The Bodhran is a hand drum with either a goatskin or synthetic head (some users also opt for goatskin heads). One side can be closed off to facilitate playing it using just your fingertips for optimal pitch and tone control.

The bodhran is usually played while sitting, with the player placing it on their left knee and using a stick known as a cipin to beat it with different fingers to change its pitch and sound characteristics.

It is a frame drum

The frame drum, or bodhran, is one of the most iconic instruments in Irish folk music. An extremely versatile instrument that can be played in different styles and emotions; making it the ideal choice for learning new musical instruments.

This percussive instrument features a shallow circular frame covered in goat skin tacked onto one side. Its diameter ranges from 25 cm to 65 cm and depth can range between nine cm and twenty cm, though typically nine to twenty cm is best. Bodhran was first popular in Ireland as religious drum, though over time its use has expanded into folk music performance as well.

The traditional bodhran was made of goat or calf skin; today synthetic leather is often used. Additionally, electrical tape coating is applied to reduce edge loading and dampen unwanted overtones; this allows a drummer to control their sound by altering tension levels on their drum.

It is a hand drum

Recently, very little research had been conducted on bodhrans until we uncovered one from Donegal (in our collections) which has opened up new avenues of study. This drum comprises of a shallow cylindrical form constructed out of wood covered with goat skin measuring 41cm in diameter with one end having a small hole likely from early usage of this instrument.

Bodhrans were originally beaten with the hand, but later an electric beater (cipin or beater) became more widely used and allowed the instrument to achieve new heights. Peadar Mercier and Tommy Hayes have made significant contributions in helping establish Irish traditional music using this instrument as part of its repertoire.

Though a staple of Irish music, the bodhran often goes unappreciated. There may be an urge to dismiss it as simply another percussion instrument; but this attitude must be avoided as an experienced bodhran player can add flair even to simple melodies.

It is a percussion instrument

The Irish frame drum, also known as a bodhran, is a type of percussion instrument similar to its African counterpart djembe. It can range in diameter from 25-65 cm and its sides 9-20 cm deep; traditionally its bang announced arrival and drove away evil spirits. It has deep connections to folk traditions throughout Europe where banging drums signalled welcome or warned off bad spirits.

Historical accounts describe bodhrans being played with both hands; today it is more common to employ a stick called a “cipin”. A good length for such a stick should extend from an outstretched thumb to the tips of little fingers and can either be held directly above one’s head (Kerry style) or with just one end directly beneath (top-end style).

Peadar Mercier and Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh of De Dannan were instrumental in revolutionising bodhran playing techniques during the 1970s, setting an exemplary standard that has yet to be equaled. Through their exploration and mastery of technique they introduced radical advances into bodhran playing that have never been equalled since.

It is a musical instrument

The musical instrument known as a bodhran is an essential element of Irish traditional music, adding harmony or rhythmic accents in tunes, as well as serving as an indispensable accompaniment for fiddles, flutes, boxes, and tin whistles. Furthermore, its distinctive sound adds an earthy edge to musical arrangements.

The bodhran is a frame drum with one side attached to a goatskin head, played using a beater stick which strikes its skin with an up and down wrist motion similar to playing a tambourine; although the sound produced by this instrument differs significantly.

There are various techniques used to play the bodhran, with hand and beater being among the more traditional methods. However, other styles have increasingly replaced this approach and it now plays a central role in modern Irish pop and dance music as well as other Celtic countries like Scotland and Cape Breton.

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