hope i don't sound totally ignorant here but isn't a bodhran an untuned instrument? how under earth can you tune it?! (please let someone make me feel better and at least think the same!).
Hi Murrough,..... don't know if you will be checking back in on this topic....
This is Charlie C. I'm the one you and your dad just built the prototype of this drum for....! I am still awaiting it, and greatly looking forward to its arrival any day now.
Going into production eh? Could you please email me a price and scheduling details... If having one is good, having two is better, (as my bartender likes to say!) And I sort of want the # 1 released drum held back and played out less, rather than more....
if you were seriously wondering, Mary, bodhrans are infinitely tunable, thank goodness. More or less, the difference between a tourist souvenier (non-tunable) and a true celtic instrument. The skin preparations, which ultimately become the drum (bodhran) heads are the highest art form (please forgive my enthusiasm). Sort of what makes a Stratavrious, or a vintage Selmer alto sax, or a 1920's Martin guitar, or an Abell flute unique. Over time, it has come down to goat, I don't know why exactly, but it has... they have tried bovine leather, and kangaroo, and the entire variety of natural products that I will spare you the details of..., literally everything, but it is goat that works as a natural drum head. Goat has a totally "unique" elasticity as well as a structural integrity that is comparable to spider web. Anyway, long story made short, they (unfortunately) are subject to moisture absorption which means, in humid conditions, they saturate and become loose and flabby. Seamus O'Kane invented a tensioning system with an internal, opposing ring of wood that applies upward tension against the skin verses the fixed frame. This ability to tune gives the drum a proper drum stick rebound as well as a nice consistant, melodic pitch instead of a generic thud. His newest advance is in fact, a single point of tension, rack and pinion design similar to power steering on an automoble... True, in ancient times, the skins were typically dried out over an open flame and that substituted for an internal tuning system but the "key system" is a lot more precise and predictable. I hope you can accept this information as a layman's attempt to answer a legitimate question. I know there are many less than serious drummers out there,........ as well,.... think how many penny whistles have been sold verses the 1/10 of 1% who actually make it to session level playing ability.
That is true!, the same can be done with drumset. thanks for mentioning it Dow. Points (and performances) like that give a properly played bodhran much more credibility as an instrument, which is what we are asking for.
i have heard one great bodhran player. junior davey from sligo. he is amazing!! it was weird because you could actually hear notes coming from it. but you can tune them? never knew that at all! cheers irish ruff. great explanation!
Still think this Bodhran tuning topic is a load of old goats wallop.
Adjusting the tension to alter the tone, yes.
Are some of us confusing this with playing in key.
Had a good laugh at some of the posts here, but was equally impressed with other people's knowledge and enthusiasm, namely Charle C, who has a good insight to the matter, thanks Charlie. I have to admit that I was quite shocked with some of the other people's posts on this topic. No offense to anyone who has made a post on this discussion, but as I started it I feel the need to put a few things right in it. I don't consider myself to be a great musician by any stretch of the imagination and wouldn't consider myself any expert on bodhr
However, jokes on the Internet are hard, and if anyone took offense, I feel sorry. I really didn't mean to, I like bodhrans as much as any bodhran player. Really.
Wuh oh...look out now, because now there'll be the jokes meant to point out that everyone needs to relax a bit and take good natured teasing in stride! (Did this pre-empt the jokes?)
This this thread has "cooled off", but will no doubt, be accessed sometime in the future from archives.
I wanted to add the concluding note that I DID indeed receive the #1 Prototype of this drum (Seamus singed the drum, and sent me a nice letter and Document of Authenticity) . My point is not to boast although I am enormously proud - but I recognize that it was just a matter of good fortune as much as anything else. I just happened to have a conversation with him at the very time he was retiring from his career as Technology Instructor and he was ready to commit his well thought out new concept to an actual working model. I proposed the commission and happily, he accepted the offer.
For the record, Seamus O'Kane was the inventor of the tuneable bodhran, back in the 1970's. There was a slow acceptance of the tuneable design because it was believed to be against the historical tradition of frame drum. That narrow view has been debated and laid to rest. It is doubtful that you would find one professional player in one hundred who has not embraced the improvement. (Sort of like the automobile as an improvement over the horse and carriage).
We know too, that during this transition phase in the 70's, other makers caught wind of the plan and implemented their own tunable bodhran. Once they saw photo's of Seamus' drum, it was not very hard to do. In a bit of revisionist history, several of these makers have now, shockingly, claimed to be the actual inventor. While it certainly is not true, it does look good in writing on their website and probably has helped sell quite a few drums. There is nothing that is worth doing to challenge these individuals by name. It is way in the past, and the core group of older traditionalists know the true history and have the photo's and even the original drums and documents in their possession in Ireland. I know the names but it is not my liberty to release them in print. I do predict that this will all be published, authenticated and released at some point in the future.
So, that is the background. The point is that this new design is indeed brilliant! It does indicate a rare talent and unique mechanical genius, - and a true love of the bodhran and passion for its improvement. And I look at it in total awe. It works perfectly and beautifully.
And by the way, the drum sounds fantastic...!!! Seamus made it for me from the skin of a 1 year old buck to give it a harder, more Americanized toe. I shall have to make an MP3 some time.
MalDeDe, you seem to be suffering from selective reading disorder. You quoted part of Crannog's comment out of context. Here are the bits you seem to have ignored:
Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
Brand New Bodhr
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by Murrough
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
seems to me a high sophisticated engineering solution - what really troubles me,....
.... because I know all the O
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by crannog
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
The ultimate way to tune a bodhran, you just take your pen knife and...
...sorry, but I couldn't resist...
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by Pontus Adefjord
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
hope i don't sound totally ignorant here but isn't a bodhran an untuned instrument? how under earth can you tune it?! (please let someone make me feel better and at least think the same!).
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by marymccaffrey
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
Hi Murrough,..... don't know if you will be checking back in on this topic....
This is Charlie C. I'm the one you and your dad just built the prototype of this drum for....! I am still awaiting it, and greatly looking forward to its arrival any day now.
Going into production eh? Could you please email me a price and scheduling details... If having one is good, having two is better, (as my bartender likes to say!) And I sort of want the # 1 released drum held back and played out less, rather than more....
Best regards to you and Seamus.
dynapro101@aol.com
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by irish ruff
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
It's a piece of goatskin and wood! How on earth would you tune it?!
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by Pádraig
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
(smile)....
if you were seriously wondering, Mary, bodhrans are infinitely tunable, thank goodness. More or less, the difference between a tourist souvenier (non-tunable) and a true celtic instrument. The skin preparations, which ultimately become the drum (bodhran) heads are the highest art form (please forgive my enthusiasm). Sort of what makes a Stratavrious, or a vintage Selmer alto sax, or a 1920's Martin guitar, or an Abell flute unique. Over time, it has come down to goat, I don't know why exactly, but it has... they have tried bovine leather, and kangaroo, and the entire variety of natural products that I will spare you the details of..., literally everything, but it is goat that works as a natural drum head. Goat has a totally "unique" elasticity as well as a structural integrity that is comparable to spider web. Anyway, long story made short, they (unfortunately) are subject to moisture absorption which means, in humid conditions, they saturate and become loose and flabby. Seamus O'Kane invented a tensioning system with an internal, opposing ring of wood that applies upward tension against the skin verses the fixed frame. This ability to tune gives the drum a proper drum stick rebound as well as a nice consistant, melodic pitch instead of a generic thud. His newest advance is in fact, a single point of tension, rack and pinion design similar to power steering on an automoble... True, in ancient times, the skins were typically dried out over an open flame and that substituted for an internal tuning system but the "key system" is a lot more precise and predictable. I hope you can accept this information as a layman's attempt to answer a legitimate question. I know there are many less than serious drummers out there,........ as well,.... think how many penny whistles have been sold verses the 1/10 of 1% who actually make it to session level playing ability.
Regards,
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by irish ruff
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
A good bodhran player will be able to play a tune that you could actually recognise - I've heard this done before & it's amazing.
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by Dr. Dow
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
That is true!, the same can be done with drumset. thanks for mentioning it Dow. Points (and performances) like that give a properly played bodhran much more credibility as an instrument, which is what we are asking for.
# Posted on July 3rd 2003 by irish ruff
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
i have heard one great bodhran player. junior davey from sligo. he is amazing!! it was weird because you could actually hear notes coming from it. but you can tune them? never knew that at all! cheers irish ruff. great explanation!
# Posted on July 4th 2003 by marymccaffrey
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
Still think this Bodhran tuning topic is a load of old goats wallop.
Adjusting the tension to alter the tone, yes.
Are some of us confusing this with playing in key.
McMahon
# Posted on July 4th 2003 by McMahon
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
I like the double entendre' there McMahon...... Goats wallop, .... as in walloping a goat skin when you play the bodhran...... clever lad!
# Posted on July 5th 2003 by irish ruff
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
Had a good laugh at some of the posts here, but was equally impressed with other people's knowledge and enthusiasm, namely Charle C, who has a good insight to the matter, thanks Charlie. I have to admit that I was quite shocked with some of the other people's posts on this topic. No offense to anyone who has made a post on this discussion, but as I started it I feel the need to put a few things right in it. I don't consider myself to be a great musician by any stretch of the imagination and wouldn't consider myself any expert on bodhr
# Posted on July 5th 2003 by Murrough
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced! (big excuse)
After irish ruff's post on "not so nice people at sessions" (http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1848) I realized that I guess I owe you a big excuse. My little post about the pen knife in the beginning was meant as a joke, mostly because there was a discussions on that subject recently (http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1839).
However, jokes on the Internet are hard, and if anyone took offense, I feel sorry. I really didn't mean to, I like bodhrans as much as any bodhran player. Really.
Sorry guys.
# Posted on July 7th 2003 by Pontus Adefjord
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
Wuh oh...look out now, because now there'll be the jokes meant to point out that everyone needs to relax a bit and take good natured teasing in stride!
(Did this pre-empt the jokes?)
Zina
# Posted on July 8th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
This this thread has "cooled off", but will no doubt, be accessed sometime in the future from archives.
I wanted to add the concluding note that I DID indeed receive the #1 Prototype of this drum (Seamus singed the drum, and sent me a nice letter and Document of Authenticity) . My point is not to boast although I am enormously proud - but I recognize that it was just a matter of good fortune as much as anything else. I just happened to have a conversation with him at the very time he was retiring from his career as Technology Instructor and he was ready to commit his well thought out new concept to an actual working model. I proposed the commission and happily, he accepted the offer.
For the record, Seamus O'Kane was the inventor of the tuneable bodhran, back in the 1970's. There was a slow acceptance of the tuneable design because it was believed to be against the historical tradition of frame drum. That narrow view has been debated and laid to rest. It is doubtful that you would find one professional player in one hundred who has not embraced the improvement. (Sort of like the automobile as an improvement over the horse and carriage).
We know too, that during this transition phase in the 70's, other makers caught wind of the plan and implemented their own tunable bodhran. Once they saw photo's of Seamus' drum, it was not very hard to do. In a bit of revisionist history, several of these makers have now, shockingly, claimed to be the actual inventor. While it certainly is not true, it does look good in writing on their website and probably has helped sell quite a few drums. There is nothing that is worth doing to challenge these individuals by name. It is way in the past, and the core group of older traditionalists know the true history and have the photo's and even the original drums and documents in their possession in Ireland. I know the names but it is not my liberty to release them in print. I do predict that this will all be published, authenticated and released at some point in the future.
So, that is the background. The point is that this new design is indeed brilliant! It does indicate a rare talent and unique mechanical genius, - and a true love of the bodhran and passion for its improvement. And I look at it in total awe. It works perfectly and beautifully.
And by the way, the drum sounds fantastic...!!! Seamus made it for me from the skin of a 1 year old buck to give it a harder, more Americanized toe. I shall have to make an MP3 some time.
Charles C.
# Posted on July 12th 2003 by irish ruff
I love simple but good sounding stuff more than overengineered...
Murrough, sorry, somehow I missed your long answer
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by crannog
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
Hey Crannog, you don't seem to know much about bodhrans if you have problems with a Seamus O'Kane bodhran!
> so I think I am allowed to make some teasing remarks
They didn't seem teasing to me, and probably other readers, they seemed very rude.
# Posted on September 17th 2003 by malDeDe
Re: Brand New Bodhran Tuning System Announced!
MalDeDe, you seem to be suffering from selective reading disorder. You quoted part of Crannog's comment out of context. Here are the bits you seem to have ignored:
"Seamus O
# Posted on September 17th 2003 by Jeremy