At first glance, learning an Irish bodhran may appear intimidatingly complicated for those new to traditional Irish music; yet its simple design makes it ideal for newcomers. This makes the instrument an excellent option for those just getting started in traditional Irish music.

Hand cured goatskin has proven itself as an ideal material for making bodhrans. Synthetic or kangaroo drum skins should be avoided.

Buying a Bodhran

Contrary to some musical instruments that can be difficult for beginners to pick up quickly, the bodhran can be learned with relative ease from scratch. There are online videos available from absolute beginner lessons all the way up to masterful performances by experts in all levels.

As you determine which size bodhran will suit you best, consider how big or small your hands are and the amount of room they require in your hands. A modern ideal diameter for a bodhran would fall between 13-3/4 and 15-3/4 inches with shallow to deep rim depth preferred.

Beaters come in various shapes and sizes, each creating its own distinct sounds. Selecting the appropriate beater will help ensure a great-sounding bodhran experience and will speed your progress to advanced levels more rapidly. World champion and All Ireland winner Connor Lyons suggests trying different types of beaters before choosing which you prefer most.

Bodhran Skins

Skin is the cornerstone of a bodhran. Good-quality skin will produce a powerful tone while being flexible enough to bend with the frame flexing with each note played, giving an authentic bodhran sound. Elasticity can be obtained by pre-soaking before stretching over the rim; alternatively it can be stapled or glued; glueing provides the strongest finish and my personal choice for attachment of this component.

The highest quality bodhran skins are constructed using goat or ram hides that have been prepared using an age-old traditional biological working process; this typically takes between two and three weeks.

Lambeg skins were originally adapted for use on drums by legendary maker Seamus O’Kane and feature clear notes with excellent top end “pops” and rundowns, along with substantial bass notes that can deliver substantial bass tones during session play. Some Celtic bands such as Libre Wave Modern Bodhran tape around their bodhran skin edges in order to dampen high frequencies and allow bass notes to take an important part.

Bodhran Hardware

When purchasing a bodhran, there are some key considerations you should keep in mind when making your selection. First and foremost, find one with tuneable drumheads so you can fine-tune its voice more quickly while speeding up your progress as an instrumentist.

Size is another essential consideration when purchasing a drum. Finding the ideal drum size depends upon both personal preferences and physical stature – larger hands may find comfort with larger frame drums while smaller players might prefer medium or standard medium-sized bodhrans instead.

Make sure that you purchase a tunable bodhran with a deep shell for more contemporary sound. In addition, choose to purchase your drum in a store which understands Celtic music; electric guitars or saxophones may not be an appropriate venue to find one! A good bodhran store should offer both tunable and non-tunable Irish frame drums in different sizes and depths to satisfy every player.

Bodhran Techniques

Learning to play the bodhran requires dedication and practice. Find an experienced teacher or enroll in online bodhran lessons for proper technique development, and listen to different players with different playing styles for inspiration.

Holding the Bodhran requires placing it against your body with its wooden rim resting comfortably against your left thigh (if right handed). Next, hold your tipper or beater in your right hand about one-third down from the top (or higher if you are left-handed), with its writing tip facing downward so as to strike down against the goatskin drum head with downward strokes of its beating mechanism.

The Bodhran is also widely employed in Irish folk dance and in the annual tradition of hunting the Wren on St Stephen’s Day. Legends surrounding this bird include being responsible for betraying Irish soldiers who fought Viking invaders as well as martyr Saint Stephen himself.

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