If you love Irish music and dance, like I do, this is the blog for you. I’ve been involved in both for the last decade or more. I started playing bodhran in 1998 and have taught several students over the last few years.

As for dance, I don’t participate in step dance any more but I do love to dance with the local Irish Set dancers every week.

I don’t know much about other drumming techniques and traditions and hope that some of you will comment and educate me.

www.rhythmnshoes.com

This is a good basic bodhran lesson from October Browne. Playing the bodhran well takes practice just like any other musical instrument.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie “The Boys and Girl From County Clare” is when John Joe meets the American hippies in the pub and they proudly tell him, “We play the badrahn.” His response is, “Oh and I bet you know all the chunes.”  

As a musical instrument it is both revered and cursed. The former by non-musical people who want to participate and the later by most “real” musicians. I once heard a story about an American who bought a drum while on a trip to Ireland. He took it to the pub that night, certain he’d be invited to sit in at the session. He told one of the regular players that he didn’t really know how to play the thing and asked for some pointers. The Irishman said, “Sure, I’ll show you the best way to play a bodhran.” He took the drum from the tourist and promptly threw it out the window.

If you want to play the bodhran, learn how to say it, learn how to play it and know that in the heirarchy of an Irish music session your instrument will be at the bottom of the pile. Some rules for playing in a session are:

1. The melody players generally only want 1(one) bodhran playing at a time.
2. If there is another drummer present, trade off. Don’t be a tune hog.
3. Don’t try to play on polkas or slip jigs unless you really know what you’re doing.
4. If you don’t know the difference between a polka and reel, jig and slip jig, don’t play at all.

It’s perfectly acceptable to show up and not even take the bodhran out of the case (and you should have a case). If you sit there and listen for a little while first, chances are that one of the melody players will invite you to sit in. If not, have a pint, sit back and just enjoy the music.

www.rhythmnshoes.com

This is a video of the Spa Set Dancers at a 2008 competition. The dancing is phenomenal. You can tell they all were or are step dancers as well. Anyway, it’s great stuff. Enjoy!

Karen

www.rhythmnshoes.com

If you love Irish music and dance as much as I do, this is the blog for you. I’ve been involved in both for the last decade or so. I started playing bodhran in 1998 and have taught several students in the last few years.

I don’t participate in Step Dance anymore, but every week you’ll find me dancing with the local Irish Set Dance group.

Don’t know much about other drumming techniques and traditions, but I’m hoping some of you will comment and educate me.

This blog thing is kind of new to me, so check back often to see of I’ve added any new stuff.