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Bodhrán Tutorial
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 05 Sep 13 - 12:55 PM I wish I had been there... without my little plastic card, of course. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 05 Sep 13 - 11:48 AM Gnu-"Then again, I have played cardboard boxes, water jugs, beer bottles, phone book and, my favourite kitchen trick, the aluminum beer can" Sometimes at a session (if there is another bodhrán player) I will play one stick against another to sort of replicate a set of bones. Don't do it that often, but it can work well with the right tune. I went to the home/workshop of Diarmaid O'Kane on Monday to pick out a new bodhrán. Spent three hours there talking about all sorts-Epiphone tenor banjos, the Derry Fleadh, martial arts, whiskey and of course bodhráns! And I left with a new drum! Great fella, great bodhrán maker and great company. I am a lucky man and can't wait to give my new toy its first public outing later! |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 04 Sep 13 - 01:20 PM Lavengro..... dunno why I didn't think of this before. Sometimes when I email Joe, his reply goes into my spam folder. Make sure you check such if you don't get a reply from him in a day or so. I believe he is away at present and I dunno when he will be back home. If I can save up the coin, I am just gonna send the link of your tutorial vid and say, "Like that." I am sheepish about saying this but, as a newbie, I once overwaxed my first Kearns and in humid summer weather it sounds like it is just off the goat to this very day... over twenty years later. I know that may be hard to believe for many but take as a caution if nothing else. "Sparingly" was right in the directions but I wish it had said "Apply sparingly when the relative humidity is approximately 85 to 95% and wait several days before repeating to obtain the desired tone. Play it as much as possble during this time or simply work the cack of the skin with the flat of your hand, adding water only when absolutely necessary." but I suppose that wouldn't fit on the small packet now, would it? Perhaps if I had been smart enough to realize why the packet was so small? >;-) Sounds reeealy good when the humidity is about 70% and lower. I used to check the weather forecast on the internUt to decide when to leave it at home. Looking forward to PMing you, sir. Tone... agreed. I dedcided to get a synthetic after a session with a lad who carried his Hran in a newspaper shoulder strapped carry sack (heavy cotton). He had walked a couple of miles to my house in heavy rain and I was aghast! It was soaking wet. I don't care for the tone but this guy was gooood and it sounded fine after two miles of rain. I played it many a night by campfire in the backwoods. I wouldn't take a proper Hran with me in the woods. Then again, I have played cardboard boxes, water jugs, beer bottles, phone book and, my favourite kitchen trick, the aluminum beer can. Surprisingly, the beer can sounds good, with one drawback, that being, when the tunes are fast and furious, one can beat the crap out a can in jig time thus requiring an ample supply of empty cans but I never had a problem with that in my kitchen. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: Uncle Tone Date: 04 Sep 13 - 07:26 AM I use the crossbar to help make the tension in the skin, by levering the back of the hand against it. It's almost possible to use the bodhran like an acoustic bass, sometimes. Tone |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 04 Sep 13 - 07:17 AM Hi Gnu, Don't know that I would want to play an 18" shallow frame bodhrán with no crossbar. So I think you have a good point there. Might be like juggling fish! On the first bodhráns I had, I always popped out one bar to give a bit more freedom of movement. But the ones I've owned later all came without. I personally found that drums without a bar made me think a bit more about my playing, and how I was tensioning, damping, and reducing the playing area. That might just be me though? In terms of membership I hope to drop the Gatekeeper a line tonight. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 02 Sep 13 - 03:06 PM Drat! I wanted to ask. I see Seamus and Gino, in your vid link, both play Hrans with a crossbar. Both my Kearns have double cross bars and it can be a bit of a bother at times. Yours has none. Perhaps the width of the O'Kane has some bearing compared to the Kearns? Any comments re just that or in general regarding crossbar reinforcement for stability and for ease of play? |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 02 Sep 13 - 03:00 PM Great info! Thanks. I'll sort out the bills and see what I can come up with. To say you never waxed or watered and it sounded that great is a testement to O'Kane. There are good makers here in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere but there is just something about playing one from The Motherland, eh? I hope you become a member without delay. As Jeri has somewhat alluded to, being a Rhan player is an impediment but I take full responsiblity for that. Nothing to do with the Hran in actuality. >;-) |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 02 Sep 13 - 07:29 AM Hi Gnu, Thanks for that, I will try again. It terms of the O'Kane I have never owned one of the tensioning band types as I have always thought that would lead to always playing the drum in the same position with the tensioning block at 6 o'clock so to speak. Also if you get any wear and tear on the "normal" O'Kanes you can get a replacement delrin block or whatever at a local hardware store. Having said that the one in the vid is eight years or so old and I've never had to replace or renew anything. I hope that's not the kiss of death on it now! In terms of any treatment on the skin I have never used anything on there (not even holy water!), and have never had a need to. You know, Seamus is a bit of an alchemist in treating the lambeg skins he gets and no one can really match him. If Anyone doubts that look no further than the fact that Metloef Bodhráns and Chris Hedwitschak (despite all the clever Dragonskin and kangaroo heads etc. they use) still get their lambeg skins via Seamus. I hope if you do decide to shell out for one you are happy with it, as otherwise I will feel like you do when you recommend a restaurant to a friend and they hate it! |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 01 Sep 13 - 10:57 PM Email Joe fer a membership. Fact is, that whole business was to deal with some nasties a while back who were operating out of Britain. No need to go into detail but a mod explained it to me. Nowadays, ya gotta go thru Joe to become a member. Ya gotta have a valid email address... that is, ya gotta be you. There have been some crazy mofos in here and I am glad Joe is now The Gatekeeper. Sorry about that nickname, Joe. I think it's "funny". If you don't, delete it. I have a better one ready. >;-) If ya gt any probs signing up, let me know. We'll get it sorted. Now! Do you treat that O'Kane with anything other than Holy Water? |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 01 Sep 13 - 09:21 AM Hi all, If you go to the membership link there is a hyperlink notice at the bottom of the page that says-Until further notice- that takes you to this: thread.cfm?threadid=139080 I did send an e mail request about a year ago (I think it must have been to Joe as that is the only address I would have?) to ask if the ban on UK membership was stll in force, and was politely told that it was. Unfortunately I haven't kept the e mails, but the -Until further notice- link is still on the membership page is still there so I assumed nothing had changed? If I find that stance has changed I will try again.
Just send me an e-mail, and I'll be happy to sign you up. -Joe Offer, Mudcat Registrar- joe@mudcat.org |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: Jeri Date: 31 Aug 13 - 07:18 PM @GUEST,Lavengro, regarding membership sign-up, what happens when you try it now? It should advise you to send an e-mail to Joe Offer. He handles all membership requests. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 31 Aug 13 - 05:18 PM There. emailsss sent. I dunno what this is about but it will get sorted ASAP. In the mean time... I can get a Seamus O'Kane Hran delivered to nb.ca for about $500? Things are tight here and I can't even play for more than 15 minutes at a time but damn! that is soooo tempting! Hmmm... is that the price for the tunable one... the band with the Allen screw? BTW... if these questions are "too much" for ballparking a price and you think I should talk to the man directly, I'll think on it hard before I contact him as I don't want to waste his time... nor yours. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 31 Aug 13 - 05:00 PM "No new UK based members" ???? WHAT? Oh... that will SOON BE RECTIFIED!! I am on this like white on rice! |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 31 Aug 13 - 06:47 AM Hi Gnu, Diarmaid's ones are around the £200 mark, Seamus's drums are a little more, but as I said he will tweak them to the sound you are after and where you will mostly use it. I did try signing up to membership about a year ago, but saw the "No new UK based members" bit and emailed to enquire. Was told it was still in force. If there is another way to get my e mail address to you without "going public" Then I'm happy to do so. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 30 Aug 13 - 06:55 AM Thanks for the links. Any estimate on price? I forgot to mention in my first post that the emphasis you place on the two basic rythyms being "all you need to learn and the rest being variations which will come" is of the utmost importance IMO. I had one VHS tape which became so detailed and complex that I stalled in just a few weeks. I discovered the technique of practicing by imitation (as you talked about) when doing just that and never finished the detailed, "advanced" portion of the VHS tutorial and, yet, had many compliments over the years. I would like to PM you with further comments but cannot as you are not a member. Is there a member that could relay a PM to you by email? |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 29 Aug 13 - 12:48 PM And the last one from the Fleadh a couple of weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SxRmOBG3jg Thanks again for the kind words. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 29 Aug 13 - 12:43 PM Here is another link: http://www.tradcentre.com/diarmaid/ |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 29 Aug 13 - 12:39 PM Hi Gnu, Seamus is still making (and playing) bodhráns. Here is a link: http://www.tradcentre.com/seamus/contact.shtml When I got mine from him he rang me up to discuss what I would be using the drum for (as in, sessions or stage or both)and when it came it had a handwritten letter telling me about a new treatment he had tried on the skin and saying he hoped I would enjoy playing it. What a nice man. I will post a couple of other links after this but I can't seem to do more than one per post? |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 29 Aug 13 - 10:37 AM Sings? Oops. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 28 Aug 13 - 07:55 PM Found an old thread about a tune I found on one of the cassettes I bought "back then". Always found this to be a fun tune. Gino sings it beautifully. I wish I could find it on the net and share it with you all. thread.cfm?threadid=14049&messages=3 |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 28 Aug 13 - 07:06 PM Megan... excellent adice and applies for all and sundry who wish to do similar works... as usual, even tho some of us don't always live up to your sage words of advice sometimes. >;-) And, your comments on relaxed delivery are spot on. The laughter and banter show the man as sincere as he is. That is worth a lot. I would also add, that "flash" of accomplihsed Rhan is good as long as it stays a flash. The shorter, the better as it goes hand in hand with Megan's comment about relaxed delivery and treating the newbie with respect. When I taught myself Bodhran some 20 years ago because there were no players that I knew of around here, I bought two tapes. One was great for 15 minutes (what you did better in 5) and the rest was shite. The whole other video was an ad. So, I was pleasantly surprised when you talked about making a recording(s) to practice with. I did just that. Back then, I had to spend a lot of money to buy cassette tapes and some were great while others not so much. From those, I made my own tapes for practice. I have shared these with students of mine over time and taught them essentially the way you have presented your ideas on your video. I even put an ad in a "publication"... "First lesson $10 to cover materials. All future lessons free." Glad to see your are doing this for free instead of marketing tapes such as I had to purchase "way back when". Good on ya! PS... Could I actually buy an O'Kane? I have two Kearns and a synthetic (HEY! The Remo synthetic plays well in the rain and next to a campfire and I don't care if a spark hits it). |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 28 Aug 13 - 04:03 PM Genuine thanks to everyone who has given up their time to give me such valuable feedback. There are some really good points there on things that I just would not have noticed, excellent tips on presentation, and some great encouragement. Perhaps I will add to the pile of instructional youtube bodhrán clips :) Gnu, yes I am very fortunate in owning an O'Kane, I am hoping to get another one shortly, but this time a slightly smaller drum from Diarmaid his son. Thanks again to everyone who replied. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: Megan L Date: 28 Aug 13 - 10:51 AM I came to this piece not as a musician but as a trainer in another discipline and was pleasantly surprised. It could do with a bit of spit and polish but it would be an interesting project as perhaps a series of short tutorials on different aspects. I am inclined to think still in skill breakdowns so if you bear with me for a moment. THOUGHTS 1. Sound is important if you did decide to make a series see if you can get your hands on some higher spec recording equipment. (Don't know where you live but is there perhaps a local college that does a media course? They might be willing to do the recording side as a project.) 2. Carefully examine what you do when playing so that you don't miss something because it is second nature to you. 3. Think about content try to stick to need to know as the main part with a small amount of nice to know and avoid waffle. 4. Plan the session What do you want them to learn What knowledge and skills do they need to achieve to have successfully followed your instruction. How do you present the individual elements in a clearly understandable order. (e.g. you spoke about flicking of honey then showed the movement in the air which was good, then you could have followed showing the individual stroke on the instrument.) If you do feel the need to say that other people do things differently do not include it in the session but put it as a throw away line at the end along the lines of "As you get more experienced with your instrument you will develop your own style." You have a nice relaxed way which is good for learners and kept it simple withou leaving me(your audience) feeling talked down to. Well done lad hope to see this as a full project someday. Meg |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: gnu Date: 28 Aug 13 - 06:16 AM I'd say, "Added to favourites". And I will recommend it to anyone who asks... highly. I agree with you when you said "cheap microphone" (you may have said more but I missed many words due to the quality of the recording) but if you can replicate that vid with a quality recording, you have a winner. Especially when you talk about getting started, practicing only 15 min a day to start, making recordings to use in learning and WHAT to use in the progression you suggested. Top notch! The fruit thing may be a problem... for me. I just hope I don't get that in my head like one gets an earworm! >;-) One other problem. Even tho I can't play anymore due to injury and arthritis, I dearly want an O'kane. You talked about it sounding poorly due to recording quality. Not so... it sounded lovely, as in, I want one! Rhan on! |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,FloraG Date: 28 Aug 13 - 04:50 AM I think the first thing people want is not as much talk - but a master demo ideally with another instrument - then have it broken down into the bite size pieces with backing music to try it with. The talk I would include in every tutorial is Bodhran etiquete when playing with others ( infinately more importnt than who you buy your bodhran from). FloraG |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 28 Aug 13 - 04:33 AM Thanks for your time and observations Tone. Very Much appreciated. |
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Subject: RE: Bodhrán Tutorial From: Uncle Tone Date: 27 Aug 13 - 02:06 PM A good gentle basic introduction. It is a shame the instruction isn't a lot louder. I think you'll either need to speak up a lot, or maybe use a clip-on mike. Many such YouTube bodhran instructions seem to be more about demonstrating how clever the instructor is than encouraging the rank beginner, which you do well. Thanks Tone |
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Subject: Bodhrán Tutorial From: GUEST,Lavengro Date: 27 Aug 13 - 11:21 AM Hi everyone, A student of mine suggested that I put my take on bodhrán basics online. So being at a loose end yesterday afternoon I put up a little over 10 minutes of instruction. Or probably 5 minutes of instruction and 5 of waffle! If you have the time to watch it I would appreciate some feedback(especially from bodhrán players) as if I am going to put something up there I would like it to be decent. Not slick and professional, just decent. All feedback on the content is appreciated. Anyways, here tis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PalJ6tURZzg |
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