Subject: RE: a strap for my bodhran?
From:
Mooh
Date: 25 Nov 06 - 10:23 AM
We've seen so many bodhrans come through the Goderich Celtic College repair shop you'd think they were breeding.
Two strap varieties come to mind, one point and two point. The one point strap is essentially a strap which connects both ends to one point on the instrument, tied or otherwise attached. More steady during use might be the two point strap which connects to two widely separated points on the instrument. Either way prevents the thing from falling to the floor while in use so that the hands are more free to play.
Minimize hardware which can and will rattle, come undone, scratch, be heard by microphones, or require maintenance. Straps tied with a stout lace or thong through a hole will work better and even be more elegant and "old" than complicated rings, clasps, buckles and so on. When detachability is an issue (and it doesn't often come up) I'd still avoid unnecessary hardware in favour of maybe something like a length of velcro to pass through a loop and attach back on itself. Attachment points need to be centred so the drum doesn't rotate away from the player while in use. Experimentation with this will help, but we've found that attachment to braces is the least favoured.
Crossbraces seem to be overdone in many bodhrans. One from north to south is lots if it's properly placed. We've removed probably dozens of the additional "east to west" braces for folks who simply can't get at the backside of the head with it in place. Unbraced drums seem to hold up as well as braced ones assuming other construction details are good.
In recent years, especially in 2006, we've modified many drums with a cutaway in one side for left arm clearance. If you do this, start with a modest removal of the side wood, maybe as little as 1/4" in a nicely rounded shape and remove more if it continues to be uncomfortable. The sharp corner to the rim must be rounded over too, for comfort. Making the cutaway too deep will let the head tension warp the rim.
The actual strap may be akin to a guitar strap, over the shoulder. It also may be like a djembe harness, over two shoulders and/or under the arms. Adjustment can be via a sliding buckle or other means like many guitar straps. I like the poor man's solutions, so I'd be inclined to make one from an old belt or something for bodhran, but there are lots of great commercially available straps from Long Hollow, Levys, etc.
The easiest? One hole in the rim with a length of rope threaded through and knotted. Maybe not comfortable on the shoulder, but eminently servicable.
Peace, Mooh.
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sj
