The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum, traditionally covered in goatskin, although modern materials like synthetics and even Kangaroo skin have also been used. The word bodhrán is pronounced so that it rhymes with ‘cow brawn’.
The bodhrán is usually played with a tipper, or short double-headed drum stick. The other hand can placed inside the drum against the back of the skin to regulate the drum’s pitch.
The origins of the bodhrán are shrouded in mystery. It is similar in design to frame drums found across northern Africa and the Middle East. It emerged as an instrument for traditional music in Ireland in the 1960s, and has since spread to many other regional traditions, particularly in western Europe and Canada.
Bodhrán players featured in The Pure Drop:
