I finally bought an inexpensive bodhrán a couple of days ago! I am thoroughly enjoying learning how to play it, though it's weird havig to teach myself with 'The Bodhrán Book,' since no one in our area offers lessons. I like to think I've made a bit of progress in the last two days... 

What I'm wondering is, those of you who play - about how long did it take you get to a relatively good skill level? It looks like it's going to be a very fun path to something resembling talent

thelemming:

What I'm wondering is, those of you who play - about how long did it take you get to a relatively good skill level? It looks like it's going to be a very fun path to something resembling talent

Congrats!

Took me a few days to stop "scratching" the skin, and about a week to get a basic beat down. Took me a few months to work out a few new beats (by following along to songs) and a few other months to work out triplets!

If you practice and play a lot, the learning process is shorter, so play as much as you can!!

Steph

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Great Big Stuff!


"I'm still in diapers, actually." - Ron Hynes

"Any people from Newfoundland? Whaddya doin' here?! Taking all the jobs?! REVENGE!" - Ron Hynes

"You're like Bob with tits." - Candace

Here's a link to my webpage with the bodhran stuuf and a copy of it for immediate use.

When I attended the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s, Cape Breton, I absolutely loved my bodhran class. Michelle Stewart, A Cape Bretoner who has emigrated to Scotland, was my instructor. She is a wonderful drummer as well as teacher. She gave us a list of recommended CDs to play bodhran by.  Anne's Bodhran Page

Here they are:
Band and Album

Barra MacNeils Racket in the Attic....Timeframe....The Traditional Album
Donal Lunny Coolfin...Gael-linn (1987)
Colm Murphy An Bodhran
Tommy Hayes An Ras
Ray Gallen  Celtic Beat
Pure Bodhran Definitive Collection (double CD)
The Cottars Made in Cape Breton
Moving Hearts The Storm
The Battlefield Band Rain, Hail or Shine
Champions of Ireland ?
Danu Think Before You Think
Howie MacDonald Why2 Keilidh
Liam O’Flynn The Piper’s Call (Irish Pipes)

Other Recommended Bands:
Silly Wizard
Boys of the Lough
The Bothy Band
Altan
DeDannon
Stockton’s Wing
The Chieftains
Davy Spillane
Planxty

She also recommends
The Bodhran Book (& CD & video) by S. Hannigan
Celtic Beat Video and CD
Anything by Mance Grady
Anything by Colm Murphy (Michelle’s favorite)

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

And here's a little site I made with a bunch of tips and things to get you started.

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Great Big Stuff!


"I'm still in diapers, actually." - Ron Hynes

"Any people from Newfoundland? Whaddya doin' here?! Taking all the jobs?! REVENGE!" - Ron Hynes

"You're like Bob with tits." - Candace

Hi All,

I found a Copperman Bodhran on EBay this morning. Item number: 250143520997. If it's in good shape it's a pretty good deal. I paid over triple for mine. Of course we don't know how high the price will go.

Im still shopping. This weekend we went to celtfest in Almont which is just outside of Ottawa. It was great, I got to speak with a lot of venders and I didnt even know these places existed. I think I found the drum I want and Its 45$, which is great because the cheapest quote I was given before that was79. Its used but she said it was a great learners drum. I also got info on a few bodhran schools in the area.

I picked up a bodhran this past weekend.  It was an impulse buy while I was at the music store picking up new input jacks for my guitars.  I stumbled across this bodhran (it took me half an hour to 'stumble' across it.)  It's a pretty cheaply made one and non-tunable.  It's got a Guinness logo/ad on the skin.  I figured if I can't play it, I'll be able to hang it on my wall!  I didn't like the feel of the tippers they had there but my dad gave me a Cooperman one a couple of years ago that feels okay.

But with some help from Steph's site and remembering how my dad plays, I was able to get a couple of decent beats out of it, some triplets (watch out for flying tippers!) and even some 'playing with the skin.'  The wrist movement doesn't seem to be all that different from strumming the guitar hard and fast.  I may even be happy enough with it to do some recording on my four track to see how bad I am.

I'm going to have to hit up my dad for private lessons.  I haven't told him yet, I'm hoping to shock him the next time I'm at his place.  I'll pick up one of his bodhrans and start playing something!

Thanks for the site, Steph.  It was a great help to start out, all the basics you need to know.

I don't think I'll ever reach the levels I have on guitar or even mandolin but I'll give it a shot!

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But I know I'm going to do it again!
Oh Yeah!
Robbie

Hey, great news on the new bodhran! (we need to find a bodhran beating smiley) Congrats! How's it going? Taken out any tv's or light bulbs with the flying tipper yet. It does seem like in the beginning they have wings.

Cheers, Diane

Thanks for the link, Steph - I came in here to ask a question that's been pressing on my subconcious, but you may have answered it...

When I bought my drum (16" tunable) from Michael Vignoles about three weeks ago, he recommended treating it every (month? three months? I'll have to look at his 'instructional video' again) and he said that you can use regular women's hand cream and it does the trick.  But I haven't found anything suitable nuetral in the way of creams, and I'm not sure, because he's European, if creams and lotions across the pond are made differently or something and would be more suitable for such uses.  I'm squeamish about putting anything on it, but I sort of find myself worrying about it, too...

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~Squeezy~
I can wiggle my bum and I can slide on my tummy!
"Alan's true calling [is] to be a whacko percussionist... to hit things with mallets." ~ Sean McCann

squeezeboxsarah:

Thanks for the link, Steph - I came in here to ask a question that's been pressing on my subconcious, but you may have answered it...

When I bought my drum (16" tunable) from Michael Vignoles about three weeks ago, he recommended treating it every (month? three months? I'll have to look at his 'instructional video' again) and he said that you can use regular women's hand cream and it does the trick.  But I haven't found anything suitable nuetral in the way of creams, and I'm not sure, because he's European, if creams and lotions across the pond are made differently or something and would be more suitable for such uses.  I'm squeamish about putting anything on it, but I sort of find myself worrying about it, too...

Some manufacturers (Cooperman, for example) suggested that if the drum sounds good, don't mess with it! Even if it's been a while.

But if the drum starts sounding tinny (Vignoles are superb bodhrans, BTW! Lucky you!) and that you can't even fix it with a stroke of water? I suggest a cream that's lanolin based, but some people suggest different. I used t use Waltons bodhran cream, I think (Amazing smell. *LOL*), but I quickly ran out - So, I started using Udderly Smooth, which was first developed for use on cow udders! It's got lots of lanolin in it, and will leave the drum in great form! It's around 6$ for a tube... not cheap, but it lasts!!

Steph

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Great Big Stuff!


"I'm still in diapers, actually." - Ron Hynes

"Any people from Newfoundland? Whaddya doin' here?! Taking all the jobs?! REVENGE!" - Ron Hynes

"You're like Bob with tits." - Candace

I do believe I've heard of Udderly Smooth, and I could probably find some around here.  So you'd consider it just something to use when things start to sound funny?  Or would I use it evey few months regularly and still use water for a quick fix? (when Kevin gave me his Waltons last April, he included in the lovely package a small squirt bottle he refered to as "the tuning mechanism"!).

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~Squeezy~
I can wiggle my bum and I can slide on my tummy!
"Alan's true calling [is] to be a whacko percussionist... to hit things with mallets." ~ Sean McCann

I do use water as a quick fix. I've played venues that were so friggen' dry that I needed to soak the bloody thing every ten minutes!

I suggest only treating it when it sounds funny. Otherwise, the drum can get oversaturated by the product and sound a little dull. But it's up to you! Some drums react differently!

I got mine signed by Ron Hynes, so no water will be touching the inner part!

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Great Big Stuff!


"I'm still in diapers, actually." - Ron Hynes

"Any people from Newfoundland? Whaddya doin' here?! Taking all the jobs?! REVENGE!" - Ron Hynes

"You're like Bob with tits." - Candace

I just wanted to share my excitement!  I got my first bodhrán this past weekend!  I had just spend the entire weekend walking around the grounds of the PA Renaissance Faire (to which I am also a newbie), and wandered into a vendor right at the end of the day, selling bodhráns...  my eyes settled on an 18" (3.5" deep) tunable on the inside, dark wood...  after a thorough inspection, I couldn't put it down and walk away...  impulse buy.  no clue what the brand/maker is, though...  suppose I can ask the vendor next time I'm at faire.

 I'm a traditional drummer, and feel like I'm back in grade school learning the drums all over again!  haha... bet my parents are thrilled....  (yes, I am one of those recovering-from-college-debt and living-at-home-with-the-parents kids...  needless to say, my mom was not very happy when I walked in the door with a drum that cost a pretty penny...  lol)
 

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~Kelly~

squeezeboxsarah:

When I bought my drum (16" tunable) from Michael Vignoles about three weeks ago, he recommended treating it every (month? three months? I'll have to look at his 'instructional video' again) and he said that you can use regular women's hand cream and it does the trick.  But I haven't found anything suitable nuetral in the way of creams, and I'm not sure, because he's European, if creams and lotions across the pond are made differently or something and would be more suitable for such uses.  I'm squeamish about putting anything on it, but I sort of find myself worrying about it, too...

 

There's a substance called Anhydrous Lanolin that's been recommended on some of the bodhran forums I used to be on.   It's like an ointment, but it's VERY neutral as far as scent or additives go (It has none of either, I believe).  A small tube of it costs only a couple of dollars at just about any pharmacy (I bought mine at Wal-Mart) and should last you quite a while.  You will need a bit of elbow grease to rub in in, though, because the stuff is THICK!!

 

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I've been checking - Wal-Mart doesn't carry it anymore, but the pharmicists I talked to said they know it exists.  I checked at the drug store in the town next door (because we're too small to have a drug store) and at Rite-Aid, and neither of them had it, either.  I did find Udderly Smooth, but the smell sort of put me off - I ddn't find anything that was really unscented.

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~Squeezy~
I can wiggle my bum and I can slide on my tummy!
"Alan's true calling [is] to be a whacko percussionist... to hit things with mallets." ~ Sean McCann