The bodhràn is a well-known instrument in traditional Irish music circles. In pubs, on the street or in concert, this Irish instrument makes all lovers of great music dance and sing to the sound of typically Irish percussion and rhythms. A short presentation of this astonishing and unusual instrument, its playing technique and cost…
A bodhràn – © WavebreakmediaMicro
The bodhràn is a kind of Irish drum made of goatskin stretched over a circular wooden frame. The tension of the skin is then regulated by a system of keys, so that the musician can play the bodhràn whatever the weather. (Goatskin is particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, and can stretch a lot on a rainy day).
The diameter of a bodhràn can vary from one instrument to another, ranging from 20 to 60 cm. The membrane stretched over the frame is usually made of real skin, or synthetic for less expensive instruments.
Most of these also feature a system enabling the bodhràner to hold the instrument without too much discomfort. (This is located on the other side of the canvas, and takes the form of a wooden cross fixed on either side of the frame).
As far as the playing itself is concerned, the instrument is played with a sticker, a sort of long carved wooden stick which, when struck against the goatskin, gives that distinctive muffled sound.
Playing techniques vary according to the musician and the music, but most often, the sticker is held in the middle and swings against the bodhràn skin, striking the drum at either end of the sticker.
There are also many different types of stickers, some made of wood, others of rubber… And don’t forget the rods, a kind of stick tapered into flexible strips that give a completely different effect. The hand not holding the instrument does not remain inactive, however, and is content to act on the sound produced, by placing or not placing the fingers on the other side of the goatskin, with the aim of muffling or not muffling the sound.
There are really 2 types of bodhràns: traditional ones, handmade by reputed luthiers, and industrial bodhràns, mass-produced in factories, which are more cost-effective.
A bodhràn specialist at Roundstone Music and Crafts – © Chris Hill Photographic 2011
This solution is aimed at musicians who already have a good level of proficiency and, above all, a good budget. The traditional bodhràn is most often characterized by a hand-made frame and genuine goatskin, tanned by the luthier himself.
The key fastening system is therefore an essential element, unlike industrial bodhràns, most of which are not designed with this tensioning system. For any good player, the key system is an essential point, not to be neglected.
Another advantage: the luthier who makes you a bodhràn will be at your disposal to create a custom instrument to suit your needs. He may even offer to personalize it for you by decorating the skin with a Celtic interlace motif (why not your initials?).
Prices range from €100 to €600 for quality bodhràns. What’s more, most of the luthiers who know how to make this instrument are based in Ireland. We therefore recommend that you contact them by telephone, then pick up your precious item on the spot: a great excuse to spend a few days in Ireland!
The most famous of these is based at Roundstone in Connemara. He’s Malachy, an Irish owl with a passion for musical craftsmanship. His shop is called“Roundstone Music and Crafts“, and produces some of the finest instruments in the country!
No surprise here: don’t expect to pay more than €80. Far less sophisticated than a handcrafted instrument, the industrial bodhràn consists of a synthetic skin, painted and decorated with interlacing, with no key system.
The skin is fragile, lacks a clamping key system and remains extremely sensitive to ambient temperature, and will be very taut in dry weather, as well as particularly dilated in wet and humid weather.
In any case, this is the ideal way to try your hand at bodhràn: you’ll learn more about the instrument, try your hand at Irish rhythms, and discover the fabulous world of traditional Irish music. And if the final instrument seems too complex, you can always hang it on one of your walls for decoration!
It’s fairly easy to find bodhràns of this type in Ireland (visit a few music stores and you’ll find them). The most famous brand is Waltons, which makes fairly well-made musical instruments.
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