Bodhran Lessons
Beginners or experienced musicians alike, the bodhran is an excellent entry into Irish traditional music. Age shouldn’t be an obstacle; what matters more than anything is your willingness and patience in learning new skills.
The Bodhran is played using a small stick known as the Cipin or Beater to strike its goatskin head with varied amounts of pressure applied by means of Cipin, producing various pitch levels by shifting how hard Cipin strikes goatskin head. By altering cipin usage pressure can produce different pitches levels.
How to Play
The Bodhran is an ancient frame drum which has long been an integral part of Irish music, culture and heritage. Today it remains one of the most beloved drums worldwide and should not be taken for granted as being easy to pick up but learning how to play properly requires dedication and practice.
Step one is familiarising yourself with bodhran music. Listening to professional bodhran players and taking note of their playing styles. Pay particular attention to how they accent and emphasize natural rhythms within tunes.
Next, purchase a high quality bodhran. A “bare back” style is recommended as these don’t feature cross bars that could get in the way while making them easier to hold and play with. A size between 14-14.5″ should work for most players; ultimately though it depends on personal preference and what feels comfortable for each individual player. Once set up, play should begin using a double ended stick called a “cipin, tipper or beater”.
Basic Techniques
Discovering bodhran is a long process, but will yield positive results over time. The key is starting out right with an experienced teacher or series of lessons that teaches you the right playing techniques from day one – this will ensure a properly tuned drum with accurate hand technique right from the start!
Be sure to listen to as many great bodhran players as possible and familiarise yourself with traditional Irish music forms and melodies; this will enable you to understand where the bodhran fits within this music and why certain rhythms work better than others.
One important point to keep in mind when playing the bodhran is its purpose as an accompaniment instrument rather than as a lead one. A skilled bodhran player should fit with the rhythms of the music and only occasionally improvise. A great bodhran player will be able to work well with anyone and any tune, keeping music moving – picking up the instrument without knowing its tune is only detrimental to music and tradition!
Rhythms
Irish music relies heavily on rhythm, and that applies equally to playing the bodhran (frame drum). There are various playing styles but all require up and down wrist movement with beater or tipper striking goatskin head surface of drum head.
Start off by mastering the fundamentals. Achieve clear rhythm, good partitions with your left hand, and proper coordination between both hands are the foundation of great sounding music; thereafter comes embellishments, volume control and feeling for what music means to you.
A bodhran can be an immensely rewarding instrument, yet mastery takes some time and practice. A quality online course that introduces one simple idea per lecture is often the fastest path towards progress than traditional learning methods where often there’s confusion as to what you have just learned.
Advanced Techniques
Starting a bodhran may be simple, but mastering its hand movements to produce pitch and timbre can be more complex. Great bodhran teachers provide invaluable assistance in developing techniques necessary to control the drum and produce sounds you are after.
Practice is crucial, but so too is listening and following the music. Because bodhran is an accompaniment instrument, your rhythms and ornamentations must match those of the tune itself; therefore it is essential that you listen to as much music as possible and learn to play along with it.
TakeLessons makes finding effective bodhran lessons tailored specifically to your individual needs easier than ever, with easy registration and our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Sign up now and begin your journey toward mastery of this classic Irish drum! Start taking lessons today from one of our background-checked teachers – start your bodhran journey now!
