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Bodhran & Irish
Drums by Grover
Click on the
Product for More Info & Pricing
Woodblocks /
Bodhrans
/ Bells /
Misc
Percussion |
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The Bodhran
(pronounced Bow-Rawn or Bough-Rawn) is a simple
and very old type of drum known as a frame drum.
Frame drums by different names are found in many
different countries around the world, including
Algeria, Morocco, China, Russia, and Egypt. Native
American Indians also used frame drums. While most
of these drums from different countries are
similar in appearance or playing technique,
Ireland's version, the Bodhran, has developed its
own look and playing technique.
The Bodhran can vary in size from 15" to 22" in
diameter, with 18" being the most common. The
wooden rim or shell can be from 2" to 6". The head
of the Bodhran can be made of deer, sheep, calf,
goat, greyhound, or horse skin, although goat is
the most common and favored material. The head is
cleaned and treated by a secret process, stretched
over the shell, glued and tacked in place, and
then left to dry. Modern manufacturers have also
begun producing Bodhrans with synthetic skin
heads, which are more durable and unaffected by
the weather, but a skin head still produces the
best tone. |
Grover-Trophy Bodhran Drum
Sale Price:
$19.99 - $24.99
The bodhran is
the traditional Celtic drum and provides the vital
pulse of Celtic music even in modern times. It is
played with a double beater that...
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Grover 14" and 18" Irish Bodhran Drum Set
Sale Price:
$39.99
This traditional drum provides the vital pulse of
Celtic music even in modern times. It is played with
a double beater that allows one hand to...
MORE INFO |
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Saga Bodhran Drum
Sale Price:
$24.99
Saga Bodhrans are built to the traditional 18"
diameter with twin crossbar support and laminated
wood rim. The genuine natural white goatskin head is
attached with tacks, giving the drum a traditional
look and feel.
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Warner Bros Mel Mercier Bodhran and Bones Video
Sale Price:
$39.95
This highly musical method for the bodhran and bones
presents essential dance forms and rhythmic
patterns, along with traditional and innovative...
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There has traditionally been a crosspiece of one or
two bars mounted inside the shell. The purpose of
the crosspiece is to make the Bodhran easier to
handle, and enables the player to play and walk at
the same time. This would be an important feature
since the Bodhran serves an important role in many
festivals, such as St. Stephen's Day (December 26),
when the "Wren Boys" carry a captured wren from
house to house, playing and singing as they go.
Bodhrans are also used to support favorite sports
teams. As traditional music began to move indoors to
the concert hall and recording studio, many players
found they no longer had need of the crosspiece, and
that without it, new techniques became possible.
Many of today's Bodhran's are made with no
crosspiece or with a crosspiece that is removable.
The Irish Bodhran is played with a double-ended
stick called a cipin (ki-peen) or a tipper. This
stick and the way that it is employed is one of the
things that separates the Bodhran from other frame
drums, which are more often played with the hands.
Bodhran History
The exact origins
of the Bodhran are still unknown, but there are two
theories as to the way that this unique instrument
developed. 1) In ancient Ireland, and in fact up
until the 1950's, a skin tray or sieve was used to
sift various materials. This skin tray was called
many names. Interestingly enough, one of those names
was Bodhran. The Irish word Bodhran can be
translated as "tray" or "thundered," "deafening" or
"dull sounding." It is believed that during the use
of this skin tray, it was noticed that it could be
used to produce a soft rhythmic sound, and that the
drum developed from there. 2) It is possible that
another form of frame drum arrived in Ireland
through the Roman Empire or Arabic traders. There is
in Arabic countries a frame drum called a def or
daff, which taken phonetically in English and
translated to Irish could have become Bodhran.
Whichever theory is correct, the Irish frame has
developed into an instrument unique to that country,
using playing techniques found almost nowhere else
in the world. To hold the Irish Bodhran, rest it on
your left knee with the head parallel to your leg.
Tuck the shell under your arm so that you can
squeeze the drum against your body. Be careful not
to dampen the head more than necessary to hold the
drum securely. Place your left hand against the back
of the head just inside the shell to help steady the
drum.
Bodhran Technique
& Bodhran Lesson
If your Bodhran has
crosspieces, rest it on your leg and hold it by the
crosspieces. Pick up the tipper just as if it were a
pen or pencil. Then, turn your wrist so that the end
of the tipper which would be the point of the pen is
pointed at your belly. The tipper should be parallel
to the head of the Bodhran. The "point end" of the
tipper will do the majority of the playing. Rotate
your arm from the elbow in a downward motion so that
the tipper makes a downward arc and strikes the head
in approximately the middle of the arc. Hold your
wrist loosely as you do this.
Next, rotate your arm in an upward motion so that
the head is struck in an upward arc. Practice
alternating the downward and upward motions to
produce a steady rhythm. Remember to keep your wrist
loose. The motion produced will be similar to that
of strumming a guitar.
Triplets-- Turn your wrist inward a little further,
angle it down, and hold the tipper a little more
loosely. By exaggerating your follow-through on the
downward stroke, you can cause the back end of the
tipper to strike the head immediately after the
front end of the tipper (the tip of the pen). The
front end will play again on the upstroke. This will
produce three quick notes, which should sound like
diddle-de. Add another downstroke to produce
diddle-de-dum. When you can produce this sound, try
to make the triplets continuous by always causing
the back end of the tipper to strike the head on the
downstroke. diddle-de diddle-de diddle-de....
Rim Shots -- rim shots are produced by striking the
shell of the drum with the tipper. This produces a
nice change of sound. The Rim Shot is produced by
the same basic motion as playing on the head, but
may require an exaggerated motion, or lifting and
lowering the drum itself. A rim shot on a downstroke
should be played at the 12 o'clock position on the
shell, and on an upstroke at the 6 o'clock position.
Use of the Left hand -- By sliding the left hand
along the back side of the head, different tones can
be produced. Experiment with different hand
positions from edge (very open) to the center
(muffled). By pressing harder against the head, the
pitch can be changed. Try this in combination with
triplets for a nice effect.
Irish Jigs are fast dance pieces. They differ from
reels in the fact that each beat is subdivided into
3 pulses rather than 4. There will typically beat
six pulses in a bar, divided into two groups of
three. There are several different ways to play a
basic jig pattern. The basic jig pattern can also be
used to accompany some marches and most slip jigs.
Reels are fast dance pieces. Each beat in a reel is
subdivided into four smaller pulses. Alternating
downstrokes and upstrokes produces the basic pattern
for reels. When you master the basic alternating
pattern, create new rhythms by "missing" the head on
some strokes of the pattern. Reel patterns can also
be used to accompany hornpipes, polkas, marches, and
some slip jigs. |
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