Comments

Primitive Thumping :)

Primitive Thumping :)

I really enjoy listening to the older style of bodhran playing and older trad in general. Someone in a recent discussion called it 'primitive thumping'. here's a few links
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=EBwTNaGGPBE&feature=related

http://www.archive.org//details/TomMorrisonIndianontheRockTheJollyPloughboyTheFoxChase

Tom Morrison can also be heard playing flute with a Bodhran on the CD From Gallway to Dublin and of course there's the Chieftain's early stuff. It seems to me, a person of limited knowledge about Irish trad, that when included at all, on most modern recordings, the bodhran is barely audible. Are there any groups playing/recording in the older style of 'Primitive Thumping'?

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by shanty

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Guilty as charged of using the expression.
Actually I was definitely thinking more of an early clip of O'Riada's ensemble, where it had struck me more as inept than primitive. Primitive at least has the merits of being lively.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by Guernsey Pete

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

links don't work.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by Celtic Guitar

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBwTNaGGPBE&feature=related

Like that?

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by <>-_-_-<>

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

That's why you should avoid Clare for music.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bodhran bliss

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

I enjoy a good primitive thump every now and then. I'm no celibate.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

http://www.archive.org/details/TomMorrisonIndianontheRockTheJollyPlowboyTheFoxChase

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by Ramiro

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

http://www.bfs.org.uk/pan/historyoftheirishflute.pdf
Picture on second page.
Kerry "about 1842"

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by david_h

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

That is definitely a tambourine, you can see the jingles on the side.
I rest my case, I've been carrying it around for too long, time to sit down, ease the shoulder, and play a tune or too.
Irish bouzouki, anyone ?

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by Guernsey Pete

Re:How the bodhran lost its jingles

from: http://homepages.iol.ie/~ronolan/bodhran.html
"But it was to Davy Fallon, an elderly bodhran player and farmer from Castletown-Geogheghan in Co Westmeath, that Paddy Moloney turned to for the first Chieftains' album. Fallon was well into his seventies by then. He used an old-style goatskin bodhran with tambourine jingles around it and Paddy had to persuade him to tape up the jingles so only the drum could be heard."

Another chicken vs. egg debate: pre-1900, uilleann pipes were referred to as union pipes. So perhaps: pre O Riada this drum was called the tambourine; post O Riada it was called the bodhran.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by dr_funkenstein

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Brian Boru, died circa 1014, called it the bodran.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bodhran bliss

He told you himself ?

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bazouki dave

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

;-)

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bazouki dave

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Tam-bour-hine.
Bour-han.
Is a tambour-ine a small tambour, like a mando-line is a small mando ?
And do we have Paddy Maloney to blame, for tapping up the jingles ?
There's some dark secrets coming out here !

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by Guernsey Pete

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Maybe they should stay secret. Some things are not meant for mere mortal man . They lie in the realm of the unknkown. Danger there is within.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bazouki dave

Incidently in the film of the Clare session above I noticed the whistle player next to the bodhran player was wearing a hard hat ,presumably for health and saftey reasons

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bazouki dave

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

And to avoid the spelling mistakes ( I'm doing it two ).

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by Guernsey Pete

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

He told you himself ?

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bazouki dave


He did indeed. I was one of "Na Fili" the group that comprised of poets and musicians. I heard him say it many times.

I must confess that I did a runner when I saw the Viking Vikings approaching to kill him, as they fought past the Irish Vikings.

# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bodhran bliss

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Interesting and perhaps apt that bodhran is also the Irish word for a deaf person, or a dim-witted dullard!

# Posted on February 7th 2009 by Mac Donn

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

I thought that was modhran....

# Posted on February 7th 2009 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Show what a bodhran you are! ; )

# Posted on February 7th 2009 by Mac Donn

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Well spoken Mac Donn How appropriate you live in Bang cock

# Posted on February 7th 2009 by mcknowall

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Be cool -it was merely banter. But judging by your name I guess you already new that. I play a little bodhran myself actually -but then don't we all.

# Posted on February 7th 2009 by Mac Donn

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Interesting and perhaps apt that bodhran is also the Irish word for a deaf person, or a dim-witted dullard!

# Posted on February 7th 2009 by Mac Donn

Amadan.

# Posted on February 7th 2009 by bodhran bliss

Re: Primitive Thumping :)

Now , now mr. tambourine man you are beginning to get on my goat -you really ought to have used the vocative case there, that's why I send this note.

# Posted on February 8th 2009 by Mac Donn

Not a member yet? Sign up!

forgotten your password?

Frequently Asked Questions

Enter your email address to have your password sent to you.