The Bodhran - Page 2

Brian Fry · 04-25-2012, 01:26 PM

Hi Doug, I have a non-tunable made by Michelle Stewart when she lived in Nova Scotia. I tuned it using a spray bottle of water. Really nice drum. I also purchased a tunable from your neck of the woods, made by Fred Halpin. Funny story when I talked with him on the phone he said he would take my credit card number and send it to me by bus? I did not feel real good about this deal until I asked him " who else has bought from you?" and then he asked me If I had heard of the kids in the band Great Big Sea. Well, I bought and it showed up on the bus.

. I had a video that taught me Reel motion and Jig motion but there is lots on YouTube.
Lucky you to have someone to play with!!!, For me it's like doing a solo on bass drum and playing to CDs just isn't the same. Have fu with it!!!

Brow

pancelticpiper · 04-26-2012, 04:24 AM

One thing to be aware of, bodhran design has changed radically over the last 10 years or so. I still play the old-school drum in the old style, a shallow-rimmed 18" fixed-pitch drum with a thick goatskin head.

At some point the bodhran was radically redesigned. I don't know by whom, but in any case many/most of the top professional bodhran players nowadays are playing these neo-bodhrans.

They have a deep 16" rim with a tunable head. The skin is much thinner and there's a heavy solid brass tone ring inside like a Bluegrass banjo. The playing style is completely different and they use a different style of stick. I can't play these new drums at all, I don't have a clue.

Here is an excellent demonstration of the more traditional style of bodhran and how to play it. Don't worry about the language... the playing is good traditional Irish style playing, well demonstrated

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnfW0...F8EBAA983E0F35

Here's a video showing the new style of bodhran. It looks and sounds completely different, and is played a different way, as you can see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoUC99-Wvjs

bob864 · 04-26-2012, 07:58 AM

Eamon is awesome!

That newer style of play is generally called "top end". I guess it's cause you hold the top end of the stick. Or maybe cause you play mainly on the top end of the drum.

I took a week long class on bodhran a couple years ago and the teacher only showed top end sticking. He didn't even mention the other (old school) style.

What's neat for a drummer is that once you have the basics of holding the top end of the stick, you can play all your rudiments, translating left and right for up and down.

04-25-2012, 01:26 PM	#11
Brian Fry Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: canada Posts: 32	Re: The Bodhran Hi Doug, I have a non-tunable made by Michelle Stewart when she lived in Nova Scotia. I tuned it using a spray bottle of water. Really nice drum. I also purchased a tunable from your neck of the woods, made by Fred Halpin. Funny story when I talked with him on the phone he said he would take my credit card number and send it to me by bus? I did not feel real good about this deal until I asked him " who else has bought from you?" and then he asked me If I had heard of the kids in the band Great Big Sea. Well, I bought and it showed up on the bus. . I had a video that taught me Reel motion and Jig motion but there is lots on YouTube. Lucky you to have someone to play with!!!, For me it's like doing a solo on bass drum and playing to CDs just isn't the same. Have fu with it!!! Brow __________________ BROW

04-26-2012, 04:24 AM	#12
pancelticpiper Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: WV to the OC Posts: 7,096	Re: The Bodhran One thing to be aware of, bodhran design has changed radically over the last 10 years or so. I still play the old-school drum in the old style, a shallow-rimmed 18" fixed-pitch drum with a thick goatskin head. At some point the bodhran was radically redesigned. I don't know by whom, but in any case many/most of the top professional bodhran players nowadays are playing these neo-bodhrans. They have a deep 16" rim with a tunable head. The skin is much thinner and there's a heavy solid brass tone ring inside like a Bluegrass banjo. The playing style is completely different and they use a different style of stick. I can't play these new drums at all, I don't have a clue. Here is an excellent demonstration of the more traditional style of bodhran and how to play it. Don't worry about the language... the playing is good traditional Irish style playing, well demonstrated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnfW0...F8EBAA983E0F35 Here's a video showing the new style of bodhran. It looks and sounds completely different, and is played a different way, as you can see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoUC99-Wvjs __________________ "The rain falleth upon the just and unjust alike... except in California."

04-26-2012, 07:58 AM	#13
bob864 Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 7,107	Re: The Bodhran Eamon is awesome! That newer style of play is generally called "top end". I guess it's cause you hold the top end of the stick. Or maybe cause you play mainly on the top end of the drum. I took a week long class on bodhran a couple years ago and the teacher only showed top end sticking. He didn't even mention the other (old school) style. What's neat for a drummer is that once you have the basics of holding the top end of the stick, you can play all your rudiments, translating left and right for up and down. __________________