Just whilst I'm generating discussions... :)

The subject of multiple bodhrans is one that crops up now and again and is certainly an issue at sessions, I thought it might be useful for me to share some of my thoughts and invite comments or for you to share your approach.

Despite contrary claims, multiple bodhrans can work in close proximity. We all get great mileage from the Carini 7 'wall of bodhrans' moments but it's not really desirable in terms of a standard session. Unless you have great players with great ears it's often just a really loud corner, at worst it's indistinct, messy and distracting and does nothing to improve the reputation we have been given.

So how do we lessen the impact? The obvious first step is to split the bodhrans up as evenly throughout the circle as possible. This means that each player is heard and that the combination effect is dissipated. This works even around a standard pub table - bodhran players should face each other.

One thing that I use when playing with more than one bodhran, is for one player to follow the rhythm of the melody and the other to follow the rhythm of the guitar/banjo or whatever is forming the
rhythm/melody bridge. Rhose two patterns will compliment each other rhythmically but will syncopate sufficiently to provide interesting bodhran interactions.

You can also divide timbrally, with a top end player and a hot rod player playing different but complimentary parts - Paul Phillips and I used to trade off like this in sessions and in our private play, a P2 signature approach almost.

In fact The Tank Commander track written for Paul and included in the New Year sessions is a good example of this kind of bodhran ensemble. We were all aware of each other's patterns & sounds and found a relevant space in that to explore with our own playing.

In that track Amy Richter is basically following the melody (left speaker), I'm following the Guitar (Right Speaker) and Rob Forkner is keeping a big fat sub under it all (Centre). You can hear a snippet among the audio samples on the Scholarship site. I've just finished a much better mix and the drums work really really well.

In another track we mix Stenson's Reel with a latin tumbao, martillo, bass bodhran and basic cascara pattern (on a pizza box!)

It is useful to look at bands you like who have both a drummer and a percussionist or multiple percussionists and to see how they interact rhythmically, there are many examples. Note that they rarely play in unison.

Ensemble play will be an increasing phenomenon as players start to deeply investigate the pseudo-melodic aspect of the drum as well as the enormous timbral and pitch range of the instrument. It is to be a category in the World Bodhran Championships 2008 IIRC.

These are my first thoughts on this, I could write forever, but you get the idea. Your thoughts are welcomed on multiple drums and how you deal with it in your sessions and performances. Any cool tips and rhythms with parts for multiple drummers are welcomed.

P

Paul,

Last summer, in a Bodhran II class at the Swannanoa Gathering the instructor had us go through 3 related exercises.

First she had us lilt in the bodhranista dialect, kind of beat, bap, bop, skiddery, deat, dop, click, etc. We practices enough only to get the hang of it.

Second she had us pair off and have conversations in the dialect with each other face to face. We rotated to a new partner ever 3-4 minutes This gave us a chance to try to communicate. By default it connected you with your partners rhythms and style and courtesy brought out the complementary rhythms in our own lilt. It openned us up to different ways to communicate.

Finally she had a wonderfull fiddle player, Claudine "Beanie" Odell, sit in with us an lay down a very solid reel. This time we did with our bodhran's what we had previously done with the lilts. She indicated that in any passionate discussion speakers often were speaking at the same time, completing each other's sentence, or underscoring shared moments in unison. "Think of two vehement sports fans discussing their favorites team's winning the championship". That type of enthusiam was the goal. Again we rotated partners, so that everyone had a 2-3 minutes to play with everyone else.

It was great fun and produced some spectacular grooves.

This was not Dueling Bodhrans, although I know coversations with some players could tend that way. It was more the mixture of a duet.

I'm looking forward to trying this exercise at a session. Most of the sessions have tunes or sets where we have duets, trios, or other small group play tunes. It would be kind of cool to have the folks listen to what a bodhran duet with fiddle accompanyment might be able to produce.

Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh.

Hi Lee,

Great ideas, I think that more teachers should look at issues of having multiple players - it's very different for melody players who play absolutely in unison, I suppose it's part of that 'session sound' but as drummers it's pretty much impossible to find two who play the same and whose instruments sound the same.

To my mind it is about developing strategies as a 'rhythm section'. My background in bands makes me think of a drummer, bass player and percussionist. Those three instruments do not play in unison, they play patterns that share a common ground but each has its own particular role to play in supporting and complimenting each other and the music. There is usually no bass in a session and therefore the only instruments at that frequency levels are the drums. A well-played bodhran will absolutely fill that role. At least that's where I find myself graviting in a session. I'm rarely top-popping, more finding the 'pocket' and grooving.

A very general rule of thumb is that thinking 'rhythm section' rather than individual and discrete contributions tends to work well.

P

First of all introductions. I've been playing for about 23-24 years and live in Nova Scotia [Canada]I'm primarily a conga/bongo player who works mostly on Cuban style music. As such the one bodhran (and an infinate amount of fiddles)rule always puzzled and somewhat annoyed me. In Cuban and many other styles the drums interwine. The veiwpoints expressed above are refreshing. I basically do the same. If there is top style player playing (I'm a Kerry style guy)I keep it basic/bassy and quiet to try and compliment.

Someday I wouldn't mind finding a like minded player and working out interlocking patterns (without being too busy and pissing off the string players).

Cheers

Hi Paul;
I share your views on multiple Bodhran playing at sessions. Multiple Bodhran are often not so welcome at sessions but can play like one if needed. Most of the times when another player is coming into the session I tend to play a low underbeat and vise versa. For this Bodhranii have to understand eachother and here is the catch. How can you go about it if the other party doesn't really understand if he is to loud or messy? I have the impression that there is more debate about music among the melody instrument players than among the Bodhranii. Maybe its because one hears the drum less loud then another person who sits next to him? I often ask musicians and Bodhran players next to me if I am not too loud and get support that way. I think that its difficult to debate on. Bodhran playing is a constant learning process and modesty in playing is at its place here guys! Its sometimes tempting to go solo-ing but its more fun to support melody instruments and try to lead them into a higher level by your play. Only an opinion....
Ron

Since there are no sessions available where I live and nobody seems to know what a bodhran is, I practice every day by playing along to YouTube videos. Paul & Kip have never yelled at me once!