It may seem obvious, but if you want to play a percussion instrument the first thing you need to do is to understand the rhythms of the type of music you want to play. Going to sessions and listening intently to the music is one way of doing this. Practicising at home playing to records also helps - but be conscious that many bands play traditional tunes at a much higher speed than you will usually find in a session. It may be that some peole just don't have rhythm - if this is the case another instrument might suit you better, although most require some degree of rhythm.

If you have the basic rhythym right (and be sure to listen to the session and not the tune playing in your head!), I don't think you'll be unwelcome at any session (if the people there are reasonable). Try to find ways of not playing too loudly while you are learning. As you get better you can increase the volume, but never play so loud that you are drowning out the lead instruments playing the tune you are accompanying. The bodhran is a backing instrument (except in solos) - this means you stay in the background.


As you go on you will pick up technique - either by listening to other players or through lessons, instruction videos or whatever.

In applying the techniques, make sure they don't knock your rhythm out before you have mastered them fully.

No matter how good you become, don't show off at the expense of the tunes.

And the jokes are only jokes - there are jokes about most instruments, just grin and bear them. As an Irishman I know you can get used to them. As Kieran Halpin put it in his song "Too long away", learn to "suffer the jibe and the jester, and laugh at their joke through it all".