An accomplished musician playing the bodhran with skill and care adds immense value to any session. Traditionally, performer would use his or her bare hand but nowadays most use a tipper stick as their main means for drumming.

The tipper should be held with both hands as though holding a pencil. It is commonly referred to as a beater.

Size

Bodhrans are low pitched drums which can be played using a two-headed beater stick (commonly referred to as a “cipn or tipper”). Each beater type produces different sounds when struck.

McNeela Instruments offers an extensive selection of bodhrans, both tuneable and non-tunable models. Beginners should start out by using an adjustable tuneable bodhran which will enable them to change its tone depending on weather or other external influences that alter its skin tension.

This particular bodhran features a deep shell with goatskin head for producing an earthy sound, along with an easily adjustable tuning mechanism controlled with a hex key to achieve optimal tonality regardless of environmental conditions. A curved wrist technique should be employed when playing this instrument to keep fingers relaxed and prevent overtightening that can cause tension headaches as well as limited tone range.

Materials

The Bodhran is a frame drum featuring goat skin as its beating surface, typically found in Irish music ensembles and used for playing various styles of music.

Pegs secure the skin to the frame, which can be tightened or loosened to alter its pitch. A player may use a cloth to wipe away moisture that accumulates on its head.

One of the key elements of playing the bodhran drum is employing its “spare hand” technique, in which light pressure is applied to its underside skin in order to switch its sound between urgent tappings and melodious ringing beats.

Tippers are another key element of any bodhran. Tippers may be made from plastic, wood, or leather and come in various shapes and sizes; hot rod tippers feature dowels that can be tightened or loosened to alter its sound output.

Design

The Bodhran is an Irish frame drum played with hands or sticks and requires extensive practice before becoming comfortable playing it. There are numerous online resources that can help beginners get started playing this instrument; from beginner lessons to expert-level performances.

Watch videos of bodhran players to get an idea of what their sound is like and to help you discover which style best fits you.

As a beginner, it would be prudent to invest in a bodhran drum made from mulberry wood with a goat skin head attached. This will make playing it much simpler. Furthermore, its internal tuning system makes keeping in tune easier than ever; additionally, its lightweight construction makes playing easy; finally its 14″ diameter and 6″ depth offer plenty of tonal variety.

Pitch

An exceptional bodhran will produce a clear and resonant tone. This 18” model was hand-selected and evenly stretched for long life and comes equipped with traditional tipper technology and carry case – the ideal beginner drum!

A bodhran’s pitch is determined by how much pressure is applied to its skin. A skilled player can use this instrument to produce an array of sounds ranging from sharp urgent taps to melodious ringing beats; from sobs or laughs, to martial summonsing or shrugs.

The pitch of a bodhran can be altered by applying different amounts of pressure with both hands to its skin. Furthermore, moving the skin hand across the head generates higher pitches than when using solely its heel for producing pitches – giving the instrument greater versatility and covering an extensive musical range.

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