Although drums used to dye wool have likely been in use in Ireland since ancient times, the bodhran only achieved widespread recognition as an instrument during the Irish traditional music resurgence of the 1960s due to Sean O Riada’s efforts as an instrumentalist.

Christy Moore is another outstanding bodhran player, adding raw passion to folk songs with his playing.

Origins

The Bodhran is one of the most iconic Irish Traditional Music instruments, yet its exact origins remain obscure. There have been speculations regarding its creation from peat carriers or winnowing baskets used to remove hard coverings from wheat prior to harvest. Furthermore, its structure resembles tambourines popular across South Continental Europe and could have arrived here via this route.

While drums (played with hands or sticks) have existed for millennia, the bodhran only gained widespread recognition during Ireland’s musical revival in the 1960s. Sean O Riada became an iconic figure within Ceoltoiri Chualann when he started using it and it soon started appearing in more Irish folk bands as an instrument of expression.

Peadar Mercier, Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh and John Joe Kelly further developed their playing techniques at this time. Additionally, innovative tippermakers such as Seamus O’Kane, Victor Barral, Darius Bartlett and Brendan White developed new ways of making drum sounds.

Techniques

Since the 1960s, bodhrans have quickly evolved as an instrument. Now a mainstay in Irish music sessions and concerts around the globe, different bodhran styles have also come into being.

Undergoing basic hand placement techniques, different tones can be produced by altering the depth and angle of one hand placed upon a drum, such as producing rimshots or bass tones. Furthermore, drummers may dampening sound with their palm while striking for more controlled and deep sounds.

Innovative Bodhran techniques include using the jig stroke and reel strike to accompany popular forms of Irish traditional music, or the bouncing motion of the beater to produce different rhythms or feels. All these different approaches enable musicians to adapt the Bodhran to suit different musical genres and contexts; especially as more contemporary pieces incorporate Bodhran-based structures – thus making this instrument increasingly versatile and useful in contemporary musical composition.

Songs to Learn

Since its revival during the folk music revival of the 1960s, bodhran has undergone dramatic change and growth in Irish culture. Today it boasts an intricate and innovative playing style which fully explores its musical possibilities.

The bodhran can convey an extensive variety of rhythms and sounds, spanning sharp urgent taps to melodious ringing beats. Pressure applied under the skin makes this possible; an experienced player can use their instrument to express sobs, cheers or martial calls-to-action with great success.

Start out learning the fundamentals with beginner lessons from McNeela Instruments; these easy to follow videos will quickly have you laying down a basic rhythm. From there, take it further with lessons from experienced musicians; whether your preference lies with traditional Irish or contemporary percussion styles there are experts out there to assist.

Reels

The bodhran is an ideal instrument to perform reels on, which have an exciting rhythmic pattern and are played at a fast tempo. Reels help develop hand speed and dexterity as well as allow for experimentation of different accent patterns to create unique sounds on the drum.

As another technique, another option is using the jig stroke technique which involves using a bouncing tipper motion to produce faster rhythm. This style works equally well in reels as well as jigs or other Irish music styles.

Modern bodhrans utilize synthetic heads and frames that produce more consistent sounds than the traditional goatskin drums, with some featuring tuning mechanisms that enable adjustments of head tension. These differences reflect how popular use has expanded beyond its original context, often with electrical tape covering the edge-loading to reduce edge-loading and control overtones.

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