What is a Bodhran?
Over the past 70 years, the bodhran has undergone revolutionary change and growth within Irish traditional music, thanks to pioneering players like Seamus O’Kane and Johnny McDonagh.
Prior to 1950s, this musical instrument was used as both ritual and musical instrument during St Stephen’s Day Wren-hunting ceremonies and played solely by men.
It is a percussion instrument
The Bodhran is a relatively recent addition to Irish traditional music, but has quickly gained in popularity over time. It is a type of frame drum with skin stretched over it that can be played with hands or sticks (called Cipins ). It produces a distinctive ringing sound when played and can help convey a variety of rhythms or emotions such as urgency or joy.
Bodhrans come in different sizes and some can even be tuned to adjust pitch, enabling players to use skin hand dampening techniques on other drums that is impossible with bodhrans.
This Bodhran in the National Museum of Ireland collection consists of a wooden hoop formed into a shallow cylindrical shape covered with goat skin. Tacking has been done and this historical piece displays some wear, such as a jagged tear on one side.
It is a frame drum
Bodhrans are shallow drums with single skin heads used widely in Irish traditional music. Bodhrans first gained recognition during Sean O Riada’s use of them during the folk music revival of the 1960s; since then, bodhrans have become an indispensable instrument in many Irish bands.
Electrical tape can often be applied to the rim of a drum by either its maker or player in order to reduce edge-loading and dampen unwanted overtones, thus giving players greater control of its sound.
The left hand can also be used to control the pitch of the drum by applying pressure to various areas of its skin, enabling players to produce sounds ranging from urgent taps to melodious ringing beats – this technique is known as top-end playing and preferred by many virtuoso players; its unique sound has led to innovations in how bodhrans are constructed and played.
It is a skin drum
Bodhrans have long been used in Irish traditional music, but during the second wave roots revival in the 1960s they gained more widespread use and have since been widely recognized worldwide for their impressive virtuoso playing and global recognition. Furthermore, their introduction of an internal tone ring revolutionized production by making skin tension adjustments much simpler in response to atmospheric conditions.
Bodhrans have traditionally been constructed out of goatskin, and some still are today. Bodhrans may also feature decorations like Celtic spirals, GAA county colors or family coats of arms; none of this reduces its sound performance.
The Bodhran has transformed from its roots as an accompaniment to ritual dances into a sophisticated instrument for Irish traditional musicians. Some bodhrans even include “tippers” for creating fuller sound; today most are made without these features.
It is a tipper
The bodhran is an Irish drum that’s played using a beater – a short stick with wide knob-ends to allow players to find comfort when gripping and playing it. Each beater also produces its own sound signature.
Jacob Pool’s list of words from South Wexford may have been one of the first mentions of “bodhar”, perhaps signalling its increasing use as an early reference point for this drum.
A bodhran is an Irish drum similar to a tambourine but without the jingles. Typically made of goatskin, its skin features tightened animal-skin sides with a criss-cross support frame for stability. Similar to tympanum playing techniques, usually resting one leg on top and striking it using its beater which may be held either centrally or at either end; when both ends of the bodhran are directly over one’s head (Kerry or Limerick style),
