The Irish Bodhran

     The Irish Bodhran is a frame drum that was essentially thought to be a cheap version of the tambourine.  This simple drum was primarily used festival and ceremonies before its revival in the 50's and 60's.  The most important of these festival was St. Stephens day where the player or Wren boys would play the Bodhran and penny whistle for the dance and entertainment and then go wren hunting in the hopes that there would be a good harvest the following year.  The drum itself is a simple one with only one head and up to two crossbars on the back for support. Traditionally the right hand plays the drum with an implement called a tipper while the last hand controls pitch and dampens the head for timbre control.


     The first example is a few pieces that exemplify the Bodhran and tin whistles role in playing traditional Irish jigs and reels.  Both instruments take a very minimalistic approach in order to accompany the dancers.




     This next player is a soloist who plays the drum on the opposite side of the spectrum from the last.  This video highlights a lot of the new age techniques that Bodhran players are utilizing and does a great job of showing off the role of the left hand.




     This next performer also plays a fairly modern solo but in a much more traditional style. The important thing to note is the differences in playing technique from the last soloist.




     This video does a great job of showing off the Bodhran in its current position in Irish Popular music.  This group takes a much more modernized approach to the traditional Irish folk tunes Using many "non-traditional" instruments in a traditional music style.  These usually include the piano, fiddle,  guitar, pipes and whistles.




This last video is mostly for comic relief.  These player put on a great performance and do a great job of utilizing the various styles and ranges of the instrument.  One performer even goes as far as playing a recognizable tune on his drum.