No matter your level of experience with drumming, this course is designed for you. With 13 tutorials that cover an extensive array of rhythmical accompaniments for Irish tunes such as Reels, Jigs, Slipjigs & Slides as well as Hornpipes and Polkas.

The Bodhran is one of the cornerstones of traditional Irish music, yet to play it with integrity requires an intimate knowledge of Tune form and structure and an awareness that your job goes beyond simply keeping time.

Basics

No matter your skill level or experience level, these lessons will show you the keys to instantly improving your bodhran playing. Discover how to use your cipin (stick), beater and various hand playing styles plus session rules and expectations as well as much more.

The Bodhran is an Irish frame drum which can be played using either your skin hand, stick hand or both hands. While learning the bodhran may seem straightforward at first, mastering its various stick manoeuvres and hand playing styles may take more practice and time than anticipated.

Understanding the fundamentals is paramount: to improve, it is best to listen to plenty of music – particularly traditional tunes – and observe how professional bodhran players embellish and emphasize natural rhythms of these tunes. You will need a bodhran for yourself and learn to care for it properly; McNeela Irish Bodhrans provides beginner bodhrans, tunable bodhrans and many percussion accessories so stop by today for all your needs!

Rhythm

After mastering the basic bodhran strokes, it’s time to develop rhythm. Your tutor will guide your development of different tones, accompanying reels and jigs right up to more intricate patterns and ‘fills’ while emphasizing technique throughout this session.

To play Irish music effectively, bodhran players need a comprehensive knowledge of its tunes, an intuitive grasp of their structure and an impeccable sense of time (which all musicians possess). A player who walks into a session and starts banging away without regard for musical form would do irreparable harm to this tradition.

Paraic McNeela the Bodhran Maker provides an outstanding selection of beginner, tunable, and thick lambeg bodhrans for players new to playing bodhran. Visit his blog for more info – its pronunciation is BOW-RAWN with an extra H at the end to help ease pronunciation.

Scales

While keeping the wooden rim of the drum close to your left hand, take a stick known as a bodhran tipper (also known as a beater) in your right hand and grip it like you would hold a pencil or pen – its writing tip should be about one third down from its peak.

The beater is what gives the bodhran its distinct sound; it creates incredible rhythms. Knowing its range allows players to play all kinds of tunes at different speeds.

Amy has been teaching Irish and Bodhran music in the greater Milwaukee area since 2007. Additionally, she was a Bodhran instructor at Junior Davey’s Bodhran Academy in Co. Sligo, Ireland since 2010. Amy is two-time Midwest Fleadh Bodhran Champion as well as competing at All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann events in Letterkenny and Cavan; additionally, Amy attended Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling school located in Boulder Creek California since 2006.

Tuning

Unfortunately, many people pick up a bodhran without making the commitment necessary to truly master it, leading them down an ineffective learning path and garnering them an instrument with an inferior reputation.

Though the bodhran has been used since ancient times in Irish music, its prominence only really began to emerge after the revival of traditional Irish music during the 1960s. Since then, it has become an essential component of Celtic musical soundscape.

The bodhran is played by holding it erect on your thigh and hitting it with a stick known as a cipin (beater). These beaters come in various shapes and sizes; each produces its own sound. Tuning can be achieved using the finger-tap method: cross your fingers across four points on the drum head until all four areas produce equal pitches; adjust tension until all pitches match perfectly before tuning it with other techniques such as the Kerry style (holding and hitting with an elastic cipin).

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