The Bodhran Drum
The Bodhran is at the core of Irish music. A versatile percussion instrument, it can convey more than simply rhythm if handled by an adept player – conveying any range of emotions imaginable!
Over the last seventy years, no other instrument in Irish music has experienced as dramatic an evolution and development than the bodhran, thanks to players such as Peadar Mercier and John Joe Kelly.
Origin
The Bodhran is an Irish frame drum played either with your bare hand or using a tipper, beater, or cipin stick.
As with other frames drums around the world, the frame drum has an ancient history which predates Christianity. Additionally, it has been employed in ritual ceremonies like La an Dreoilin or Hunting the Wren in Ireland which still takes place annually on 26 December.
Sean O Riada and Ceoltoiri Chualann band’s performances of Sean O Riada’s Bodhran were immensely popular with audiences; his live and recorded performances mesmerized people into appreciating it again and helped shift folk music away from informal kitchen sessions to theatre and concert hall performances. Since then, his popularity has only grown with other musicians like Peadar Mercier, Johnny Ringo McDonagh and John Joe Kelly using it with similar results.
Construction
The Bodhran is a hand-held Irish or Celtic frame drum, popular during the folk music revival of the 1960s.
Traditional bodhrans are comprised of goat skin stretched over a wooden circular frame and then stapled or nailed into place, but today’s versions feature mechanical tuning systems that enable musicians to fine-tune their sound.
The Bodhran can be played either with its traditional double ended stick known as a tipper, or by hand using its lower register and more melodic notes. Furthermore, you may add or remove tone rings invented by Seamus O’Kane to customize its sound and melody.
Sound
A drum’s sound is produced by the vibrations resonating through its shell, amplified by material and size considerations. These vibrations produce overtones that add character and contribute to its overall tone.
A bodhran is particularly sensitive to its surrounding air environment, with changes in humidity and temperature having an impactful influence on its tuning. Therefore, regular dampening must take place to avoid unwanted resonances that might arise in its tuning.
The bodhran became an integral component of Irish traditional music’s revival during the 1960s thanks to Sean O Riada who integrated it into Ceoltoiri Chualann ensemble and mesmerized audiences with performances that showcased its versatility and charm. Nowadays it would be unthinkable for trad sessions to continue without one keeping pace!
Techniques
The Bodhran is an extremely flexible instrument. It can be played either bare-handed or with the help of a small double-ended stick known as a tipper; when playing using only one hand, players should employ wrist movements with up and down motions for optimal results.
In the 1970s, bodhran virtuoso players like Robin Morton of Boys of the Lough, Peadar Mercier from The Chieftains and Christy Moore from Planxty developed new playing techniques which have propelled it to its current position at the heart of Irish traditional music.
The Bodhran is a simple frame drum with many applications. When played properly by an experienced musician, its sounds can span the spectrum. However, to produce these unique sounds successfully it’s essential that players possess at least some knowledge of tune forms and structures.
Maintenance
Players and manufacturers agree that playing their bodhran regularly is the key to proper maintenance of a bodhran drum, tightening up its skin while giving fuller sound quality while helping even out tension issues.
However, if your bodhran lives in an especially dry climate you should condition its skin more often (at least every month). Commercially available bodhran skin conditioners or simply wrapping the drum in a bag with damp cloth may work.
Avoid applying Guinness on the head as its high sugar content clogs pores and crystallizes in them, shortening its life. Alcohols like vodka should also be avoided to preserve hair health, while oils such as olive, almond and bees’ wax should be applied directly onto tippers to make them waterproof and more enjoyable to play on.
