A Step By Step Guide To Building Your Own Didgeridoo Out Of PVC Pipes

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For those of you who haven’t been privy to bass circles on sandy beaches under a bursting dusk sky, you should know that amidst the circle of drums and chords, there is a special place for this one peculiar instrument - the didgeridoo. This wind instrument was first created by native Australians about 40,000 years ago, possibly making it one of the world’s oldest instruments. Today, it has made it’s way around the globe and has found itself a home in India. Traditionally, didgeridoos are made out of eucalyptus wood that is hollowed out by termites as time takes it’s course- and from the grain of this tradition is where our story begins.

Drifting away from this approach, we came to find a young Mumbaiker who has taken this tradition into his own hands, and evolved it into an art form worthy of it’s own merit. Meet Mac, short for nothing, who makes didgeridoos out of PVC pipes. You heard us. Having previously made them out of curtain holders, sewage pipes and washing machine pipes (which incidentally make for a really good sounding didge), his chosen material now is PVC. Why, you ask? “PVC Pipes are way fuller sounding, and I’m trying to get into Electronic and analog pedals, get a really awesome mic so that I can create more grainy texture, equalise it, give it some reverb,” he explains.

Mac’s journey began when he had saved up around Rs. 15000 to buy an authentic didgeridoo. “I went to Bhargavas, they didn’t have it. Then I went to this other place and they have a polished, carved wooden didgeridoo made in Rishikesh. I started to play it, and I wasn’t happy with the sound or the grain. And I thought If i’m not happy with it already there is no way I’m buying this. I probably would never play it. In that moment, it just struck me and I said “Fuck this shit, I’m going to make my own,”” he told us.

And make his own he did. Mac found a plumbing store in Santacruz who happily accommodated the wild idea he had birthed in his head. “I went in and explained to them that I wanted concentric pipes sort of, and I sat for 2 hours over there and trimmed each one, and got reducers. It took me an hour and a half to build my first one because I had no idea of what I was doing,” he recounts. From that first day, Mac has come a long way. It has taken him 6 years with the instrument to get to where he is at now, and a whole two years just to figure out the sounds. A large part of playing this instrument has to do with the breathing technique used, known as ‘circular breathing.’ Mac explains this as a technique that requires you to inhale through your nose while simultaneously breathing out through the mouth. Further, the sound can be amplified by blowing hard or using your vocal cords. To nail this, is half the battle - we know because we tried.

Mac’s style and understanding of sound has evolved through this time - he has gone from listening to metal and being one for mosh pits, to gravitating towards jazz and Indian classical music, where the musical arrangement itself is far more intricate. He now uses his didge as a means of healing through music, where different frequencies have an impact on the brain and chakras. The didgeridoo with its bass sound is used for primary chakra healing - the root, so to speak.

We caught up with Mac for a full session on ‘How To Make Your Own Didgeridoo’, and the results are a step by step photo guide for you to try at home. It must be noted that he makes it look far easier than it really is, and that practice truly is the secret ingredient in the process.

What you will Need:

PVC Pipes of different widths (each width mentioned below)

‘Reducers’ at different widths (each width mentioned below)

A hacksaw

Beeswax

Things to note before you begin:

As the length of each pipe decreases, you will find that the width of the pipe and reducer will increase.

As you cut the pipe, make sure that you have a smooth surface with as little plastic jutting out as possible.

Each pipe will connect to a reducer on both ends, so as to build the didgeridoo.

Step 1

You will use a 40x50 mm reducer to start the process, this will attach itself to the thinnest, longest pipe at approximately 60 cm or about 4 hand spans, and 40 mm wide. You will have to cut the large PVC pipe to this length.

Step 2

Attach a 40x50 mm reducer (the same size as the one you used as the mouth piece) to the other end of the pipe (the reducer on the right side of the above picture).

Step 3

Now cut a 50 mm wide PVC pipe at a length of 22 cm. This pipe will connect to the second reducer on one end, and a 50x63 mm reducer on the other.

Step 4

Cut a 63mm wide pipe to a length of 15 cm. To this, you attach a 63x75mm reducer.

Step 5

Cut a 75mm pipe to a length of 5 cm, and attach a 75x100 mm reducer.

Step 6

This is the last pipe, at a width of 110 mm and a length of 10-12 cm. This pipe should have a bend at the end angled at 45 degrees. This bend is important because it is what gives you “back pressure” - it helps you lose less air, allowing you to hold your breath for longer.

Step 7

Fit this end with a reducer of 110x160 mm, and you will have a complete didgeridoo.

For the mouth piece:

You will need beeswax for this part. You dip the bees bax in warm water, and it will become like clay. Press that beeswax in a circle onto one end of the first reducer, smoothen and seal the inside of the mouthpiece. Repeat process on the outside.

How To Play The Didgeridoo

While this section is worthy of a whole story and video of it’s own, Mac describes the technique as ‘making a scooter sound’ with your lips. You will need to keep your lips really loose for this, and blow into the instrument. Getting the right sound will take practice, practice and more practice.

All photographs by Anaisha Joy Patel