The Bodhrán Drum

The bodhrán (pronounced boweron) is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm (10" to 26") in diameter, with most measuring 35 to 45 cm (14" to 18"). The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm (3½" to 8") deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side. Synthetic heads, or other animal skins are sometimes used. The other side is open ended for one hand to be placed against the inside of the drum head to control the pitch and timbre. One or two crossbars, sometimes removable, may be inside the frame, but this is increasingly rare on modern instruments.

Some professional modern bodhráns integrate mechanical tuning systems similar to those used on drums found in drum kits. It is usually with an allen wrench that the bodhrán skins are tightened or loosened depending on the atmospheric conditions.

There is evidence that during the Irish rebellion of 1603 (Tyrone's rebellion) the bodhrán was used by the Irish forces as a battle drum, or that the drum provided a cadence for the pipers and warriors to keep to, as well as to announce the arrival of the army. This leads some to think that the bodhrán was derived from an old Celtic war drum. Seán Ó Riada declared the bodhrán to be the native drum of the Celts, with a musical history that pre-dated Christianity.

The second wave roots revival of Irish traditional music in the 1960s and '70s brought virtuoso bodhrán playing to the forefront, when it was further popularized by bands such as Ceoltóirí Chualann and The Chieftains

Growing interest led to internationally available LP recordings, at which time the bodhrán became a globally recognized instrument. In the 1970s, virtuoso players further developed playing techniques.

The drum is usually played in a seated position, held vertically on the player's thigh and supported by his or her upper body and arm (usually on the left side, for a right-handed player), with the hand placed on the inside of the skin where it is able to control the tension (and therefore the pitch and timbre) by applying varying amounts of pressure and also the amount of surface area being played, with the back of the hand against the crossbar, if present. The drum is struck with the other arm (usually the right) and is played either with the bare hand or with a lathe-turned piece of wood called a tipper, (also known by other names). Tippers were originally fashioned from a double-ended knuckle bone, but are now commonly made from ash, holly or hickory. There are numerous playing styles, mostly named after the region of Ireland in which they originated. The most common is Kerry style, which uses a two-headed tipper; the West Limerick style uses only one end of the tipper.

The World Bodhrán Championships are held in Milltown, Co. Kerry, each year.

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