NOTATION There are almost as many notations for recording Bodhrán drumming as there are drummers drumming. The core of the problem is that because there are so many variations in tone and pitch and hand placements that it is impossible to truly record Bodhrán playing, and no one would use it even if you could. Bodhrán playing is much too intuitive for that. However, in learning situations they are very useful. Here are two simple ones the will get you on your way. LETTER NOTATION. d = a normal downstroke u = a normal upstroke (so a straight drone would be recorded as dududududududu) D = an accented downstroke U = an accented upstroke • = a missed beat (ghost note) ddu = a triplet So a reel would be DuduDudu when accenting every fourth note, or DudududuDudududu when accenting every eight note And the simple jig, with accents on the third and sixth notes would be DudUduDudUdu. PHONETIC NOTATION. All forms of drumming have a phonetic element which is used when learning to play. This device is merely putting the rhythm into vocal sounds in whatever way seems appropriate. Simplest version. For beginner-beginners the bodhrán tradition seems to be ‘Salt and pepper’ for the reel and ‘Pineapple Apricot for the jig. Beating on each syllable and accenting on the capital letters. However, this simple technique, though initially useful, is insufficient for more complicated rhythms. A fuller version. Here, childlike words or sounds are used to represent the rhythms Dabber,dabber, for a reel, and Diddley,Diddley, for a jig and Dip and Dap for accents. Before long whole conversations are made up of Badda,dooda; ZaggerHa, ZaggerHa; and TaTakka Jona. The disadvantage of this system is that it doesn't tell you where the up and down strokes or the accents are, but once you know then it becomes a shorthand for all kinds of rhythms Here are a few that I use, but you can make up your own. All it needs to be is some sort of sound that signals the type of rhythm to be played. Dabber,dip,Dap Dap, which extends into the march rhythm Dabber,dip,Dap Dap,Dabber,dip,Dap Dap,Dabber,dip,Dabber,dip,Dabber,dip,Dap Dap, In letter notation this would be Dud•D•D,•Dud•D•D,Dud•Dud,•Dud•D•D. Inserting a triplet to give it some real fire would be written like this, Ddud•D•D,•Ddud•D•D,Ddud•Ddud,•Ddud•D•D. Jig rhythms would look like this:- Diddley,Diddley,Diddley,Diddley, in phonetics and DudUduDudUdu. in letter notation. Now try this jig. Dap•daDiddley,Dap•daDiddley, which extends into a full jig as Dap•daDiddley,Dap•daDiddley,Dap•daDiddley,diddley,diddley,Dum In letter notation this reads as D•dUdu,D•dUdu,D•dUdu,dudU. There are many other notations that use arrows and zig-zag lines, and if you find these easier, then use the ones you feel comfortable with. (See musical rhythms).