McNeela Bodhran Review
A bodhran is a small drum with an intense, rich tone, ideal for leading or supporting sessions and providing young players with their first instrument.
The Bodhran is most often associated with Irish traditional music but also widely played across Celtic music, particularly Scotland, Cape Breton Island and North mainland Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.
Made in Ireland
If you’re in search of a bodhran, be sure to shop in an authentic Irish store. There are numerous places for this in Northern Ireland’s Donegal or Waterford’s crystal districts – though be mindful that not all stores provide equal service.
Bodhrans are traditional Irish frame drums made of circular wooden frames with goatskin heads affixed. Played using a small stick known as the Bodhran Beater/Tipper, they have become one of the most widely played percussion instruments in Irish music, as well as being popular across Scotland and Cape Breton where they are known as crowdy-crawn. Bodhrans are symbolic of Ireland’s patron saint Saint Brigid of Kildare.
Vellum or Lambeg skin
Paraic McNeela, the Bodhran Maker has carefully hand-crafted this bodhran with skill and care so that you can experience his inimitable deep rim tuneable sound. Choose between top quality Lambeg or Vellum goatskin goatskin for a truly personalized musical experience, plus take advantage of his 8 point hand tuning system which gives you complete control over its tone and volume!
Bodhrans differ from regular drums by employing goatskin instead of mylar on their heads, which allows it to flex naturally as you play the drum, producing more responsive and natural sounding music. All goatskin used on Bodhrans is sustainably sourced as by-product from healthy animals that has been carefully selected and examined for quality assurance purposes.
Hand crafted in Northern Ireland for use on Lambeg drums, these lambeg skins were first adapted for use on the bodhran by legendary maker Seamus O’Kane and offer strong clear tones with an exceptionally resonant high end, rich bass resonance and ample volume – perfect for session playing!
8-point hand tuning system
Tunable bodhrans provide you with the ability to customize the tone and pitch of your drum, an essential feature considering their sensitivity to environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature changes that could alter skin tightening or loosening, altering its tone. A tunable bodhran will allow you to keep getting the optimal sound out of your instrument.
Mcneela Bodhrans feature an 8-point hand tuning system, enabling fast tone and pitch adjustments. Furthermore, this helps counter environmental conditions like humidity and temperature for improved playing experience – an invaluable feature for novice bodhran players looking for their first traditional Irish music instrument!
Free online bodhran lessons
For anyone interested in playing Irish musical instrument bodhran, McNeela Bodhran offers free online lessons. Students can take self-paced, self-directed courses at their own convenience anytime of day or night; with an interactive student portal providing learning support. These free courses provide great starting point for beginner bodhran players – you could start playing within days!
The bodhran is a small drum made from goat skin that is traditionally played using a stick called a cipin or tipper. Although easy to learn, some of its modern playing styles may require complex stick manoeuvres from its players.
the Bodhran is an excellent way to explore traditional Irish music sessions, no matter your skill level. McNeela provides an array of tuneable and non-tunable bodhran models, hand-cured in lime before being pickled to close off pores before being stretched on their frame, creating an instrument with an excellent bass tone.
