Bodhran Drum For Sale
The Bodhran drum is at the core of any traditional Irish music session. It sets your feet tapping – whether in a pub or even your own living room!
The finest bodhrans produce a deep, rich tone. Additionally, their tuning allows users to adapt pitch depending on weather conditions.
Size
No matter your level of experience or proficiency with bodhran playing, finding a drum that suits both your hand size and playing style is essential for successful performance. A larger instrument will produce more tones while smaller drums offer tighter sound quality. Furthermore, consider its rim depth – currently 13-3/4 inches is considered ideal, though some players prefer shallower frames.
Although you can purchase a quality bodhran for under $300, spending just a bit extra will vastly enhance the quality and experience. A more expensive model might feature nicer goatskin or an adjustable head which will accelerate learning speed while increasing sound quality.
Avoid purchasing bodhrans featuring corporate logos or cute Celtic art on their heads as these may compromise its voice and cannot easily be removed. If your drum gets hot during play, rubbing some clear water onto its backside before starting may help relax it before playing begins and ease tightness in its tunes.
Materials
The Bodhran is a frame drum made of wood covered in goatskin that is typically played using a tipper (double-headed stick). A tipper can be used to beat its skin in order to produce low tones and high pitches. Bodhrans have long been an integral part of Irish music history and often seen as its heartbeat.
Bodhrans were initially very loud and poorly tuned instruments. Players such as Peadar Mercier, Johnny McDonagh and John Joe Kelly have played key roles in shaping its sound and technique as well as incorporating rhythms from other genres into bodhran music.
When buying a bodhran, be sure to purchase from a store with knowledge of Irish musical tradition. While electric guitars and saxophones may be sold there as well, the clerks might not know much about bodhrans themselves. A great place to look is Hedwitschak which offers premium goatskin covered bodhrans using “EdlauerSelect”, hand stretched by expert makers for maximum quality control and attention to detail.
Design
There are various designs of bodhrans. Some feature deep rims with deep heads while others offer more movement with shallower rims for musicians with shorter arms or just wanting an instrument with more comfort while playing it. The deep rims produce powerful bass sounds while shallow rims enable musicians to play comfortably due to increased movement while playing it.
Purchase of a bodhran featuring natural skin heads is recommended; synthetic heads produce only a single sound, whereas natural ones offer more tonal variations. Furthermore, select one equipped with an interior tuner for ease of use.
Avoid purchasing bodhrans with corporate logos, cute Celtic art, or beer advertisements painted onto their heads; paint or decals may interfere with the voice of a drum and eventually wear off. When listening to recordings made using bodhrans with these features, listen carefully as many recordings use compression, EQ, limitering reverb or other signal processing tools which distort its voice and lead to inaccurate performance results.
Price
If you’re purchasing a bodhran, it’s wise to visit a music store that understands Celtic music. Avoid stores that specialize solely in electric guitars, saxophones or rock drum kits as these stores may lack knowledge on how best to care for or play this instrument. Consider McNeela Music or The House of Musical Traditions as they specialize in selling this instrument.
An investment in a quality bodhran will serve you for many years, and it would be wise to purchase one with a tunable head and interior thumb-wheel tuner as this allows for tuning to changing weather conditions and is easier than using a wrench to tune it.
Our selection of bodhrans offers something to fit every budget and includes packs that include all the accessories necessary to play this classic Irish frame drum.
