An essential tool in playing tuneable bodhran, the bodhran stick allows greater control of tipper placement while decreasing fatigue associated with extended gripping of heavy cipins.

Hold your bodhran stick with a relaxed grip and a gentle curve in your index finger – this is known as Kerry style bodhran playing.

The beater

The bodhran is usually played using a double-ended drumstick known as a beater or tipper, typically lathe-turned from wood but sometimes hand-carved like shown below.

An effective bodhran tipper is essential to creating the widest variety of sounds from your drum. A tipper should be flexible enough that its tip rests softly against the skin of the bodhran to allow your spare hand to play underneath and create anything from urgent taps to melodious ringing beats in skilled players hands.

Bodhran players often wrap the rim of their drum with electrical tape as a method to reduce edge loading and dampen unwanted overtones, and to minimize edge loading. This task may be performed by either their drummer or owner themselves.

The skin

The bodhran is a round drum featuring an animal skin stretched tightly over it. Relatively new to Irish traditional music, its popularity is steadily rising.

It is a highly expressive drum capable of producing an array of tones from sharp urgent taps to melodious ringing beats, conveying emotions from sorrow or happiness all the way to martial action calls.

Some bodhran players use the heel of their hand to strike the drum with crisp hard beats while others prefer using gentle taps or slides from their palm. Furthermore, there are various techniques which incorporate other parts of their hands such as their ring and pinky fingers in playing their instruments.

The rimshots

The Bodhran is capable of creating an expansive variety of sounds. To customize its tone and achieve different tones, different approaches to hitting its rim must be employed at various angles and strengths; some bodhrans feature deep rims while others offer shallower options.

Finding the ideal bodhran stick can be daunting, so it is essential to select one that fits you comfortably and feels right in your hand. Additionally, its shape and weight may alter how you strike the instrument; so it may be useful to experiment with various kinds of sticks before selecting your preferred choice.

One of the more fascinating variations on the bodhran is the brush stick – this small stick with soft drum brushes attached at its ends can provide you with a jazzy sound!

The reels

Bodhran sticks or “tippers” are the main instrument you will use when playing the bodhran. Available in various lengths and finishes (felt or leather-covered ends), these tools offer soft yet sturdy sounds. Beginners may prefer felt as it gives a softer sound quality.

Since the 1960s, however, its prominence in Irish music sessions has seen dramatic increases. Now it plays as much of a part as other instruments like whistles, guitars and pipes.

Virtuoso players such as Peadar Mercier (of The Chieftains) and Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh have contributed greatly to the evolution of drum and playing technique on bodhrans, maturing it to its current level of prominence and creating their signature Irish sound. Their styles are widely respected worldwide.

The rhythms

The bodhran is at the core of every traditional Irish music session, whether at an Irish pub or your front room. A versatile instrument capable of being played in many styles and producing various sounds.

Playing the bodhran is relatively straightforward and can be learned quickly, though mastering more complex rhythms such as reels and jigs requires additional practice.

Seamus O’Kane revolutionized the sound of the bodhran in 1975 with his innovation of an internal tone ring, which enabled its skin to tighten or loosen from within and eliminated dampness to the drumhead – this innovation revolutionized how versatile and musical the instrument became.

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