Photo :
Bodhráns
with sizes ranging from 14” to 20” in diameter.
Shown are drums with tunable and non-tunable goatskin and
synthetic heads , as well as a number of different beaters
What
is a Bodhrán
The bodhrán (bough-rawn) is a popular
Irish frame drum with numerous possible origins.
The drum’s obvious similarity to the indigenous frame drums
of the Mediterranean region suggest possible Roman, Spanish, or North-African
origins, but many researchers have also noted it’s resemblance
to a skin tray or sieve, farming implements common in the British
Isles.
The development of the name ‘ bodhrán’ itself
is uncertain, although the Irish Gaelic word bodhar (‘deaf’ or ‘dull-sounding’)
is a possible source. Some writers have suggested it is a corruption
of ‘tambourine’ into ‘bourine’ and then ‘ bodhrán’ ,
as it is believed that in the past, bodhráns commonly had
jingles attached.
Until the modern rebirth (beginning as early as
the 1920’s) of
the bodhrán as an accompaniment instrument in popular ensembles
such as Sean O Riada’s Ceoltóirí Cualann,
the drum was more often associated with folk rituals, in particular
the rural festivities for St. Stephen’s Day on December 26
th
Technique
Front Photo: Right handed
players hold the drum on the left leg, tucked slightly underneath
the arm against the rib cage.
Back photo: The basic neutral
position, with the left hand resting against the top curve
of the drum shell, gently muffling excessive drum-head overtones.
What distinguishes the modern bodhrán from other frame drums
is largely the technique used to play it. Once thought to have been
played primarily with a variety of simple hand techniques, the drum
is currently most often played with a short beater (tipper, cipin).
Photo : Gripping the beater in the right hand. Many
other grips exist, but this grip, with two fingers on top of
the beater, affords a little more strength.
The most common bodhrán technique, known as the Kerry style,
utilizes both ends of the beater in a very characteristic and fluid
wrist motion almost unique to this instrument. To begin, the drum
is struck with downward and upward strokes , with the bottom of the
beater forming an angle of approx. 45 ° to the skin.
Exercise #1- Down-strokes & up-strokes.
Video : Down-strokes & up-stokes
Rhythms
The rhythm most often associated with Irish music is a 6/8 dance
rhythm called the jig.
While jig accompaniment is never performed
in exactly the same fashion from piece to piece, practicing the
basic framework of this rhythm is an excellent way to establish a
solid technique on the bodhrán.
Exercise # 2 - The basic jig pattern
Note that the second accent in the bar is on an upstroke. For additional
effect, the left hand opens and closes against the skin to alternately
let resonate and muffle the sound of the drum.
Video : Basic jig rhythm, front
view.
Video : Basic jig rhythm,
back view.
The ‘triplet stroke’ is a common and characteristic
ornamentation in bodhrán playing.
The down-stroke of this ornamentation is actually a type of double
stroke, with the top end of the beater following-through to provide
the second sound.
While it is useful to understand the mechanics of the motion involved
in the ‘triplet stroke’, it is often better to gradually
build accuracy and strength by playing it as a natural part of a
longer rhythmic phrase rather than isolating the stroke.
Exercise #3 - Jig variation incorporating the "triplet
stroke"
Down strokes, up
strokes, open tones and muffled tones for
Exercise #3 are the same
as in Exercise #2
Video : Jig
variation incorporating the ‘triplet
stroke’.
Removing one 8-th note from the jig yields a rhythm in 5/8.
Although not at all part of the ‘traditional’ repertoire
of rhythms for the drum, playing compound meters (i.e. 5, 7, 11,
etc) is an excellent way to expand technique on the bodhrán.
In the following short 5/8 demonstration, the left hand alters the
pitch of the drum by applying pressure to the head.
Video : 5/8 demonstration
Learning More
Below are some highly recommended sources of information about
the bodhrán and how to play it, as well as some very fine
music.
Book
Mícheál O Súilleabháin – The
Bodhrán (Waltons Musical Instrument Galleries,
Dublin, 1984).
CDs
Mary Bergin – Feadóga Stáin (Shanachie,
1992); Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh:
bodhrán
The Chieftains – 7 (Claddagh Records,
1977); Kevin Conneff : bodhrán
Tommy Hayes – A Room in the North (Hanna
Music, 1997); Tommy Hayes: bodhrán
Flook – Rubai (Flatfish Records,
2002); John Joe Kelly : bodhrán
CD - Rom
Frank Torpey – Bodhrán Tutorial (Produced
by MadforTrad.com, 2001)
