Editing Didgeridoo (section)

==Description and construction==
A didgeridoo is usually [[cylindrical]] or [[Cone (geometry)|conical]], and can measure anywhere from {{convert|1|to|3|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} long. Most are around {{convert|1.2|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} long. Generally, the longer the instrument, the lower its pitch or key. However, flared instruments play a higher pitch than unflared instruments of the same length.<ref>Fletcher, N.H. (1996) The didjeridu (didgeridoo). ''Acoustics Australia'' 24, 11–15.</ref>

The didgeridoo is classified as a [[wind instrument]] and is similar in form to a straight [[trumpet]], but made of wood. It has also been called a dronepipe.<ref name=eb>{{cite web | title=Didjeridu: Musical instrument | website=Encyclopædia Britannica | url=https://www.britannica.com/art/didjeridu | access-date=19 January 2020}}</ref>

===Traditional===

[[File:Didgeridoo Embout1.jpg|thumb|A wax mouthpiece can soften during play, forming a better seal.]]
Traditional didgeridoos are usually made from [[hardwood]]s, especially the various [[eucalyptus]] species that are [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to northern and central Australia.<ref>Taylor R., Cloake J, and Forner J. (2002) Harvesting rates of a Yolgnu harvester and comparison of selection of didjeridu by the Yolngu and Jawoyn, ''Harvesting of didjeridu by Aboriginal people and their participation in the industry in the Northern Territory'' (ed. R. Taylor) pp. 25–31.  Report to AFFA Australia.  Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, Palmerston, NT.</ref> Generally the main trunk of the tree is harvested, though a substantial branch may be used instead. Traditional didgeridoo makers seek suitably hollow live trees in areas with obvious [[termite]] activity. 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.<ref>McMahon, Charlie. (2004) The Ecology of Termites and Didjeridus, ''The Didgeridoo: From Ancient Times to the Modern Age'' (ed. David Lindner) Schönau: Traumzeit-Verlag</ref> Various techniques are employed to find trees with a suitable hollow, including knowledge of landscape and termite activity patterns, and a kind of tap or knock test, in which the bark of the tree is peeled back, and a fingernail or the blunt end of a tool, such as an axe, is knocked against the wood to determine if the hollow produces the right resonance.<ref>{{cite web |title=How is a Yidaki Made? |url=http://www.yirrkala.com/yidaki/dhawu/08howmade.html |work=Yidaki Dhawu Miwatjnurunydja |publisher=Buku Larrngay Mulka Centre |access-date=14 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214193750/http://www.yirrkala.com/yidaki/dhawu/08howmade.html |archive-date=14 February 2011}}</ref> Once a suitably hollow tree is found, it is cut down and cleaned out, the bark is taken off, the ends trimmed, and the exterior is shaped; this results in a finished instrument. A rim of [[beeswax]] may be applied to the [[mouthpiece (brass)|mouthpiece]] end.

===Modern===
{{see also|Modern didgeridoo designs}}
Non-traditional didgeridoos can be made from native or non-native hard woods (typically split, hollowed and rejoined), glass, [[fibreglass]], metal, [[agave]], clay, [[resin]], PVC piping and carbon fibre. These typically have an upper inside diameter of around {{convert|3|cm}} down to a bell end of anywhere between {{convert|5|and|20|cm|0}} and have a length corresponding to the desired key. The end of the pipe can be shaped and smoothed to create a comfortable mouthpiece or an added mouthpiece can be made of any shaped and smoothed material such as rubber, a rubber stopper with a hole or beeswax.

[[Modern didgeridoo designs]] are distinct from the traditional Australian [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] didgeridoo, and are innovations recognised by [[musicologist]]s.<ref name=Max1>Wade-Matthews, M., Thompson, W., ''The Encyclopedia of Music'', 2011, pp184–185. {{ISBN|0-7607-6243-0}}</ref> Didgeridoo design innovation started in the late 20th century, using non-traditional materials and non-traditional shapes. The practice has sparked, however, a good deal of debate among indigenous practitioners and non-indigenous people about its aesthetic, ethical, and legal issues.<ref>Brian Fitzgerald and Susan Hedge, "Traditional Cultural Expression and the Internet World," in Christoph Antons, ed., ''Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions, and Intellectual Property Law in the Asia-Pacific Region'' (Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands: 2009), 264–65. {{ISBN|9789041127211}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsounds.org/story/earth-sounds-didgeridoo-stirs-controversy-bang-can-summer-festival/|title=Earth Sounds: The Didgeridoo Stirs Controversy at the Bang on a Can Summer Festival &#124; Soundcheck &#124; New Sounds|website=Newsounds.org|access-date=21 April 2021}}</ref>

===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.