The Bodhran – The Rhythmic Backbone of Irish Folk Music
The bodhran is a type of frame drum commonly found in Irish folk music. Played either with your hand or stick, its rhythmic beat creates an enjoyable musical accompaniment.
The bodhran is an irresistibly alluring percussion instrument that adds an unmistakably compelling drive to jigs, reels, hornpipes and slip jigs – as well as being popularly employed in Celtic dance music.
Origins
Although drums resembling the modern bodhran have existed throughout history, their widespread usage only started around 1950. A modern bodhran is essentially a frame drum like those found on tabors or tambourines with an additional hand dampening a skin on one open side for improved sound quality.
Sean O Riada’s Ceoltoiri Chualann group played in concert halls and brought Irish folk music to wider audiences, giving this drum new prestige. O Riada elevated its status into one worthy of Irish musical performance while revitalizing its history.
Johnny McDonagh is widely recognized as one of the finest bodhran players of recent decades. He pioneered several ground-breaking techniques and helped integrate bodhrans into mainstream music, pioneering tunable models and revolutionizing playing techniques.
Styles of playing
There are various styles of playing bodhran: hand and stick styles. In hand styles, beater is struck directly with hands; for stick styles using sticks for beating drum.
Seamus O’Kane challenged the traditional thick Lambeg skin by introducing thinner options that allowed for higher, crisper notes and a more melodic style of playing – this also enabled players to become more delicate with their approach.
Tuneable bodhrans now feature Tuneable Rims that allow a drummer to use a Hex Key to tune the drum, providing more tonal possibilities and making tuning easier for novice players who don’t wish to invest in a tunable drum. Vellum skin drums have also become increasingly popular; this high-quality skin emulates ancient Irish manuscripts like Book of Kells, producing an extremely quiet yet subtle sound when struck against.
Materials
The Bodhran is a hand or stick-played drum similar to tabor and tambourine instruments; its appearance resembles those of both. It consists of an open wooden frame on one side with an attached tight drum head on the other.
Drum heads are usually constructed of goatskin or other animal skins; these skins may also be stapled or nailed onto their frames for easy attachment.
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Techniques
At first, the bodhran was an indispensable tool in rural Irish life, used for harvesting wheat to separate its hard spikey coating from soft kernels. Over time it evolved into an essential rhythmic instrument of Irish folk music.
Bodhrans have long attracted the interest of musicians worldwide due to their distinct sound, inspiring fusion projects that combine past traditions with contemporary creativity. Nowadays, you’ll find bodhrans being featured in genres far removed from its Irish origins such as rock or world music.
The Bodhran is played using a tipper (or cipin). Players move it across their drum head in order to strike precise regions for different pitches and their playing technique continues to evolve, becoming an integral component of Irish folk music.
Effects
Even though its design may seem straightforward, the bodhran is an exceptionally versatile instrument capable of creating various musical sounds. Its deep tones form the rhythmic backbone for traditional music sessions such as reels or fast jigs as well as soulful ballads.
Bodhran masters, such as De Danann’s Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh, have developed innovative playing techniques. Additionally, their innovations such as tunable drumheads and other new materials have broadened its capabilities even further.
The Bodhran is also used in rituals, most notably on St Stephen’s Day (26 December) for La an Dreoilin, or hunting the wren. This custom may have Christian roots; according to legend, Saint Stephen was betrayed by an evil bird called La an Dreoilin; it has also become associated with Celtic folk traditions and particularly Druidic practices.
