Didgeridoo
Date1995-1997 ca.
Place MadeNortheast Arnhem Land, Australia, Australia
Serial No.none
SignednoneMarkingsnone
DescriptionEucalyptus tree trunk with root stem; embouchure with wax coating. Long model.
This instrument might have been used in traditional performance. The natural material shows almost no physical modification; only the bark was removed and the blowing end was carved or filed, otherwise the tree trunk was left unadorned. Long didgeridoos are common in northeast Arnhem Land; their pitches vary from about B1 to G.
The didgeridoo is mostly used as a drone, playing its fundamental with circular breathing technique. At the same time, three different kinds of voiced sounds can be superimposed: nasal humming, pharyngeal ‘croaking’ and ‘gurgling.’ Complex chords result from the blown note and the superimpositions, and different tones create repeated rhythmical patterns.
DimensionsHeight and tube length: ca. 1665 mm
Bore diameter at blowing end: ca. 34 mm
ProvenancePurchased in 1997 from Victoria Souvenirs, Sydney, Australia.
Published ReferencesKlaus, Sabine Katharina. Trumpets and Other High Brass: A History Inspired by the Joe R. and Joella F. Utley Collection. Volume 1: Instruments of the Single Harmonic Series (Vermillion, SD: National Music Museum, 2012), pp. 18–19, 276.
Credit LineJoe R. and Joella F. Utley Collection, 1999
Object number07277
On View
Not on view
1990
1995-1997 ca.
1990 ca.
1960 ca.