The Bodhran is a hand-held frame drum commonly employed by Irish musicians in concert halls. Initially it served as a tambourine with jingling along its frame.

Sean O Riada made history through his collaborations with Ceoltoiri Chualann and The Chieftains, elevating not only bodhran but Irish traditional music as a whole. He skillfully combined classical elements with Irish tunes, creating vibrant new arrangements.

Reels

This course covers a broad spectrum of rhythmical accompaniments – Reels, Jigs, Slip Jigs, Slides and Polkas – designed to give you confidence when performing Irish folk music in any situation. Specialised techniques like rolls, back hand motion and syncopation will be covered.

Traditionally, a bodhran is a shallow drum ranging in diameter from 10 to 26 inches that’s covered with goatskin on one side and open on the other. This drum hails from global roots and shares some commonalities with frame drums from North Africa and Middle Eastern cultures.

The Irish flute has undergone rapid change both in terms of design and playing style since its humble roots in rural celebrations to worldwide renown thanks to Sean O Riada and Ceoltoiri Chualann ensembles. Now commonplace in concert halls and theatres alike as well as kitchen sessions and living rooms alike.

Hornpipes

The Bodhran is a circular frame drum measuring between 10 and 26 inches in diameter with one side covered with goatskin for playing Irish traditional music in dance and folk sessions, and providing rhythm for flute players. It has become one of the most sought-after instruments used in Irish traditional music sessions as it provides rhythm for flutists.

Bodhrans first rose to prominence in Irish music during the 1960s thanks to Sean O Riada who included this drum as part of Ceoltoiri Chualann ensemble.

The bodhran has evolved quickly in terms of both design and playing style over recent decades, as evidenced by new book, The Bodhran: Experimentation, Innovation and the Traditional Irish Frame Drum by Colin Harte. Specifically, this book investigates tunable bodhrans which feature internal tone rings which can be tightened or loosened using screws – this feature being seen more and more commonly among professional bodhrans today.

Irish Songs

The Bodhran is an Irish circular frame drum, usually shallow and 10 to 26 inches in diameter, covered by goatskin on one side, open on the other, with a history that predates Christianity.

Sean O Riada, Peadar Mercier, Christy Moore, Planxty and Tommy Hayes propelled Irish folk music to new heights; no longer limited to kitchen-room and pub music but worthy of theatres and concert halls alike. Alongside these new horizons came greater status for its humble instrument – the bodhran.

Practise Irish songs to learn a variety of rhythms that will develop both your hand speed and dexterity, as well as musicality. Listen carefully to melody and rhythm while using accent patterns for creating unique sounds. In addition, these songs give an opportunity for experimentation with various rhythmic patterns and tempos – helping expand your repertoire while developing your own personal style of playing.

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The Bodhran is an Irish drum with a long and storied history, rising to prominence during the folk music revival of the 1960s before now becoming the rhythmic heart of Irish traditional music.

Pronunciation of “bodhran” can be challenging for non-Irish speakers due to a misleading letter “d” in its name, with bow-rawn being its pronunciation – similar to Ron Burgundy or Ron Howard! One method to remembering how to say bodhran correctly is visualising a cow named Ron wearing a name tag bearing “Bodhran”.

Sean O Riada took bodhran playing to new heights through his ensemble Ceoltoiri Chualann. His ingeniously blended classical music elements with traditional Irish tunes to produce innovative yet harmonic arrangements that mesmerized audiences. Subsequent virtuoso players such as Peadar Mercier, Tommy Hayes and Johnny Ringo McDonagh further refined its playing techniques; nowadays it has become common practice to cover the rim with electrical tape in order to reduce edge-loading while dampening unwanted overtones.

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