Hollowed by Termites, Played by Circular Breath

The didgeridoo is made from a eucalyptus trunk or branch naturally hollowed out by termites, a process a maker selects for rather than replicates artificially, finished with a rim of beeswax shaped to the player's mouth and producing a continuous low drone when played correctly. Sustaining that drone without a break depends on circular breathing, a technique in which the player breathes in through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks, allowing an essentially unbroken tone that can continue for many minutes at a time, a specialised skill that takes considerable practice to master.

The instrument originates in the traditional culture of Arnhem Land and the Top End of northern Australia, and Berndt and Berndt's survey of Aboriginal Australian tradition situates it as one of several distinct regional instrument traditions across the continent rather than a single instrument used identically everywhere, since many Aboriginal groups outside its home region historically had no didgeridoo tradition of their own at all. A skilled maker also selects the wax rim carefully, since its shape directly affects how easily a player can sustain the circular breathing technique the instrument requires, making the finishing work as important to a good instrument as the choice of the hollowed branch itself.