Painted or Natural Didgeridoo: Does the Finish Matter to a Learner?

When you are choosing a didgeridoo to learn on, the finish is often the first thing you notice. Some instruments are bare eucalyptus, some are polished to a shine, and some are painted. It is natural to wonder whether that choice will affect how the instrument sounds, or how quickly you progress. In this part of the Didgeridoo Buyers Guide, Benny from Didgeridoo Breath gives a clear answer.

The short answer: it does not change the sound

Benny says this question comes up every now and then, and his answer is a plain no. The finish is purely about looks. A painted didgeridoo and a natural one are both termite-hollowed eucalyptus, and the paint or polish on the outside does not change what happens inside the tube when you play.

The three finishes you will come across

• Natural. Plain eucalyptus with the wood left as it is.
• Polished. The same eucalyptus, polished up for a classy, shiny look.
• Painted. Instruments painted by Aboriginal artists. The one Benny shows in the video was painted by an artist from Katherine in the Northern Territory.

What this means for you as a learner

Since the finish has no effect on the sound, it should not be the deciding factor when you are working out which instrument to learn on. A few things are worth keeping in mind.

• Choose by sound first. Every didgeridoo is unique, so Benny's advice is to listen to the sound sample to hear what each instrument actually sounds like. As a learner, pay attention to whether the drone sounds full and even.
• Do not pay extra expecting better playing. If your budget is tight, a natural or polished instrument plays just as well as a painted one with the same sound. Put your money towards an instrument that sounds and feels right.
• Pick something you want to play. Once the sound is right, the finish is entirely personal preference. If a particular look makes you want to pick the instrument up every day, that is a genuine benefit when you are building a practice habit.
• Treat artwork with respect. A painted instrument carries an artist's work. Handle it with care during practice, and store it safely when you are done.

Practising with any finish

Your practice will be the same on any of these instruments. The lip buzz, the drone, the mouth shapes and eventually circular breathing all depend on your technique, not the outside of the instrument. That is good news: whatever finish you end up with, you can start learning straight away.

Feel free to go nuts

Benny's closing advice is to enjoy the choice. It is your personal preference, so choose the look you love, as long as the sound sample tells you the instrument is right for you. He mentions that he personally loves the painted style he shows in the video, and that it smells good too.

Ready to start playing

Once you have your instrument, the first step is getting a clean, steady drone. The beginner didgeridoo lessons at Didgeridoo Dojo take you through it from the very beginning, whatever your didgeridoo looks like.