So I did something potentially foolish and signed up for the Bodhran class at Swannanoa. This means I will probably end up buying one in the near future.
Since finding real bodhrans to try locally is pretty much impossible, does anybody have a recommendation for a tunable drum that I won;t outgrow within the year?
I was considering the REmO/Howard synthetic one. I'm a big fan of musical instuments that are impervious to climate changes.
I've never seen a tunable bodhran with Remo head, any way these drums don't too good and IHMO there no sense in buying one.
I can recommend to add few bucks, and look at these website www.metloef.com Rob makes one of the best bodhrans I've ever played. And I've played on few different kinds of bodhrans.
This is a large list of bodhran makers http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/bodhran/
makers.html
I would recommend Brenden White's 40 cm, mid size drum. My preference is double skin.
www.whistleanddrum.com has "basic" Hedschweck bodhrans. Do a search under Hedschweck, and you will get his European website in German.
There is a qualitative difference in tone between a decent wood and goatskin bodhran and a synthetic Remo. You would probably here this said by the teacher of your workshop. You might end up singling yourself out in class with the only Remo present.
JohnJ: when the bodhran isn't played like a pizza box, its a musical instrument (e.g. John Joe Kelly of Flook, Tommy Hayes, Johnny McDonagh, Donnchadh Gough of Danu)
Davy Stuart www.stuart.co.nz he made the bodhrans that Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and loads of others play. I'm a big planxty fan and in their concert you could really feel them. I think hes the best.
oh yeah and Phil Smillie from Tanahill Weavers plays these bodhrans.
I'm hopefully getting a new bouzouki made from the guy once i reach number one on his waiting list.
you should order one soon so you get one relativly soon. Its quite cheap too, he makes them from scartch so you could get some groovy custom thing or something
I play a bodhrán made by Albert Alfonso. He is a maker in Texas. His drums are a little more than $250. but they will last a long time if cared for. Rob Folkner another Texas maker also makes great bodhráns. His drums trade under the name Metloef. Both these makers can be found on the Internet.
Check out either of these discussion groups as there is a great deal of information about makers.
CC how could you leave me out? If you can get a good goatskin drum in the states, and that is where you live, do so. Albert Alfonso has been recommended before.
Personally I don't like tunable drums, Eamon Magttuire in Norn Ireland does excellent drums, probably within your budget even after he has charged for postage etc. He can be found somewhere on the internet.
Bliss: I thought about including your advice about the bodhran, but thought you would have no problem speaking for yourself. Why don't you mention the heating cabinet thing for tuning up your non tuneable, as I think this is why a non tuneable drum works for you. I was going to recommend Alfonso, but visited a website with bodhrans in excess of $400. Tommy Hayes and
Johnny McDonagh have recommended Alfonso. There seems to be better information here (thanks ejsant). I could also mention Seamus O'Kane, but I know he is out of the price range and on back order right now. The bodhran players in Flook and Teada have these drums.
Although Seamus O’Kane makes one of the finest bodhráns in the market, the last I heard he was not taking any orders for a while. Rob Forkner (forgive my misspelling in the last post) has added a Lambeg skinned bodhrán to his repertoire. Seamus O’Kane uses Lambeg skins. I played one of Rob’s and I would stack it up to an O’Kane any day, although it is beyond your price range. It will be my next if business ever picks up.
John Joe Kelly, I'm told, has been playing an Alfonso of late although I believe the O'Kane comes out from time to time. I haven't seen Flook in about a year. I don't know what Tristan Rosenstock is playing these days. I attended a workshop he gave a few years back and he was indeed playing an O'Kane.
Hello! Not a bodhran player (hence the name) but my husband is and I am the number cruncher for our family so I have to throw in my 2 cents (pun intended). He bought an okay bodhran for about $200- don't remember the maker, doesn't matter really- and played it happily for approximately 4 days until our friend Andy lent him his Alfonso bodhran and he realized what a piece of crap his own instrument was. So he bought an Alfonso bodhran about a month later. If we had it to do over, I would have skipped the $200 we flushed away on the "okay" drum.
You drummers are lucky because you can get an excellent instrument for $400 (Alfonso drum). As a fiddler, I can't hope to find an excellent instrument for ten times that amount. Go for the gold, my friend.
I checked out the maker's links at one of the boards. Halpin seems to be an inteesting maker, as does Brendan White. Anything I should know about either of them?
For tara-the-fiddler-and-now-patient-wife-listening-to-her-husband-practice-bodhran: you have my sympathy. You get immune after awhile.
For Brenden White Try: http://www.bodhran.nl/index.jsp?id=15
This is Brenden's website in the audio file section. The bodhran players here might want to check out some of the audio samples.
"Hag at the Churn" is Mary Bergin on Tinwhistle and Johnny McDonagh on bodhran back in the mid 70's. Its phenomenal bodhran. Bliss: give this track a listen. I don't think Animal the muppet drummer has anything over Johnny. Brenden was one of the first bodhran makers to utilize double and triple skins. There is a photo at his site of him standing on one of his smaller drums. His shop is in the Netherlands. I have been playing one for years and can recommend him. Best Wishes. (^:
I have never played a Halpin bodhrán. I have played a few made by Brendan White and they are fine drums. If you are in the States I would suggest a tuneable single skin bodhrán. I would also suggest you pose your question on either or both of the discussion boards I mentioned above. You will get a plethora of opinions.
Greetings Tara-the-Fiddler,
Thank you for your deference to the bodhrán, “…an excellent instrument…”.
Of course you can get a daycent fidil for that kind of money... it can't be anything like a 'real violin' like Ruggeiri, or Guadagnini, or blah blah blah, but if you like the sound, then that's all you have to look for. :P
Link to the most recent fiddle pickup discussion. http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/6223
You can try e-mailing some of the participants.
ejsant: yes - a bodhran needs to be skillfully played TO the music in a compatible manner TO the session. If you are starting into playing bodhran, its good to know what you are getting into. There are people with bad experiences of bodhran players ruining sessions by playing too loud or playing bodhrans like pizza boxes. Keep thinking about Flook, Teada, Danu, Chieftains, Arcady, Nomos and other ITM bands with excellent bodhran players. Best Wishes
Don't worry - I've been offered bodhrans in the past at a session and I was able to "just say no." It's a mental control thing. I'm good enough, I'm smart enough to refrain from inappropriate playing, and gosh darn it, people like me. For the time being anyway.
Sounds like a "Just Say No" Nancy Reagan thang. Watch out for Pierre pressure. He gets real pushy after a few drinks. Darth Vader to Luke: "take the tipper and feel the anger. Strike the bodhran and feeeeeel the dark side. It is your destiny" ( heavy asthma breathing).
No doubt that the bodhrán in inexperienced, or in some cases, the wrong hands can devastate a session or any other gathering for the purpose of playing music. I have been present when someone just back from Ireland shows up with a drum with a pint painted on it and starts whacking away. One quickly realizes the validity of the statement; “The best way to play a bodhrán is with a pen knife”.
That said, to me my role when playing the bodhrán is to simply create a platform on which the melody players can apply their craft. I tell those that I encounter that are starting out that all tunes have a rhythm and that rhythm is motion. It is our place to make the platform flow in a way that the motion of the melody player is always supported.
Greetings Tara-the-Fiddler,
Fiddle players are allowed a little snobbery. It is right there in the Traditional Irish Music Official Rule Book . I know I had to pass a test on the book before I was allowed into any Pub with my “Round Backpack”.
Greetings BB,
I have read and heard great things about Eamon Maguire’s bodhráns from players I have a great deal of respect for. I’ve yet to have the pleasure of playing one.
Greetings wormdiet,
The best and most personally rewarding sessions, performances, or other gatherings for the purpose of playing this fabulous music that I have experienced have been those where no one player puts their playing above the tune. I am sure you will do fine when you are ready to publicly beat the goat as it were.
If so many of these bodhrans are allegedly tuneable, why don't people play tunes on them?
Hmmm ......... Lambeg ........ now you'r talking - just the job for banging outside the Singers Session pub, seeing as singers seem to come in and bang them in Musicians Sessions.
curlew: a link to click on might help: http://www.lanchberybodhrans.co.uk/
Just thought it would be good to get a few of the bodhran maker links here for access.
Saw a tunable bodhran in a shop in Belfast today with a very good skin, selling for £100. Sounded good.
Now if the shop are selling it for £100, given the mark up price in instruments, it nearly rivals coffins, then you could probably get one from the maker for about £40. His/her name was McNeela bodhran maker.
alfonso! i second, triple, and whatever it. i am not a bodhran player, but i have met albert and seen many of his drums. they are good. and i would stretch your budget to get one.
maybe someday when you are really good, you might chose another drum, but then again you might chose another alfonso. as far as i know the difference between him and any other of the top makers is of preference, not of quality.
Hey all of you bodhran players, (that includes you Padre!)
From my point of view it doesn't matter if the drum is tuneable or not, if the rim is deep, medium or whatever... One can suck being equiped with the best bodhran there is...
Oh yeah... and stop blaming the mikes!
Did any of us learn on a top-of-the-range drum? I know I didn't. I've been playing for quite a few years, but feeling like I'm only just getting to grips with my O'Kane that I've had about 18 months. I learnt on a quite reasonable but not-in-the-same-league Marcus Music drum. I really don't know how I'd've got on as a beginner with something as sensitive as the O'Kane. $250 should get you something very reasonable.
Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
So I did something potentially foolish and signed up for the Bodhran class at Swannanoa. This means I will probably end up buying one in the near future.
Since finding real bodhrans to try locally is pretty much impossible, does anybody have a recommendation for a tunable drum that I won;t outgrow within the year?
I was considering the REmO/Howard synthetic one. I'm a big fan of musical instuments that are impervious to climate changes.
My price limit could be pushed to around $250.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by wormdiet
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
You could buy a real musical instrument for that price.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by John J.
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
I've never seen a tunable bodhran with Remo head, any way these drums don't too good and IHMO there no sense in buying one.
I can recommend to add few bucks, and look at these website www.metloef.com Rob makes one of the best bodhrans I've ever played. And I've played on few different kinds of bodhrans.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by padre
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
This is a large list of bodhran makers
http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/bodhran/
makers.html
I would recommend Brenden White's 40 cm, mid size drum. My preference is double skin.
www.whistleanddrum.com has "basic" Hedschweck bodhrans. Do a search under Hedschweck, and you will get his European website in German.
There is a qualitative difference in tone between a decent wood and goatskin bodhran and a synthetic Remo. You would probably here this said by the teacher of your workshop. You might end up singling yourself out in class with the only Remo present.
JohnJ: when the bodhran isn't played like a pizza box, its a musical instrument (e.g. John Joe Kelly of Flook, Tommy Hayes, Johnny McDonagh, Donnchadh Gough of Danu)
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Davy Stuart www.stuart.co.nz he made the bodhrans that Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and loads of others play. I'm a big planxty fan and in their concert you could really feel them. I think hes the best.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ecidralla
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
CC- that's exactly the info I was looking for. Thx.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by wormdiet
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
oh yeah and Phil Smillie from Tanahill Weavers plays these bodhrans.
I'm hopefully getting a new bouzouki made from the guy once i reach number one on his waiting list.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ecidralla
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
no probs man
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ecidralla
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
you should order one soon so you get one relativly soon. Its quite cheap too, he makes them from scartch so you could get some groovy custom thing or something
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ecidralla
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Greetings,
I play a bodhrán made by Albert Alfonso. He is a maker in Texas. His drums are a little more than $250. but they will last a long time if cared for. Rob Folkner another Texas maker also makes great bodhráns. His drums trade under the name Metloef. Both these makers can be found on the Internet.
Check out either of these discussion groups as there is a great deal of information about makers.
1) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bodhranii/
2) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebodhran/
In both cases the information is under the link section. Look in the left margin for the link.
Good luck in your search.
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ejsant
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
CC how could you leave me out? If you can get a good goatskin drum in the states, and that is where you live, do so. Albert Alfonso has been recommended before.
Personally I don't like tunable drums, Eamon Magttuire in Norn Ireland does excellent drums, probably within your budget even after he has charged for postage etc. He can be found somewhere on the internet.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Typing in small print is difficult. Try Eamon Maguire.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Bliss: I thought about including your advice about the bodhran, but thought you would have no problem speaking for yourself. Why don't you mention the heating cabinet thing for tuning up your non tuneable, as I think this is why a non tuneable drum works for you. I was going to recommend Alfonso, but visited a website with bodhrans in excess of $400. Tommy Hayes and
Johnny McDonagh have recommended Alfonso. There seems to be better information here (thanks ejsant). I could also mention Seamus O'Kane, but I know he is out of the price range and on back order right now. The bodhran players in Flook and Teada have these drums.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Try this link for Eamon Maguire:
http://www.leafpile.com/TravelLog/NorthIreland/Belfast/Eamon/Eamon.htm
There you go Bliss, I'm thinking about you in a considerate way. (^:
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Greetings,
Although Seamus O’Kane makes one of the finest bodhráns in the market, the last I heard he was not taking any orders for a while. Rob Forkner (forgive my misspelling in the last post) has added a Lambeg skinned bodhrán to his repertoire. Seamus O’Kane uses Lambeg skins. I played one of Rob’s and I would stack it up to an O’Kane any day, although it is beyond your price range. It will be my next if business ever picks up.
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ejsant
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
By the way CC,
John Joe Kelly, I'm told, has been playing an Alfonso of late although I believe the O'Kane comes out from time to time. I haven't seen Flook in about a year. I don't know what Tristan Rosenstock is playing these days. I attended a workshop he gave a few years back and he was indeed playing an O'Kane.
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ejsant
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Hello! Not a bodhran player (hence the name) but my husband is and I am the number cruncher for our family so I have to throw in my 2 cents (pun intended). He bought an okay bodhran for about $200- don't remember the maker, doesn't matter really- and played it happily for approximately 4 days until our friend Andy lent him his Alfonso bodhran and he realized what a piece of crap his own instrument was. So he bought an Alfonso bodhran about a month later. If we had it to do over, I would have skipped the $200 we flushed away on the "okay" drum.
You drummers are lucky because you can get an excellent instrument for $400 (Alfonso drum). As a fiddler, I can't hope to find an excellent instrument for ten times that amount. Go for the gold, my friend.
Take care,
Tara
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by FiddleMama
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
I checked out the maker's links at one of the boards. Halpin seems to be an inteesting maker, as does Brendan White. Anything I should know about either of them?
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by wormdiet
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
For tara-the-fiddler-and-now-patient-wife-listening-to-her-husband-practice-bodhran: you have my sympathy. You get immune after awhile.
For Brenden White Try:
http://www.bodhran.nl/index.jsp?id=15
This is Brenden's website in the audio file section. The bodhran players here might want to check out some of the audio samples.
"Hag at the Churn" is Mary Bergin on Tinwhistle and Johnny McDonagh on bodhran back in the mid 70's. Its phenomenal bodhran. Bliss: give this track a listen. I don't think Animal the muppet drummer has anything over Johnny. Brenden was one of the first bodhran makers to utilize double and triple skins. There is a photo at his site of him standing on one of his smaller drums. His shop is in the Netherlands. I have been playing one for years and can recommend him. Best Wishes. (^:
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Greetings Wormdiet,
I have never played a Halpin bodhrán. I have played a few made by Brendan White and they are fine drums. If you are in the States I would suggest a tuneable single skin bodhrán. I would also suggest you pose your question on either or both of the discussion boards I mentioned above. You will get a plethora of opinions.
Greetings Tara-the-Fiddler,
Thank you for your deference to the bodhrán, “…an excellent instrument…”.
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by ejsant
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Hey thanks for the welcome.
In other bodhran news, we are looking forward to seeing Flook when they come our way on May 3rd.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by FiddleMama
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Try this link to see Alfonsoron - Bodhrans Run Amuk. Alfonso has set up several of his bodhrans in a rock drum set. http://www.celticmusic.com/alfonso_bodhrans/runamok.html
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
CC, Animal may not, but Johnny has nothing over me, apart from being more relaxed.
A Maguire drum is as good as any. The last one I got was about £90, what's that, about $140, and you won't get better.
Mind you, if he has seen the prices others are charging, his drums are probably about $250 now.
# Posted on April 4th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Tara,
Of course you can get a daycent fidil for that kind of money... it can't be anything like a 'real violin' like Ruggeiri, or Guadagnini, or blah blah blah, but if you like the sound, then that's all you have to look for. :P
~A Phádraig ar an bhfidil
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Pádraig
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
You're right, Padraig. I was just being a snob.
Now...where can I get a decent fiddle pickup? Never mind...I will do a search. It has probably been well discussed already around these parts.
Thanks,
Tara
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by FiddleMama
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Ask.... The Harmon **thunderous roll of thunder** ....
:D
**raises his glass*
Here's to snobbery then!
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Pádraig
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Link to the most recent fiddle pickup discussion.
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/6223
You can try e-mailing some of the participants.
ejsant: yes - a bodhran needs to be skillfully played TO the music in a compatible manner TO the session. If you are starting into playing bodhran, its good to know what you are getting into. There are people with bad experiences of bodhran players ruining sessions by playing too loud or playing bodhrans like pizza boxes. Keep thinking about Flook, Teada, Danu, Chieftains, Arcady, Nomos and other ITM bands with excellent bodhran players. Best Wishes
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Don't worry - I've been offered bodhrans in the past at a session and I was able to "just say no." It's a mental control thing. I'm good enough, I'm smart enough to refrain from inappropriate playing, and gosh darn it, people like me. For the time being anyway.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by wormdiet
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Sounds like a "Just Say No" Nancy Reagan thang. Watch out for Pierre pressure. He gets real pushy after a few drinks. Darth Vader to Luke: "take the tipper and feel the anger. Strike the bodhran and feeeeeel the dark side. It is your destiny" ( heavy asthma breathing).
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Have a look at, www.lanchberybodhrans.co.uk it's a new site which is still under construction. There are more pictures to come, perhaps a sound bite.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by curlew
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Greetings CC,
. I know I had to pass a test on the book before I was allowed into any Pub with my “Round Backpack”.
No doubt that the bodhrán in inexperienced, or in some cases, the wrong hands can devastate a session or any other gathering for the purpose of playing music. I have been present when someone just back from Ireland shows up with a drum with a pint painted on it and starts whacking away. One quickly realizes the validity of the statement; “The best way to play a bodhrán is with a pen knife”.
That said, to me my role when playing the bodhrán is to simply create a platform on which the melody players can apply their craft. I tell those that I encounter that are starting out that all tunes have a rhythm and that rhythm is motion. It is our place to make the platform flow in a way that the motion of the melody player is always supported.
Greetings Tara-the-Fiddler,
Fiddle players are allowed a little snobbery. It is right there in the Traditional Irish Music Official Rule Book
Greetings BB,
I have read and heard great things about Eamon Maguire’s bodhráns from players I have a great deal of respect for. I’ve yet to have the pleasure of playing one.
Greetings wormdiet,
The best and most personally rewarding sessions, performances, or other gatherings for the purpose of playing this fabulous music that I have experienced have been those where no one player puts their playing above the tune. I am sure you will do fine when you are ready to publicly beat the goat as it were.
Peace to All,
Ed
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by ejsant
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
If so many of these bodhrans are allegedly tuneable, why don't people play tunes on them?
Hmmm ......... Lambeg ........ now you'r talking - just the job for banging outside the Singers Session pub, seeing as singers seem to come in and bang them in Musicians Sessions.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by geoffwright
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
curlew: a link to click on might help:
http://www.lanchberybodhrans.co.uk/
Just thought it would be good to get a few of the bodhran maker links here for access.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by CeolCairdeas
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Saw a tunable bodhran in a shop in Belfast today with a very good skin, selling for £100. Sounded good.
Now if the shop are selling it for £100, given the mark up price in instruments, it nearly rivals coffins, then you could probably get one from the maker for about £40. His/her name was McNeela bodhran maker.
# Posted on April 6th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
alfonso! i second, triple, and whatever it. i am not a bodhran player, but i have met albert and seen many of his drums. they are good. and i would stretch your budget to get one.
maybe someday when you are really good, you might chose another drum, but then again you might chose another alfonso. as far as i know the difference between him and any other of the top makers is of preference, not of quality.
# Posted on April 6th 2005 by daiv
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Hey all of you bodhran players, (that includes you Padre!)
From my point of view it doesn't matter if the drum is tuneable or not, if the rim is deep, medium or whatever... One can suck being equiped with the best bodhran there is...
Oh yeah... and stop blaming the mikes!
;)
Kuba
# Posted on April 7th 2005 by kuba
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
Hi Wormdiet (Wormdiet??!!)
Did any of us learn on a top-of-the-range drum? I know I didn't. I've been playing for quite a few years, but feeling like I'm only just getting to grips with my O'Kane that I've had about 18 months. I learnt on a quite reasonable but not-in-the-same-league Marcus Music drum. I really don't know how I'd've got on as a beginner with something as sensitive as the O'Kane. $250 should get you something very reasonable.
Good luck!
\())
# Posted on April 7th 2005 by greenman
Re: Question from the Dark Side: Bodhran Content
'Ceol Cairdeas', Thanks for that.
It did occur to me after I had posted, but was in a hurry and have been away for couple of days.
You saved me the bother.....................curlew.
# Posted on April 8th 2005 by curlew