.
Liam Skeates-udy from Australia	Mostly	All ya' gotta do is bury your gum tree branch in the biggest termite mound you can find then come back and wallah'
Anonymous from Brazil	Mostly	I tell them aboriginal people make them of termite hollowed trees
Anonymous from USA	Rarely	I explain that the original Didjes were hollowed out by termites but I don't really understand how they're made by people.
Anonymous	Sometimes	Generally I tell people about the first didge and how it was discovered. I also tell them about the different found (pipes) PVC when eucalyptus is not available.
Anonymous	Mostly	What I know about from which tree it comes how to the way the sound is different from one another...
Anonymous	Never	I don't tell because no one has asked me.
Luis Antonio from Mexico	Always	I speak to them on as the termites they are eating the center of the trees to be making its houses and how after the years they are hollow on the inside. I speak envelope to them how people select the best trunks for make they in Didjes and on as tuned finally them and decorate.
Anonymous	Mostly	That is hollowed by termites.
M from USA	Always	It is made by selecting a section of Eucalyptus branch which was then buried near a termite mound. The termites over a period of time would eat out the heart wood leaving the indigestible and resinous outer layer of the branch behind. The branch is painted with special Shamanic totem animals.
Marc from USA	Mostly	Termites eating the inside of Acacia leaving it hallowed out.
Marc Thomas from United Kingdom	Always	Naturally hollowed out by termites and selected for use by skilled makers
Anonymous from Germany	Always	Dass traditionelle Didgeridoos von Termiten ausgehölt werden und von Aboriginees bemalt werden.
Mark Dunne from Ireland	Sometimes	Didj's are made by ants eating through the timber to make it hollow
Mark Leipfert from USA	Sometimes	It is hollowed by termites meticulously harvested stripped of bark sanded and painted.
Markus from Germany	Sometimes	In a nutshell that it is either made by termites which hollow out an eucalyptus tree. Commonly finished by human hands afterwards. Or that it is more mass-produced with different techniques and different woods.
Matt Chacey from USA	Always	One of the only natural made instruments in the world as well as the oldest. I tell how termites hollow it out and how an Aborigine finds them in the woods.
Matt Salvage from United Kingdom	Always	How there made from eucalyptus wood bloodwood etc carefully chosen by elders not just any old tree is hacked down and the way they try to preserve the land. There eaten and hollowed out by termites.the various ways the wood is treated to try and prevent cracking and extend the life of the didge. And the way they are tuned to different keys.
Matti Virtanen from Finland	Always	A real didgeridoo is made by nature. I tell which tree is used the different methods of finding a termite eaten branch or by placing a branch next to a termite mound. Its interior is left intact and thus every instrument has a completely unique sound. The exterior is handled and how it is painted (if any) is dependant on the region where it comes from.
Anonymous	Always	Hollowed out piece of wood created by termites and decorated and played by man.
Michael from United Kingdom	Rarely	That the original didj is made
Anonymous from Spain	Sometimes	Depends the material but I talk about the termite
Anonymous from Finland	Mostly	Its made by an artist
Anonymous from USA	Never	Google has the answers.
Nathan from USA	Always	Its made by nature. Naturally hollowed by termites in the bush.
Neil from Canada	Only if asked	Only that it as traditionally hollowed by termites
Nicolas from United Kingdom	Always	I would tell people that a true Didgeridoo is made by 2 loves of music One being the termites that gave the First aborigine the idea to play it. And for a hole community to get together and celebrate their traditions. Traditions in life must never be broken. As a half greek I always hold my ancestors close to my heart. And teach the traditions to younger people if interested.
Anonymous from Norway	Only if asked	Wood hollowed by termites and mouthpiece made from beeswax.
Anonymous from Norway	Never	I tell them it is a termite hollowed piece of australian wood which have been worked on by skilled hands
Anonymous from USA	Sometimes	Show them slide show from internet
Patrick Bodine from USA	Always	Termites eat the core of the wood and the aboriginal peoples of Australia have used the harvested wood as musical instruments.
Anonymous from USA	Mostly	How it is hollowed naturally made mostly of Eucalyptus
Anonymous	Sometimes	Termites hollow out the inside.
Paul from United Kingdom	Always	I tell them how the tree is hollowed by termites selected by the maker cleaned out stripped of its bark and either decorated or left natural
Pavel from Russia	Sometimes	I tell them a story about trees and termites and their magic communication =))
Penny O'brien from USA	Only if asked	Hollowed by termites and hand crafted
Peter Richards from USA	Mostly	A eucalyptus hollowed by termites is selected and worked to shape and tuned.
Phil Kotofskie from USA	Always	Termites hollow the genuine eucalyptus didges and skilled makers know when to cut the branches by tapping the wood and listening. There is more finishing to do in order to cut the didge to length clean out the inside and maybe add a mouthpiece.
Raymond from USA	Always	I try to key point the true marks of a QUALITY Didgeridoo as an example of fine tribal art and let anyone I speak with know where to get the highest quality Didgeridoo that will bring joy whenever played.
Renaud from China (pr)	Mostly	Made of eucalyptus naturally dug by termites cut by aborigines that clean the inside and thinner the wall and adjust the tone at the mouthpiece.
Rex Womack from USA	Always	Hollowed out by termites hand picked and hand shaped then painted with ochres or acrylic paints.
Anonymous	Sometimes	Finding a didge that has been hollowed out by didges but modern didges are mainly hand made all be it being carved out of wood or the machine made plastic didges.
Richard Elms from Australia	Mostly	Termites hollow out tree trunks or branches leaving an outer layer of wood. The trunk or branch is cut trimmed smoothed cleaned out and painted - and there you have it.
Anonymous from USA	Mostly	That it can be made from modern materials such as PVC pipe but that the real Didjes are made from eucalyptus or red gum trees from Australia and that the termites have bored out the trunks. etc.
Robert Quintarelli from Australia	Always	They cut a branch from the eucalyptus tree making sure its hollowed if its not totally hollowed its man finished they take the bark off smooth it with and sand paper paint it by an aboriginal artist and varnish it and cover the mouth piece with bee wax
Robin from USA	Always	That termites eat the inside of the living tree as it grows but they don't kill the tree.
Roger from USA	Always	From a hollowed branch or log
Roxy from USA	Mostly	The Australian Aborigines create this from a special wood that has been hollowed out by termites. The small end gets waxed and is played by blowing through it.
Ruslans Rubcena from Ireland	Always	The termites over a period of time would eat out the heartwood leaving the indigestible and resinous outer layer of the branch behind. The rejected "tube" branch was then given a resin ring at the embouchure and a final finish then painted with special Shamanic totem animals that could move between "worlds"; for example a frog can move between the land and the water and a lizard moves between the surface and the underground.
Ryan Deirmendjian from USA	Only if asked	Primo selected pieces of Eucalyptus (or whatever wood) are taken and are meticulously carved out and shaped then painted and turned into a beautifully unique ornate original piece of not only highly functional gorgeous artwork but hours of satisfaction and entertainment.
Anonymous	Sometimes	Hollowed out wood by termites. and finished by man
Scott Hazen from USA	Always	It is a natural process of a termite hollowing out a eucalyptus tree. Aboriginal shaman find the hollow branches not but cutting down a bunch of trees but by sensing the energy and harmonics the tree gives off naturally then harvesting only that part of the tree.
Scott Stewart from United Kingdom	Sometimes	That the best didjes are ones where the bore has been naturally created by munching termites. It would take a very long reamer otherwise.
Scott from USA	Always	By termites boring into the heartwood of the trees during the rainy season.
Sean Lake from USA	Mostly	That it is made out of eucalyptus trees that are hollow from termites and that the shape it and spray finish that explains and contrasts so that the wood does not crack
Severin Bisewski from Switzerland	Sometimes	The first where made by termites.
Sid from USA	Always	Termites! That always intrigues them.
Stephen from USA	Mostly	A true didj is made on the most part by the earth with the help of the sun and the rain. The termites eat away what will be the inner passage of the didj and aboriginal people carefully shape and decorate the outer surface.
Steve from USA	Always	The traditional way of being hollowed out by termites and the less traditional ways of using machines and the cheapest version of using PVC or some type of plastic.
Anonymous from USA	Mostly	Its a natural instrument. The raw piece is gathered from the outback and cleaned up tuned and finished and that's a traditional didj. termites hollow out the inside. everything else has to be made by someone created from scratch
Susan Levy from United Kingdom	Always	That a genuine didgeridoo is made from a branch from the eucalyptus tree which has been naturally hollowed out by termites.An experienced didgeridoo maker will tap the logs to see how suitable they are.
Anonymous	Always	It's a closely guarded cultural secret
Tanner from USA	Only if asked	Its hollowed by termites.
Anonymous from Canada	Sometimes	I tell them that the trees are often hollowed out by termites and that the aboriginals take great care in the selection of the piece they choose to work on. They cut the branch to the "right" size. Do some more hollowing out. Paint if desired.
Anonymous	Never	It is made by termites hollowing out a trunk
Terry from USA	Sometimes	I tell them about naturally occurring termite-hollowed logs.
Anonymous	Only if asked	Just what is said before
Thiago from Brazil	Always	I say it is usually made out of a termite-hollowed branch of eucalyptus among other things.
Anonymous	Rarely	Hollowed out by insects
Tony from Australia	Only if asked	Traditional methods from selection to cleaning it out and tuning
Troy from USA	Always	Even though I do not play the didj... I enjoy telling people about their construction... how authentic didgeridoos are made from trees hollowed by termites. etc.
Veronique from France	Rarely	For me a didj as to be made by people who have information about our origins
Anonymous from Argentina	Sometimes	Nature makes it.
Wayne Cook from Australia	Sometimes	I tell them how I went out and cut it myself and Merritt and chalky Sumner showed me where to find them.
Will from USA	Never	It's hollowed from logs by termites.
William from USA	Only if asked	It a piece of tree hollowed out by termites
Anonymous from Canada	Mostly	That it is termite hollowed naturally.
Zach from USA	Always	Didjes are handmade out of eucalyptus trees. The tree is first cut then the termite residual is cleaned out of the middle then the didj is sealed and a beeswax mouthpiece is formed
Zack from Australia	Only if asked	That they are branches that have been hollowed by termites

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Check out other selections of our visitors' comments:

GENERAL DIDGERIDOO ISSUES

DIDGERIDOO AUTHENTICITY

DIDJSHOP COMMENTS

TRADITIONAL DIDGERIDOO PLAYING

EFFECTS OF DIDGERIDOO PLAYING & LISTENING

ABORIGINAL ISSUES

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