BODHRÁN PLAYING 1. THE BASIC NOTES The Bodhrán is the most versatile of all drums. Even the talking drum of Africa can produce only a fraction of the range of notes capable with a Bodhrán. This is because that whilst the Bodhrán is struck with only one hand, it is not the beating hand which plays the drum, but the skin hand (the hand inside the drum). To follow then is a description of the different ways the Bodhrán skin can be attenuated to create thousands of different notes and beats. These attenuations are the basis of all Bodhrán drumming, whether used as an accompaniment to Irish music, drum storytelling or meditation and shamanic work. THE DRONE The rhythmic sounding of the drum without accents or other modification. It is achieved by striking the drum in regular alternate up and down strokes using the Kerry style grip. This is the basis of the trance rhythm used by shamen to enter the spirit world. Also used as a basic meditation rhythm when adapted with the ‘wind’ movements THE ACCENT In order to be used for dancing, solo pieces, meditative and shamanic, or even as a war drum, the drone note has to be amended to pick out certain beats. These picked out beats are called accents. Accents are produced in three ways, hitting the drum harder with the beater for selected notes, opening out the drum skin by moving the drum hand (the skin hand), or more subtly by hitting different parts of the drum. PACE Rhythms or parts of rhythms can be played at different speeds as required. VOLUME Playing the same notes but more loudly or more softly adds a whole range of subtleties to the drummers repertoire. DRUM SHAPING The position of the non playing hand (skin hand) on the back of the drum alters the sound by changing the size of the drum being played. The edge of the hand placed one third the way up the drum creates two drums, one comprising the upper two thirds and the second comprising the lower third. These two ‘drums’ will give different sounds when striking above and below the hand. At the extreme a drum can be created which is only a centimetre across or by removing the hand altogether the full open drum is utilised. This process is called DRUM SHAPING. THE TONE CHANGE The skin of the Bodhrán is flexible and can be pushed by the skin hand to give different notes. The harder the push the higher the note. The push can be achieved in two ways, either by compressing the drum arm against the chest or more commonly by arching the knuckles of the drum hand against the bar whilst keeping the ball of the thumb and the fingertips still pressed against the drum. The ‘wind’ movement is achieved by adding tone changes to the drone rhythm. THE SKIP-BEAT Not all the beats in the up-down movement need to be played. In folk dance rhythms this indicates to the dancer where they skip or hop to the beat. Many military rhythms use this as a way of regularising marches. Coupled with the accent, the skip beat forms the core of 90% of all Bodhrán drumming. THE TRIPLET Not only is the Bodhrán struck on both the down and the up beat it is also possible to strike the drum with both ends of the beater successively. Although it is possible to strike the drum with the upper end of the beater between each up-down beat this creates an unnatural movement so the beater strikes twice on the down beat and once on the up beat. This is why it is called a triplet. With the introduction of this variation the Bodhrán becomes the fastest drum in the world and is part of its definitive sound. PULSE The pulse is a variant of the accent but acting as an under beat to the piece being played rather than a specifically accented note. Pulse and accent are combined to create a full rhythm section to a piece. GHOST NOTES In order to maintain exact metre, a drummer will play imaginary notes where pauses occur. In simple skip beats the drummer will still play the missing note but avoids striking the drum as he does so. In longer pauses the beater marks time whilst waiting for the next section. In complicated pieces it is impossible to keep the rhythm going without ghost notes. THE SLIDE By placing the heel of the hand somewhere near the centre of the drum and applying a little pressure, a high note can be produced. By sliding the skin hand down the drum and releasing a little of the pressure proportionately, a steady, decreasing note can be created. This is called a slide, and is one of those little tricks used by professional drummers to add interest to a piece, usually as a link between two sections. THE RIM SHOT Sometimes very dramatic accents are required. These are achieved by striking the rim or side of the drum instead of the drum itself. BEATER CHANGES All of the above movements can be repeated using different beaters, and in so doing a limitless range of sounds can be achieved.
				Child's-play