bodojo - the world's foremost contemporary bodhrán resource

Intermediate bodhrán Rudiments & exercises

As you might expect as part of their formal practise regime, there is a lot of potential material for a progressing player to get their teeth into. Here is a selection

Go to advanced rudiments and exercises Back to basics

Click for a free online metronome

This is a key exercise, particularly for top end players where double striking will in many cases replace the top end of the tipper.

Practise this carefully making sure that the weaker upstroke matches the downstroke for volume. As with all these exercises, beats should be evenly spaced. Practise without accents and then by accenting each beat in turn.

------------------------------------------------

As discussed in the basic rudiments, a jig is a compound 3 beat pattern, in this case 2 x 3 = 6 beats. In this version the rudiment incorporates the double stroke in the DDU fashion. It should equally be practised starting with UUD. This double stroke is a key to top end variety.

------------------------------------------------------

A slip jig is a 3x3 beat pattern. It is played like a jig however when you reach the second bar you will find that the entire pattern inverts.

If you started on the Downstroke at bar one, then you will be starting on the upstroke on the first beat of bar 2

A slipjig may also be counted as 1 2 3 - 2 2 3 - 3 2 3.

As with the standard jigs, options exist to replace the standard DUD with DDU or UUD however tempo will dictate where this is feasible for you.

----------------------------------

Go to advanced rudiments and exercises