How to Play the Bodhran Tipper
Modern Irish playing style heavily favors using bodhran beaters (also called tippers, sticks or cipins). There is an incredible variety of these beaters available and each produces different sounds when used on a bodhran.
Professional bodhran players tend to possess beautifully painted drums that add an aesthetic element, without altering its sound quality. Although this decoration doesn’t alter sound production directly, it does enhance aesthetic appeal and add a personal touch.
Frame
Traditional Bodhrans could be played with either hand or beater (also known as tipper or cipin). Their frames were constructed using native hardwoods with goat skin heads; one or two cross-pieces inside its back serve as hand/wrist holds.
Since its revival during Ireland’s traditional music resurgence of the 1970s, virtuoso playing techniques have flourished on bodhrans resurgent in Celtic music from other parts of the world; most notably Scotland, Cape Breton Island, North mainland Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
Though the type of wood used to craft a bodhran tipper may have a minor influence on its sound, it does not affect playing style. Instead, your choice of wood determines how comfortable and easy you find playing it in your hands; some varieties of woods might weigh more or less depending on their density; trends have moved towards long and slim tippers which provide good balance.
Beaters
Beaters of a bodhran play a pivotal role in how it is played, so selecting suitable beaters can make all the difference between one that sounds fantastic and one that doesn’t.
Traditional Irish bodhran playing style involved using only hands to play the instrument, however contemporary Irish playing style now heavily emphasizes using the beater (sometimes referred to as a stick or cipin). This has led to an explosion of beater types available on the market.
Roosebeck Knob beaters are an example of this evolution. Crafted from slim wooden beaters, they come equipped with various playing tips – rounded bulbus tips and barbell tips that allow for creating different sounds and various weight options to help players find an optimum balance between sound quality and player comfort.
Grip
Your grip when holding the beater of your drum can make or break its sound. Kerry or Pencil Style gripping technique is one of the most widely-used grips – in this technique, the stick is held between index finger and thumb as though pinching something. If the bone in your index finger starts getting sore due to tight gripping of bodhran beaters!
The bodhran is most widely known in Ireland, though similar frame drums can also be found throughout Scotland, Cape Breton and Newfoundland. Additionally, its use became prominent throughout Celtic music after Irish traditional musicians Sean O Riada and The Chieftains brought virtuoso playing of bodhran to prominence during the 1960s. Today it’s not unusual for makers or owners of bodhrans to cover them with electrical tape to reduce edge loading as well as dampen unwanted overtones caused by atmospheric conditions.
Tips
The Bodhran is an ancient Irish frame drum and an integral part of Irish music, culture and heritage. Although its size may seem intimidating to beginners, using proper techniques it’s simple to pick up and learn this instrument.
Use of a bodhran tipper with leather ends can soften beats and produce a more even tone, as well as helping beginners maintain proper hand placement while relaxing their fingers.
Choose a long, slim bodhran tipper made of wood as this will greatly affect how comfortable you are playing your bodhran for extended periods of time. A well-balanced beater will allow for extended playing sessions on your drum!
