Bodhran

[Jam]

Any other Bodhran/frame drum players on here?

I have a bodhran I picked up from a car boot sale years ago, have recently dug it out (since seeing the Fureys a few weeks ago) and have started learning to play it "properly", ie: with a book/cd accompaniment. It's so much fun! First time playing a percussion instrument apart from Taiko, though that was only for a few days...

[leschirons]

Played mine last weekend at a Dutch birthday party we'd been invited to. Had the lot there, acoustics, Celtic pipes, washboard, violins, tin whistles, Hurdy Gurdy, Cajon drum, accordians and harmonicas. Brilliant evening. Fitted in well with all the French & Dutch traditional folk music that was being played but it made me realise I need to put some work in to sound anywhere near competent.

Edited May 5, 2012 by leschirons

[oggiesnr]

I dabble but I'm very conscious of the fact that you need to practice a lot to be able to play in polite company. I mainly use it to accompany myself on some songs such as Cam Ye O'er fre France, where I can control both my playing and the speed rhythm of the song if it goes pear shaped!

Steve

[Jam]

I've been told in order to play bodhran properly you should never use a book, you should teach yourself.

Mind you, I've also read that the best way to play a bodhran is with a very sharp knife..

[pete.young]

Almost right, it's "The best thing to play on a bodhran is a flamethrower" :-)

Not everyone sees things the same way as oggiesnr, unfortunately. All too often the bodhran finds its way into the hands of people who want to join in but aren't interested in investing any effort in learning the basics or listening to any of the other musicians. Worse still, they frequently hunt in packs.

[thisnameistaken]

Our drummer plays bodhran amongst other things, he's really very good at it. I don't know if what he's doing is traditional but he certainly gets a large variety of sounds and some surprisingly complicated rhythms.

[thunderbird13]

I bought one a few years ago during my last " I'm giving up bass forever " hissy fits . I still have it perched on my shelf in my music room and occasionally I do batter it but I havent really put any effort into learning it properly. I did enquiry about Bodhran lessons in London and the bloke was charging something like 35 quid an hour

[radansey]

I have today been asked to play Bodran in a concert with the flute orchestra in which my wife plays.

I now have 6 weeks to sort-out the rhythm accompaniment (and solo intro!!) for the 'Irish Washerwoman' - I wish the leader had asked me to supply the bass-line, instead

Edited May 12, 2012 by radansey

[oggiesnr]

[quote name='radansey' timestamp='1336843349' post='1651876']
I have today been asked to play Bodran in a concert with the flute orchestra in which my wife plays.

I now have 6 weeks to sort-out the rhythm accompaniment (and solo intro!!) for the 'Irish Washerwoman' - I wish the leader had asked me to supply the bass-line, instead
[/quote]

At least it's a 6/8 double jig with a strong pulse, I can think of worse

Actually approaching it from a bassline perspective isn't the worst way of going about it. That gives you the main structure and then you can add the flourishes.

Have fun!

Steve

[KingBollock]

I bought one many, many years ago. I had a thought that I'd like to put together an Irish Folk band, so I went and bought and learned to play a bunch of instruments (acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Penny Whistles, Harmonicas, Bodhran, Bongos, already had a Fiddle), then realised that I was the only person I knew that could play any of them... I got really into the Bodhran, I seemed to take to it quite well. But back then we had neighbours that made a lot of noise so I didn't mind making some myself. I did pick it up again recently but I'm very conscious of the volume of the bloomin' thing. It's a shame because I really enjoyed it.

[oggiesnr]

This is how it can be done (if you're one of the best)

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9HyB5yNS1A&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9HyB5yNS1A&feature=related[/url]

Steve

[Fionn]

I'm selling a Belgarth (top-end bodhran), if anyone is interested.

[pete.young]

Johnny McDonagh in his prime at the start of this show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbGEYLOacV4&feature=related

[KingBollock]

Now I really want to crack my Bodhran out again, but even more, my Tin Whistles. I inherited a new Clark Tin Whistle in C recently, which replaces the one I lost. I got a couple of Recorders too but I never learned to play Recorder, it's tempting now though.