When shopping for a bodhran there are numerous factors that should be taken into account. Seemingly minor differences can have dramatic effects on sound.

Bodhrans are round frame drums equipped with goat skin heads tacked onto one side that are played using a special stick known as a tipper, an ancient Irish musical instrument.

Tacked Bodhrans

The Bodhran (pronounced bow-rawn) is an Irish drum composed of stretched goat skin cured in vinegar and supported by a circular wooden frame. Prior to becoming widely popular again during Irish traditional music revival in the 1960s, however, its usage had decreased substantially; since then however it has become an essential part of Celtic music and even plays an integral part of Scottish traditional music performances.

Soaking skin to soften it and then stretching and securing it to the bodhran are essential steps in its creation and use. As it dries slowly, shrinkage occurs significantly while it turns yellow or white in color as it shrinks considerably over time. An internal tone ring then used by Seamus O’Kane in 1975 greatly enhanced sound of bodhrans while also providing players with opportunities to explore different playing styles and enhance sound production.

When looking for a tacked bodhran, make sure it features a high quality wooden frame with no cracks or knots, shallow or deep rim depending on hand size, and tuneability (professional musicians often opt for deeper rims to produce bassier sounds). Also check if the instrument can be tuned.

Tunable Bodhrans

Tuning a bodhran allows its drumhead to be tightened or loosened to alter its pitch, much like tightening or loosening a guitar string to change its pitch. Although these changes may seem subtle, they can provide significant enhancements in terms of playing and sound quality.

Bodhrans are typically played using a beater or tipper stick, which comes in various shapes and sizes to produce different sounds and produce unique notes. Furthermore, their tips may even be split open for even more variations in sound output.

If a bodhran’s skin becomes too loose due to humidity, a simple solution is adding cardboard shims. These are readily available at music stores and should be placed between the rim and head in order to increase tension on the skin and bring back tension when weather conditions dry up again. Otherwise, applying dubbin might help prevent future episodes.

Bodhrans for Beginners

While certain musical instruments such as flute and fiddle may be difficult for beginners to pick up, bodhrans are relatively straightforward for newcomers to learn. An ancient Irish frame drum, the bodhran has become part of Irish culture and music; today it remains popularly played both locally and worldwide.

Before beginning to play your bodhran, it’s essential that you select an appropriate type of skin. Your chosen skin should be flexible yet resistant to extreme climate conditions, while providing rich tone without losing its shape. To determine its suitability, hold it near a low heat source for several minutes – when heated sufficiently, the pitch of its strings may change significantly and loosen over time.

Once you have the appropriate bodhran, online bodhran lessons can help. These online courses will introduce the basics of playing bodhran such as how to hold and use its stick and strokes before progressing into learning how to vary tone variations and accompany jigs and reels.

Bodhrans for Professionals

A bodhran is an ideal instrument for beginners. You can play it either with a stick or your hands; its key characteristic is an up and down wrist movement that should become second nature after some practice; once this becomes second nature you can start exploring more complex patterns on it.

Many bodhrans feature deep rims to increase resonance and create that distinctive bass-sound, yet some players may find the depth of the frame difficult to hold and manoeuvre – particularly young or petite musicians.

McNeela offers a selection of tacked and tunable bodhrans designed specifically to meet the needs of professional musicians. Our flagship model, The Wave, boasts an 8 point hand tuning system for complete tone control. Choose between Lambeg or Vellum goatskin finishes to craft your own signature sound – or select our cutaway version for easier holding and playing!

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