Your choice of tipper has an enormous influence on the tone and comfort of your bodhran, as well as grip. Explore different models until you find one that best meets your needs.

Bodhrans, Irish frame drums, are popularly played either bare handed or using a beater stick. Many prominent musicians such as Christy Moore of Planxty and The Chieftains have played them, such as Christy Moore.

Hard tippers

Tippers or beaters used by bodhran players when playing their drums have an enormous effect on its sound, so to ensure optimal playback it is important that they be made from quality materials.

Wood choice has little bearing on the sound produced by a bodhran, though it does impact its weight and feel when using a beater. There are different styles of tippers for bodhrans available – each offering something distinct; for instance, brush tippers feature an undulating swish sound with wooden attack.

Hot Rod Tipppers, constructed of thin dowels held together with tape, offer a softer sound than hard stick tippers while providing percussive clicks when struck against a bodhran head. Lightweight and available in various lengths, they often come equipped with tightening mechanisms that enable users to increase or decrease tension on dowels to customize sound output by altering tension levels of their beaters and thus changing overall tone.

Soft tippers

The Bodhran is an Irish drum which can be played both with one’s bare hand or using a beater such as a stick, tipper or cipin to create more rhythmic tones and is integral part of modern Irish playing style. There are different kinds of wood and shapes used for beaters; each produces unique sounds when used against the drum.

These lightweight bodhran beaters have an oak core for maximum power while remaining comfortable to play on. Customise it further by choosing between fabric covers or paint to suit any player’s preference!

While thickness has little bearing on its sound, it does impact how comfortable a bodhran beater is to hold and play for long sessions. That is why there is such an extensive variety of tippers on the market; from single solid pieces with one rod through multiple rods with brushes or felt tippers.

Hot rod tippers

Material selection has minimal effect on sound production; however, it may have an impact on comfort and grip. Therefore, it’s advisable to experiment with various styles and sizes until finding one that best matches your playing style and preferences.

Hot rod tippers – made up of thin dowels secured together by tape – are becoming an increasingly popular bodhran beater option. Producing a softer, clickier sound than hard tippers while offering greater attack per hit, most hot rod beaters allow users to tighten or loosen the dowels to customize the sound output accordingly.

Some bodhran players have even created their own beaters to better suit their playing needs and preferences. Brush tippers produce an undulating swish sound and are easier on the wrist than solid wood tippers. Split and core tippers come in various shapes, materials, designs and fabric covers for extra comfort; MEINL offers various tipper series designed by experienced bodhran players.

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