| Kerry Style Bodhran Technique |
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Kerry is the defining bodhran style, it is universally used and is the most common form of playing . The exciting 'top end' style is fast sweeping the bodhrán community. A majority of top players now use an amalgamation of Top end and Kerry - 'Top N Kerry'. Bodhrán - Basic "Kerry" technique Paul Marshall ©2005
Any playing references assume that the reader regards the right hand as the dominant hand, if you are left handed, simply reverse the handing. Holding the drum The drum is normally played when sitting. In the case of a right handed player it will sit on the left knee with the frame pointing directly ahead or slightly to the right, it is supported by the left hand inside the drum and held snugly against the front left side of the chest. The edge of the drum will ususlly find a resting place in the crook of your elbow. This method is the same whether cross bars are employed or not, the use of cross bars really is to facilitate left hand pressure for tonal use or to hold the drum when standing, but this is much less common because of having to execute both left hand supportive and tonal requirements simultaneously. Which hand is used where?
The dominant hand
(usually the right) is used to strike the drum with the Playing technique The most common style is the Kerry style where the bottom of the stick strikes the drum for the main rhythms and the top of the stick swings over to make triplets or other ornamentation. The style demonstrated here is the Kerry Style.
 arm about this axis will cause the hand and tipper in the
position above to rise and fall, tracing an arc in the air (see animated image)
The bottom of the tipper will strike the drum head on the leftmost point of the
arc on the way down and again but slightly lower on the upstroke. You will
notice too that my thumb seems to stay fairly close to the centre of the drum in
this basic stroke. When playing my hands do move over the surface of the drum
however this is a good general reference point.
These images have been taken from a player's point of view.
.........Top of arc....................Bottom of arc .......Arc extension to cause triplet The ubiquitous triplet The most common form of rhythmic ornamentation is the 'triplet'. The triplet is an additional strike on the drum accommodated into the basic playing technique. It is the logical next-step after the up/down strokes and is very distinctive, it is used no matter what time signature is employed although the musical effect does vary slightly. As you progress in your playing you will find many ways of playing triplets (or even quadruplets), however the following should be enough to get you started.
The Rim It is possible also to play on the wood shell of the drum. There are many different ways of doing this, some for selecting individual accents by moving the tipper to contact on the rim or you can turn the drum around and play the entire rhythm directly onto the body. It may take a few minutes to get an angle that suits both tipper and rim 'hitability' but the tipper actually only needs a very small area to play, and you should find a comfortable and accessible position. NB a book is a good practise drum :) Other Styles
Left (voice) Hand The left hand has two main purposes; Support. Where it keeps the drum upright and held comfortably but firmly to the player's body. This can be a tricky part for new players or a new drum, particularly if the drum doesn't have a crossbar. Practise lots, spend time getting used to the drum and it will soon provide you with a comfy familiar position. The second role of the left hand isn't usually the most instantly obvious or visually impressive contributor to the sound from a non-drummers perspective, yet it is probably THE most important aspect of a bodhrán player's personal style.
There are many discussions and propositions as to appropriate positioning and activity of the left hand, any motion on the left hand may cause sound by rubbing over the skin. As an observer and a player whose left hand has free range on the drum, I think that the general rule is to find a position that is comfortable and readily gives you the range of tones you need. Some listening and watching as well as a good amount of experimentation will give you a reasonable range of left hand activities to select from. Some you will use all the time, some occasionally, some almost never. There is nothing like really getting to know your drums voices, experiment, be intimate
Tools and toys A bodhráni has a range of tools at his or her disposal, the most obvious of which is tippers. I am compiling research on different tippers, styles and effects, if you can help, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
As a framedrum And of course to make it ultra versatile, the bodhrán can also be used as a framedrum and played in myriad styles from around the globe Check Out N.Scott Robinson's piece 'Travel By Hand' on the Yahoo Group Framedrum CD         |
Tipper
Right Hand
The bodhrán has a
unique and distinctive playing style. The tipper is held loosely in a pen-like
grip somewhere around the middle of the stick.
The
hand holding the tipper is turned in slightly, maybe 20-30 degrees toward the
inner wrist. The tipper should be somewhere around horizontal and parallel with
the drum head this is the basic starting position. 
I explain this role is
by drawing a parallel to our own voices where the voice box creates the sound
and the mouth shapes it; a bodhrán tipper will create the sound and the left
hand will speak its message. This is why I call the left hand the 'voice'
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