Yay! I started playing triplets tonight!!! I bought my bodhran last month in Galway when on vacation to Ireland, and I am bound and determined that I will play this instrument! Triplets are FUN!
Obviously, triplets are routinely played with one end of the tipper. What I mean is where the stick bounces and produces a third beat, caused by stick-bounce, between the up and down stroke, and/or between the down and the up. I am getting this accidentally, and what I'm asking is if, as I would assume, players take control of this effect and use it .
You think you know how to hold the tipper. I mean, how hard can it be? Just hold it like a pencil and hammer away. Well, it was tougher than I thought. I wasn't able to do triplets/rolls without them sounding forced, until I got really comfortable holding the tipper. So, it took me a while to learn -- but your vids really helped me to keep at it. Thank you so much for your inspiring vids. Keep them coming!
taught myself with a 'straight wrist', without realising it, and always wondered why my wrist looked so stiff compared to most other players on youtube, and seemed to lack fluency. Now I've watched this, i understand why, and am re-learning the instrument with the 'curved wrist'. It feels odd still, but i think i have a better grip on the tipper, and it's more aesthetically pleasing.....but I'm finding triplets very hard now, whereas before i found them easy!! Ah well....practice, practice!
I've been watching all your videos in anticipation of getting my first drum. I can't wait to get my hands on it and go thru your lessons! THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing these!! Keep them coming!
Hi, I bought a bodhran a while ago and have had great difficulty in making it sound anyway near how it should, despite buying several dvds on learning how to play. Your videos have been so helpful and I particularly like how you start the process slowly and use the spoken up / down method to remember the playing sequence. Thanks a million, I look forward to further postings
Hi, great lessons, thanks. I'd like to have a teacher like you, here in france.
I have one question: the top end of my tipper often bounce again the skin and it makes a double top end stroke. Nice sound but i don't master it and it's hard to avoid when the tempo raises. Do you have an advice for me? Is it my grip on the tipper that is bad? Or a bad wrist movement?
Í am very pleased with your lessons! Bought my bodhran in ireland years ago and didn't know how to play it. Now I practice every day. love your lessons. Thank you.
Trying out your tipper holding style as i play straight wrist and find the shock on my thumb painful I notice you choke up pretty high with tipper and i'm trying to adjust to that I find my thumb is further forward and scrapes the head sometimes
Hi Hutch. Funnily enough I recorded a video on holding the tipper this week, but haven't had time to post it yet. Will make a point of putting it up asap.
The thumb scraping becomes more obvioius when we're trying to get closer to the skin - especially for triplets. I keep my nails quite short, but if my thumb nail gets even a bit of length to it I find even I can get a nail scrape. Amazing how just a small amount of nail growth can be the culprit sometimes.
Cheers Jeremy. Definitely have those videos on the cards. Need to be careful with playing along to recordings that arent royalty free on here so I'm working on recording some traditional tunes with my husband on his Irish pipes.
Nice vid. you might want to change the title though as it could confuse those wishing to learn "top-end" style playing. Great stuff though. Keep it up.
Hey, whistleanddrum. Thanks for the feedback. I see what you mean. Have changed the title so people should know it's for using top end of the tipper for triplets and rolls.
go raibh mo agat mo chara
lowfiwhiteguy 3 months ago
Thanks for the good lesson! :-)
JohnLRice 5 months ago
Yay! I started playing triplets tonight!!! I bought my bodhran last month in Galway when on vacation to Ireland, and I am bound and determined that I will play this instrument! Triplets are FUN!
cynsha 6 months ago
These videos are extremely helpful - thank you so much!
lisamarieharvey 10 months ago
Hi again Michelle
I need to clarify my last post.
Obviously, triplets are routinely played with one end of the tipper. What I mean is where the stick bounces and produces a third beat, caused by stick-bounce, between the up and down stroke, and/or between the down and the up. I am getting this accidentally, and what I'm asking is if, as I would assume, players take control of this effect and use it .
turnitback 1 year ago
Hi Michelle
Great videos!
I wondered if you had come across this:
My arms are twisted inwards. This makes some instruments very difficult. However, with a bodhran, all I do is hold the drum at a different angle.
While trying to find a comfortable angle, I noticed that slight errors sometimes produce triplets with just one end of the tipper as it bounces.
I assume that other players have similar deformities. Am I right to assume that and that one-end triplets are used anyway?
Paul
turnitback 1 year ago
what size is her Bodhran?
ILuvCaroline 1 year ago
You think you know how to hold the tipper. I mean, how hard can it be? Just hold it like a pencil and hammer away. Well, it was tougher than I thought. I wasn't able to do triplets/rolls without them sounding forced, until I got really comfortable holding the tipper. So, it took me a while to learn -- but your vids really helped me to keep at it. Thank you so much for your inspiring vids. Keep them coming!
Best wishes from The Netherlands
laellagos 1 year ago
taught myself with a 'straight wrist', without realising it, and always wondered why my wrist looked so stiff compared to most other players on youtube, and seemed to lack fluency. Now I've watched this, i understand why, and am re-learning the instrument with the 'curved wrist'. It feels odd still, but i think i have a better grip on the tipper, and it's more aesthetically pleasing.....but I'm finding triplets very hard now, whereas before i found them easy!! Ah well....practice, practice!
fibbafox 1 year ago
I've been watching all your videos in anticipation of getting my first drum. I can't wait to get my hands on it and go thru your lessons! THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing these!! Keep them coming!
soundwerxkaraoke 1 year ago
Hi, I bought a bodhran a while ago and have had great difficulty in making it sound anyway near how it should, despite buying several dvds on learning how to play. Your videos have been so helpful and I particularly like how you start the process slowly and use the spoken up / down method to remember the playing sequence. Thanks a million, I look forward to further postings
pinkdinosaurbarney 2 years ago
i agree it would be easier to orientate if we get you POV. I think you are an excellent teacher though!!!
richardhanna0 2 years ago
What would be instructive is to put the camera above the bodhran and point it down to simulate what a player sees when playing this
mydrumvideos 2 years ago
That's a great idea. Thanks for suggesting it. I will try to do that in another video about triplets.
BodhranMasterclass 2 years ago
Hi, great lessons, thanks. I'd like to have a teacher like you, here in france.
I have one question: the top end of my tipper often bounce again the skin and it makes a double top end stroke. Nice sound but i don't master it and it's hard to avoid when the tempo raises. Do you have an advice for me? Is it my grip on the tipper that is bad? Or a bad wrist movement?
Thanks for these incredible lessons.
dansedeguerre 2 years ago
Í am very pleased with your lessons! Bought my bodhran in ireland years ago and didn't know how to play it. Now I practice every day. love your lessons. Thank you.
lenardsels 2 years ago
Thank you so much for your videos :)
Just got a bodhran recently and now is my first evening with YouTube lessons)
megaborisramblerru 2 years ago
Trying out your tipper holding style as i play straight wrist and find the shock on my thumb painful I notice you choke up pretty high with tipper and i'm trying to adjust to that I find my thumb is further forward and scrapes the head sometimes
have you run across this with other students?
Thanx
Hutch in Seattle
shmopus 2 years ago
Hi Hutch. Funnily enough I recorded a video on holding the tipper this week, but haven't had time to post it yet. Will make a point of putting it up asap.
The thumb scraping becomes more obvioius when we're trying to get closer to the skin - especially for triplets. I keep my nails quite short, but if my thumb nail gets even a bit of length to it I find even I can get a nail scrape. Amazing how just a small amount of nail growth can be the culprit sometimes.
BodhranMasterclass 2 years ago
Your videos are so good and I am trying so hard, although I do find it a little frustrating at times.
I have been practicing for about now 2 weeks now, and I am improving.
I am sure my problem has to do with how I am holding my tipper.
I would love it, if you could start out slow, but continue for a few minutes rather than stopping.
Do you have any longer practice pieces?
Thank you
Cathy Murphy
murcatus 3 years ago
Good video this. Be nice to see you playing along to some music to demonstrate the art of accompanying.
Cryptoenigma 3 years ago
Cheers Jeremy. Definitely have those videos on the cards. Need to be careful with playing along to recordings that arent royalty free on here so I'm working on recording some traditional tunes with my husband on his Irish pipes.
BodhranMasterclass 3 years ago
Nice vid. you might want to change the title though as it could confuse those wishing to learn "top-end" style playing. Great stuff though. Keep it up.
whistleanddrum 3 years ago
Hey, whistleanddrum. Thanks for the feedback. I see what you mean. Have changed the title so people should know it's for using top end of the tipper for triplets and rolls.
BodhranMasterclass 3 years ago
Really enjoying these series of videos Mickey! Any hints on bodhran skin care? Not sure how best to care for my new bodran. Thanks!!
ianjenny99 3 years ago