How to Play the Bodhran
The bodhran is an accompaniment instrument and should always match the rhythms of music rather than driving it forward.
Unfortunately, too many bodhran players seem to forget this and disturb other musicians by stepping on the beat and disregarding music. Be wary as this can easily become a mistake! So be cautious! It can happen easily.
How to hold the bodhran
The Bodhran is an Irish frame drum played using a tipper stick and one of the most beloved musical instruments in Ireland.
Bodhran players need to first become comfortable holding the drum. There are various techniques for holding it, with Kerry style being one of the easiest ones to learn and master – this will allow for optimal playing performance!
Employ your non-dominant hand to place the tipper on the back of the drum (between any cross pieces if it has them) with its lower end pointed towards your stomach/solar plexus, so as to enable a precise up and down playing style while relaxing wrist movement – essential when playing a bodhran precisely and efficiently; tight wrists wear out quickly leading to sore elbows.
How to strike the bodhran
Though not as complex as other Celtic instruments, mastering the basic rhythms and strokes of this drum will open a gateway into Irish music’s heartland.
To strike the bodhran, place it in your non-dominant hand with elbow resting comfortably on hip, arm resting against frame. Your dominant hand should strike with tipper; there are various styles for striking it; however, proper technique must come first before moving forward to more intricate strikes.
Step one is striking the drum in an up and down motion with the tipper, which takes practice but will become second nature over time. After enough repetitions you should begin seeing results. Bodhranists may use their left hand to dampen skin to create deep bass sound – not usually seen but may be effective in certain rhythms such as jigs.
How to tune the bodhran
If you need help tuning a bodhran, use your finger to tap various points around the rim with different strikes – the sound should remain consistent from one spot to the next (not too low nor too high) so that once it is in tune you’ll be ready to play confidently!
An additional useful technique is holding the drum skin close to a source of heat for just a moment, which causes its pitch to drop as the skin loosens up and relaxes, before tightening back up as soon as it cools back off again – repeat this until you achieve desired tension.
Bodhran players often resort to using water on their drums in order to adjust the tone, though this technique often only yields short-term results and could actually compromise its integrity over time. A more reliable approach would be using olive oil or beeswax on the tipper instead, as this will prevent stiff or hard to play bodhrans.
How to carry the bodhran
To be an accomplished bodhran player, one must know how to carry it correctly. You cannot walk into a session and begin banging on it like someone needs you; that would be disrespectful both to the other musicians and tradition.
A bodhran drum can be carried in the crook of one arm with its tipper being held in the right. Bodhrans typically range in size from 14″-18″, using goat or calf skin stretched over its frame.
Holding the tipper properly requires using a curved wrist technique with your thumb finger reaching across to reach between index and thumb and holding lightly against that area of both index and thumb. While this may be a popular way of holding a bodhran for playing purposes, there are other techniques you can try too – becoming proficient takes practice but can bring great rewards!
