Where to Buy a Bodhran
The Bodhran is an 18″ round frame drum fitted with goat skin heads and comes equipped with a beater for playing it. As one of Ireland’s most versatile instruments, its skilled players can use its beater to produce anything from urgent taps to melodious ringing beats.
When purchasing your first bodhran, look for quality over price and avoid synthetic heads or non-tunable drums.
Size
The Bodhran is a frame drum which produces various tones depending on the position of your hand on it. When selecting your new Bodhran it is important to take your hand size into account as this can have a dramatic impact on what tones can be played on it.
A 14” diameter bodhran is ideal for young musicians, while 16″ drums may provide more options for adult beginners. When selecting any size bodhran, look for one with a deep rim to produce rich bass tones and develop numerous slip jig rhythms.
Quality bodhrans feature animal hide or synthetic material for their skins; typically goat-skin. While natural goat-skin changes tension according to temperature changes, synthetic skinned models don’t need tuning systems as often.
Skin
Though this bodhran may not be in ideal condition, it still offers much to appreciate. With its distinct shape and white goat skin covering sporting an interesting texture, as well as historical damage including an obvious tear on one side of its surface – this piece has much to offer!
Goat skin is sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. If exposed to too much dry air, its pores may close up, producing an audible “pingy” tone; conversely if too much moisture enters through sweat glands, its surface can sag resulting in a low, “boomy” sound. To avoid such extremes it is necessary to treat goat skin regularly to maintain equilibrium.
Drum Diddly Bodhran Cream can be applied gently onto the front of the skin of your Bodhran instrument, using a lint free cloth to gently rub into its surface. Packed with lanolin and beeswax to keep skin supple and improve playability, using at least once every month depending on climate conditions is advised for optimal results.
Bars
Original Bodhrans had a cross or bar attached to their frame for use as a handhold and to protect its integrity, as well as modulate its sound – in the hands of an accomplished player, just a slight pressure against its underside can produce anything from sobbing, laughter and martial calls-to-action!
McNeela Instruments offers an impressive range of both tunable and non-tunable bodhrans. Some feature deep rimmed designs while others are shallower, all made with premium goatskin material.
A tunable bodhran allows you to tune its skin pitch to match the changing pitches of a tune, providing greater accuracy when playing and providing quick pitch bending techniques that don’t compromise quality of performance. Perfect for beginners as well as advanced players! Its use can improve playing quality.
Tunability
Many bodhrans feature bars at the back of the drum which help produce and control tone, typically single or T-bars but sometimes cross bars as well. A drum without bars may provide greater openness; however beginners may find it easier to start playing with one or T-bar bodhrans.
A great bodhran comes with its own beater. These beaters come in all sorts of shapes and sizes to accommodate various playing styles – hard tippers with teardrop or elipsoid heads; split tippers; hotrod dowel beaters…there is something suitable for everyone!
McNeela Instruments’ The Wave Bodhran provides players with total control of their sound. With an 8 point hand tuning system and Lambeg or Vellum goatskin options to choose from, each drummer can create their own distinctive sound that goes far beyond beginner level playing. Furthermore, additional accessories may also be added for customization purposes.
