The bodhrán (pronounced "bawr-uhn" or "bawr-uhn") is a frame drum used in Irish music. It has a diameter of 25 to 65 cm (10–26 in), with most drums measuring 35–45 cm (14–18 in). The sides of the drum are 9–20 cm (3 1/2–8 in) deep. A goatskin head is attached to one side, though synthetic heads or other animal skins may also be used. The other side is open, allowing one hand to be placed inside to control the drum's sound.
One or two crossbars, which may be removed, are sometimes inside the frame. This feature is less common in modern bodhráns. Some professional bodhráns use mechanical tuning systems, similar to those on drums in drum kits. A hex key is often used to tighten or loosen the drum's skin based on changes in weather.
Notable musicians and groups who have used the bodhrán include Christy Moore, Planxty, Moving Hearts, The Chieftains, The Boys of the Lough, The Pogues, Hothouse Flowers, Stockton's Wing, De Dannan, The Saw Doctors, Great Big Sea, Flogging Molly, Imelda May, John Joe Kelly, and Ruairi Glasheen.
History
Composer Seán Ó Riada and bodhrán maker Paraic McNeela both said the bodhrán was the drum used by ancient Celts. They suggested it might have been used first for winnowing grain or dyeing wool. Its history as a musical instrument dates back before Christianity and is native to southwest Ireland.
An expert said the Irish bodhrán came from a tool called a "riddle," used to separate grain. Many bodhráns were made from old riddles by removing the wire and using the frame. The instrument is also called a "riddle drum" in Dorset and Wiltshire, England. A book on English farming tools shows a riddle with a beech frame 28 inches wide from Leicestershire, England. Scotsman Osgood Mackenzie said he saw no wire riddles in old times; instead, they were made from stretched sheepskin with holes pierced by a hot needle. This suggests the bodhrán may have been used in many places around the world.
Musician Ronan Nolan, former editor of Irish Music magazine, said the bodhrán evolved in the mid-1800s from the tambourine. Some Irish music recordings from the 1920s show tambourine-style bodhráns. An 1833 painting by Daniel Maclise shows a Halloween party with a tambourine-style bodhrán played by hand, not with a cipín (a stick). In southwest Ireland, a simple bodhrán without jingles was used by groups called "mummers" or "wren boys." In the early 1900s, homemade bodhráns used willow frames, leather, and pennies for jingles. Photographs from 1946 show bodhráns with jingles being played with a cipín, similar to how they are played today.
The Gaelic word bodhrán (plural bodhráin) is used by both Scots and Irish to mean a drum. It first appears in the Rosa Anglica, a manuscript written between the 15th and 17th centuries. Third-generation bodhrán maker Caramel Tobin says the name bodhrán may mean "skin tray." He also connects it to the Irish word bodhar, meaning a drum or a dull sound. The bodhrán without jingles became more common in recent years.
Evidence of frame drums in Northern Europe dates back to the Bronze Age (around 2000–1000 BC), though few survive because they were made of wood and skin. Roman writers like Tacitus and Diodorus Siculus described Celts using loud, rhythmic music in rituals and battles. Some say the bodhrán may have come from skin trays used in Ireland for carrying peat or grain. The Cornish frame drum crowdy-crawn, used for harvesting grain, was known as early as 1880.
In the 1950s, Peter Kennedy saw a similar instrument in Dorset and Wiltshire called a "riddle drum." Dorothea Hast said the bodhrán was mainly used as a tool for separating chaff, storing food, or holding tools until the mid-20th century. She said its use as a musical instrument was limited to rural rituals until the 1960s, when Seán Ó Riada popularized it.
The name bodhrán does not appear in records before the Rosa Anglica manuscript. Though drums have been used in Ireland for centuries, the bodhrán became widely accepted as a musical instrument during the Irish traditional music revival in the 1960s. The 1960s and 1970s revival brought skilled bodhrán playing to the spotlight, with bands like Ceoltóirí Chualann and The Chieftains leading the way. The bodhrán was not played at Fleadh Cheoil until 1973.
Growing interest led to global recordings, making the bodhrán a well-known instrument. In the 1970s, players like Robin Morton, Peadar Mercier, Christy Moore, Tommy Hayes, and Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh developed new techniques. Though most common in Ireland, the bodhrán is now popular in Celtic music worldwide, including Scotland, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. In southern England, tambourines were used with traditional dance music. In southwest England, a similar drum made from a garden sieve was called a "riddle drum." In Cornwall, it is called a crowdy-crawn, a word also meaning "miscellaneous." The bodhrán is also used in Galicia, Spain, to accompany the gaita gallega (Galician bagpipes).
Beaters
The drum is hit using either bare hands or a wooden tool shaped by a machine, which is called a bone, tipper, beater, stick, or cipín. Originally, tipper tools were made from a bone taken from a finger or toe, but today they are more often made from ash, holly, or hickory wood. A type of beater with a brush end and a technique called "rim shot," which involves hitting the edge of the drum, were introduced by Johnny McDonagh.
Playing
The bodhrán is usually played while sitting. It is held vertically on the player’s thigh and supported by their upper body and arm, typically on the left side for right-handed players. The player places their hand on the inside of the drum’s skin to control the tension, which affects the pitch and sound. The back of the hand may press against a crossbar if one is present. The other arm, usually the right, strikes the drum with either a bare hand or a tipper. There are many playing styles, often named after regions in Ireland. The most common is Kerry style, which uses a two-headed tipper, while West Limerick style uses only one end of the tipper.
In 1987, Robbie Breathnach, Damien Quinn, and Aidan "Scobie" McDonnell created a technique that allowed bodhrán players to change the pitch of the drum. This helped players match the rhythm and melody of the music being played. This innovation changed how the bodhrán was used, making it more musical rather than just rhythmic. Later, players like Tommy Hayes and Abe Doron helped spread these techniques, increasing interest in traditional Irish music. This led to the development of the "top-end" style. Players now often use a smaller (14–15 inch) and deeper (4–6 inch) bodhrán with a thin resonant skin, similar to a Lambeg drum. In this style, the tipper is usually straight, and the hand moves across the top of the drum to control the sound. By forming a "C" shape with the hand, players can enhance the drum’s sound. This technique can also be used on the front of the drum or in a "bottom-end" style, which is like the top-end style but flipped upside down. Crossbars are often removed to allow the left hand more freedom to adjust the tone. This makes the bodhrán sound more melodic, with a wide range of tones.
When playing the bodhrán to accompany Irish music, players use different rhythms. For example, reels have a 4-beat rhythm. The player must follow this rhythm but can add variations within it. Simple rhythms might sound like "ONE two three four ONE two three four," while more complex rhythms include extra beats or pauses. This difference between simple and complex playing is important to other musicians. Because the bodhrán often plays 16th notes (Kerry style), many variations can be created using syncopations and pauses. Combined with manual pitch changes and natural tone variations from the animal skin, the bodhrán can sound as expressive as other musical instruments.
Playing styles have changed with the introduction of an internal tone ring. This device, invented by Seamus O'Kane in 1975, helps adjust the drum’s tension by tightening or loosening it with screws. It was designed to solve problems with damp weather in Donegal and was inspired by banjo designs. At first, only a few bodhráns used this system, but later makers improved it, and it became widely used. This innovation also challenged the idea that thick skins were best for bodhráns, as O'Kane introduced thin Lambeg skins. These allowed for clearer, higher, and lower notes and made playing more musical and delicate.
Today, many bodhráns have their rims covered with electrical tape, either by makers or owners. This idea came from Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh in the 1970s. The tape reduces unwanted vibrations and helps control the drum’s sound. Electrical tape is preferred because its rubber-based adhesive stretches with the drum’s skin, reducing bubbles or changes when the skin is tightened or loosened. Some players with lower-quality drums may also sand the skin slightly to reduce noise from the tipper. Over time, regular use of the drum can create similar effects as these modifications.