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Didgeridoo
Date: 1995-1997 ca.
Place Made:Northeast Arnhem Land, Australia, Australia
Serial No: none
Signednone
Markingsnone
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.
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
Bore diameter at blowing end: ca. 34 mm
ProvenancePurchased in 1997 from Victoria Souvenirs, Sydney, Australia.
Terms
Credit Line: Joe R. and Joella F. Utley Collection, 1999
Not on view
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.
Object number: 07277