Hi people,
There are several players who come to mind who use a
Tipper free style. This is another version I has because my wrist does not let me do the Christy Moore thing! This is a style played by
John Skelton , Mark Hellenburg and oh...... Me!
This is great for working with singers, skin on skin works beautifully.
The idea is to use what is in effect a modified Pandero technique , though the style of playing is a parallel development historically .
The basic idea is based around the double stick style
1. Make your hand into a basic handshake shape with the thumb up. Keep your fingers at a 90 degree angle to your thumb and hold them together.
2. The action is to pivot the hand around your index finger, from palm down up to palm up.
To try this, hold your index finger with your other finger and thumb. Now rotate your wrist around your index finger and see how that feels.
To apply this to the Bodhran, Hold out your striking hand half way between across your chest and straight out in front of you i.e. at 45 degrees. Bring the drum across the front of your chest, towards your hand which is in the thumb up position. Remember to keep your wrist straight, so that there is a straight line from your index finger to to your elbow. This makes it more comfortable to play.
3. The Downstroke.
Start with your palm up, and move your hand , pivoting it as indicated. Let the outside edge of the top joint of thumb strike the skin on the way down. Continue moving your hand from palm up to palm down , so that your palm is facing the floor. This is the downstroke .
4. The Upstroke .
Your hand then moves back from palm down to palm up pivoting along the index finger.
Keeping the thumb out of the way, use the first joints of your middle, ring and little fingers to strike the drumskin on the way up, in a slapping motion, cuff round the ear style! Keep moving so that your hand now faces palm upward.
This is 1 downstroke and one upstroke.
You can also do a variation on the upstroke by striking the skin with the fingertips and letting them rest on the skin. This makes a dull thud.
You can get triplets by catching the top of your thumb on the skin on the way up.
Think of the thumb as the downstroke and the fingers as the upstroke.
Hope this helps .
Steafan
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