Buying guide
Choosing a didgeridoo
Well… being enthusiastic is one thing, but you still need to know what to start on! Follow the guide, I’ve cleared the path for you.
To get started
What didgeridoo should I buy to start with?!
Remember: a didgeridoo is just a tube! So why not a PVC pipe? From the €3 tube to termite-hollowed eucalyptus, here is what I recommend.
From PVC pipe to eucalyptus: how much does it cost?
€3
The PVC pipe
Admittedly, it’s not the stuff of dreams… But it’s the ideal way to try the didgeridoo without breaking the bank. I recommend it to all my beginner students.
€35
The plastic didgeridoo
More motivating: it feels like a more elaborate instrument for a small price, and it sounds much better than PVC.
€60
Handmade bamboo
Goodbye oil, hello nature! For a still affordable price, a quality didgeridoo in a noble material, like those by David Defois.
€75
The travel didgeridoo
It comes apart, is easy to carry and lets you try different notes. At Didgeridoo Passion, on its own or in a beginner pack with my method.
€99
The telescopic one
Several notes in one instrument, from low B to high G: just slide it.
€350
Hexspira
Impressive: the sound is rich, it plays very well, and the value for money is almost unbeatable.
€375
The AirDidge
Ultra-light, in carbon fibre: it comes apart completely and goes everywhere with you.
€400 to €675
O’Meara Budget
Termite-hollowed eucalyptus: a good balance between authenticity and price.
The note
Which note to choose to get started?
Didgeridoos fall into three main families. At the risk of oversimplifying: low ones are slow, high ones are fast, and the middle family balances the two.
If you order your didgeridoo without trying it, I strongly advise you to aim for the middle family or a C. That’s where you have the least risk of getting it wrong.
- Low: A, B♭, B, C: warm but sometimes dark
- Middle: C#, D, E♭, E: balance, ideal to start with
- High: F, F#, G, G#: from lively to edgy
And if you try a didgeridoo and manage to make it sound, don’t worry about its note, who cares! Read the article
The pitfalls
Beware of cheap didgeridoos!
Most didgeridoos found in music shops are of poor quality. To save you from wasting your money, here is what not to buy.
€30 to €80
Teak
A painted, raw or carved wooden instrument between €30 and €80? You can be sure it’s a teak.
€90 to €200
Drill-hollowed eucalyptus
With a wooden didgeridoo between €90 and €200, you are almost sure to get an instrument hollowed out with a drill.
About €20
Mass-produced bamboo
The biggest drawback of this instrument is that it’s unreliable: most of the time, it ends up cracking.
I started playing in 2001 on a teak. It took me a few months to understand it was simply bad! But back then it was the best in my eyes, and that was what mattered.
Step 1 of my Getting started guide
5 videos to choose well
Which didgeridoo to start with, how much it costs, which note to choose: I explain it all on video, free to access.
To move up a level
My signature didgeridoo
I remember very well the day I first blew into this didgeridoo. I played from 8:30 pm until past midnight, without noticing the time go by!
The drone is stable, warm, and above all… it sings. E flat is a pivotal note, between the tension of E and the roundness of D… And here, you clearly get the best of both worlds.
If you’re looking for a didgeridoo to stay with you for a long time, this one could well become hard to put down.
Didg Element × Gauthier Aubé
The signature didgeridoo
- Made in Autrans (France) by Christian Guéret, of Didg Element
- French fruitwoods harvested less than 200 km away: wild cherry, pear, apple, walnut
- 1.40 m: it fits anywhere
- 2-year guarantee
E♭: €850 with a simple bag, €990 with a made-to-measure bag
D and D#: €960
My selection
At Didgeridoo Passion
THE reference didgeridoo shop in Europe (and maybe the world!). I can only encourage you to support passionate people rather than big anonymous companies.
There you’ll find my selection of didgeridoos, and the beginner pack with my method.
Going further
Listen to yourself, and always choose a didgeridoo that inspires you!
That’s what matters. And once it’s in your hands, the free course is waiting for you.