The bodhran is one of a family of frame-style drums whose branches can be found in cultures all over the world, from America to China, Russia and Spain. It is wrist flexibility that gives the music both power and subtlety.Ĭave art from thousands of years ago shows musicians playing this type of drum. The player's grip should be firm but not tight. The tipper is held like a pen, below the centre.
The player can alter the timbre and pitch by pressing the skin of the drum. The player holds the drum by the crossbars, usually with the edge resting on the forearm for support. The small bodhran's skin is worn and translucent, showing that it has been well used. The design is thought to reflect the continuity of life and a spiritual journey. Also, it is plain while the smaller bodhran is painted with a colourful line that forms a distinctive Celtic pattern. The main difference between the large and small bodhran is the pitch - the larger bodhran gives a deeper, louder sound. The small bodhran's frame is light, pale wood while the large bodhran's is heavier, dark wood. The tipper is shaped with a narrow centre and round ends.
In Ireland it is played with a short double-ended stick known as a beater or tipper. This ancient drum has a single-headed wooded frame and one side covered in goatskin. Bodhran, pronounced 'bow-rawn', comes from the Irish word bodhar that means haunting or dull-sounding, and that tells you something of how the drum sounds.