Michael Vignoles offers professional-grade 14″ goatskin drums. In contrast to the cheap, nontunable ones found on eBay and Amazon, his are designed and hand crafted. Additionally he provides online tutorials covering everything from beginner lessons to masterful performances.

Harte employs extensive ethnographic interviews to explore the bodhran’s historical and organological development, gradual change in playing styles over time, and more recent history of performative practice.

Chiff and Fipple

Chiff and Fipple is an exceptional website dedicated to all things whistle. Its discussion forums contain invaluable advice about buying and selling used whistles as well as general whistling advice, along with providing plenty of opportunities to ask questions or post “want-to-buy” notices about particular makers or models. Another invaluable resource is The Session which offers more general-focused resources but features active discussion forums as well.

Chicago button accordion player John Williams’ fans will be delighted to discover he also displays equal virtuosity on Irish flute and whistles, in a range of Celtic tunes with strong Celtic influence – reels with Dennis Cahill on guitar and Paul Donnelly on bodhran, gorgeous jigs featuring Liz Carroll flute playing, as well as an exceptional solo performance of “Concerning Hobbits” from Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy soundtrack ‘Concerning Hobbits”. Additional sets have both high and low whistles while Williams adds rich colors by using one or both instruments in any song to add color or depth and enhance other songs with individual whistle solo performances or add solo whistle solo performances throughout.

Bodojo

There are countless bodhran makers around, and some have more of an online presence than others. Be sure to conduct some research prior to purchasing one – for instance if you need an adjustable drum check out Meinl and Remo; both make excellent models; additionally Waltons makes several such instruments that can be found through Amazon.

If you’re eager to pick up the bodhran, there are numerous online videos and books on how to do so. John Joe Kelly is renowned for playing it with Flook and Altan among other groups; check him out if interested!

Bodhrans are round Celtic frame drums featuring goat skin heads (although other animal skins such as kangaroo or deer can also be used), played using a lathed wooden beater called a tipper or beater, which makes for easy use when performing Irish music and Celtic folklore in general. Bodhrans are integral components of Irish and Celtic musical culture as a versatile instrument that can accommodate various musical genres and styles.

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