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The bodhrán (plural bodhráns or bodhráin) is an Irish frame drum ranging in
anywhere from 10" to 26" in diameter, with most drums measuring from 14" to
18". The sides of the drum are 3 1/2" to 8" deep. A goat skin head is tacked
to one side (although nowadays, synthetic heads, or new materials like
kangaroo skin, are sometimes used). The other side is open ended for one hand
to be placed against the inside of the drum head to control the pitch. One or
two crossbars may be inside the frame but this is increasingly rare on
professional instruments. The vast majority of professional modern bodhráin
integrate mechanical tuning systems similar to those used on drums found in
drum kits. Tool-less tuning invented by Rob Forkner of Metloef drums is now
becoming more widely available, a simple development with a big impact
Bodhrán Origin
The bodhrán is a frame drum similar to instruments distributed widely across
northern Africa from the Middle East, and has cognates in Arab music and
musical traditions of the
Mediterranean region.
Some claim that its name is derived from the Irish word bodhar,
meaning deaf, and that this indicates that it has been known on the island long
enough to have acquired the name. However, there are no known references to this
particular name for a drum prior to the 17th century, and the frame drum itself
was observed in Irish traditional music only in the 1960s, during which it was
popularized by bands such as
The
Chieftains and
The
Dubliners. Previously tambourines were used, and others have suggested this
is the origin of the word (from the abbreviation "'bourine").
Bodhrán Playing
The drum is usually played in a seated position, held vertically on the
player's thigh and supported by his or her upper body and arm (usually on the
left side, for a right-handed player), with the hand placed on the inside of the
skin where it is able to control the tension (and therefore the pitch) by
applying varying amounts of pressure and also the amount of surface area being
played, with the back of the hand against the crossbar, if present. The drum is
struck with the other arm (usually the right) and is played either with the bare
hand or with a lathe-turned piece of wood called a "tipper", "beater", or
"cipín". Brush-ended beaters are also used. There are numerous playing styles,
mostly named after the region of Ireland in which they originated. The most
common is Kerry style, which uses a two-headed tipper.
Another style which has gained in popularity is the so-called "top-end"
style, often played on a smaller (14-15 inch) and deeper (4-6 inch) drum with a
thinner resonant skin, prepared like the skin of a
Lambeg
drum. The tipper in this style is usually straight and most of the
expressive action is focused on the top end of the drum. Crossbars are most
often absent, allowing a more unrestricted access for the left hand to modify
the tone. This enables a more melodic approach to this rhythm instrument, with a
wide range of tones being employed. An influential proponent of this style is
John-Joe Kelly playing with the band:
Flook. This band
is renowned for their tight arrangements and expressive playing, where a top-end
bodhrán style adds significantly to the overall texture and dynamics. This
approach to playing, however, doesn't always fit in with the informal setting of
many Irish music sessions unless the player has a good ear for improvisation and
listens to what the tune needs. A good player of any style accompanies and
enhances the tune, rather than uses the tune as an opportunity to show off or go
through their repertoire of techniques.
Although most common in Ireland, the bodhrán has gained popularity throughout
the Celtic music world, especially in Scotland, Cape Breton, and Newfoundland.
In Cornwall, traditional music sometimes uses a version of the bodhrán called a
crowdy crawn.
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